Although writer and director Phil Traill was born in New Jersey, he spent most of his youth in London. After graduating from Newcastle University in northeast England in 1995, he began working in television in London. While gaining experience in TV, Traill was also writing and directing a number of short films. From 1998 to 2003, he created four short films, which were well received and elevated him to the status of an emerging filmmaker in England. This led to his feature film debut, when he directed the 2009 zany comedy "All About Steve," which starred Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, and Thomas Haden Church. Although the movie was quite unpopular with critics, it performed decently at the box office. Traill was also getting immersed in American television, directing episodes of sitcoms "My Boys," "Cougar Town," and "10 Things I Hate About You." In 2011, Traill directed his second film feature, the British teen romantic comedy "Chalet Girl," with Felicity Jones and Ed Westwick. Although a smaller release than "All About Steve," "Chalet Girl" had a better critical reaction, scoring generally positive reviews. Traill also was busy in television in 2011, directing multiple episodes of both the dysfunctional family comedy "Raising Hope" and the Ray Romano midlife crisis drama "Men of a Certain Age," in addition to single episodes of other TV series.