His 11-minute student film made at NYU is called 'Last Year in Viet Nam'.
Was taught by Martin Scorsese at New York University Film School.
His mother is French.
All the feature-length commercial films he's directed have been rated "R", except for Seizure (1974), which was rated "PG".
Was voted the 43rd Greatest Director of all time by Entertainment Weekly.
Often talks about the experience of his father taking him to lose his virginity to a prostitute in his mid-teens.
Wrote a collegiate letter of recommendation for Claire Danes when she applied for Stone's alma mater, Yale University. She was quickly accepted.
On September 14, 1967 he left for Vietnam and was assigned to the 2nd Platoon of Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Infantry, stationed near the Cambodian border as "Private Bill Stone" (fearing that "Oliver" was too effeminate).
Directed two comedians/comic actors in their first and only dramatic roles; John Candy in JFK and Rodney Dangerfield in Natural Born Killers.
Is a friend and admirer of Cuban Premier Fidel Castro, and recently shot a documentary about the world's longest reigning Communist leader, titled Comandante (2003). It was to air on HBO in May 2003, but due to protests by anti-Castro Cuban-American activists, it was shelved until 2003.
