Writers - IMDb

1. Roger Avary

Award-winning filmmaker Roger Avary first began experimenting in Beta I video and 8mm film formats during the late 1970s. In 1983, his Super-8mm supernatural thriller The Worm Turns won Best Film from the Los Angeles Film Teachers Association Film Expo. He went on to attend the Pasadena Art Center ...

2. Lilly Wachowski

Writer | The Matrix

Director, writer, and producer Lilly Wachowski was born in 1967 in Chicago, the daughter of Lynne, a nurse and painter, and Ron, a businessman. Lilly was educated at Kellogg Elementary School in Chicago, before moving on to Whitney M. Young High School. After graduating from high school, she ...

3. Lana Wachowski

Writer | The Matrix

Lana Wachowski and her sister Lilly Wachowski, also known as the Wachowskis, are the duo behind such ground-breaking movies as The Matrix (1999) and Cloud Atlas (2012). Born to mother Lynne, a nurse, and father Ron, a businessman of Polish descent, Wachowski grew up in Chicago and formed a tight ...

4. J.R.R. Tolkien

Writer | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

English writer, scholar and philologist, Tolkien's father was a bank manager in South Africa. Shortly before his father died (1896) his mother took him and his younger brother to his father's native village of Sarehole, near Birmingham, England. The landscapes and Nordic mythology of the Midlands ...

5. Fran Walsh

Writer | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Fran Walsh is a New Zealand writer and wife of New Zealand film director Peter Jackson. She co-wrote The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, which is seen by many as Jackson's magnum opus and one of the most significant film series ever made. She also wrote The Hobbit trilogy, a prequel to Jackson's ...

6. Christopher Nolan

Writer | Tenet

Best known for his cerebral, often nonlinear, storytelling, acclaimed Academy Award winner writer/director/producer Sir Christopher Nolan CBE was born in London, England. Over the course of more than 25 years of filmmaking, Nolan has gone from low-budget independent films to working on some of the ...

7. Jonathan Nolan

Writer | Westworld

Attended Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois, graduating in 1994.

Graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in 1999. Majored in English.

Shortly after graduating from Georgetown University, Jonathan Nolan served as a production assistant on Memento (2000).

Wrote the short story, "...

8. Philippa Boyens

Writer | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Philippa Boyens is a New Zealand writer and producer who has co-written several of Peter Jackson's films. She co-wrote the Academy Award winning Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Hobbit trilogy which is a prequel to the Lord of the Rings films, The Lovely Bones, Mortal Engines, and the 2005 remake of ...

9. Peter Jackson

Producer | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Sir Peter Jackson made history with The Lord of the Rings trilogy, becoming the first person to direct three major feature films simultaneously. The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King were nominated for and collected a slew of awards from around the globe, with The ...

10. Guillermo del Toro

Writer | El laberinto del fauno

Guillermo del Toro was born October 9, 1964 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Raised by his Catholic grandmother, del Toro developed an interest in filmmaking in his early teens. Later, he learned about makeup and effects from the legendary Dick Smith (The Exorcist (1973)) and worked on making his ...

11. Christopher McQuarrie

Writer | The Usual Suspects

Christopher McQuarrie is an acclaimed producer, director and an Academy Award® winning writer. McQuarrie grew up in Princeton Junction, New Jersey and in lieu of college, he spent the first five years out of school traveling and working at a detective agency. He later moved to Los Angeles to pursue...

12. John-Henry Butterworth

Writer | Edge of Tomorrow

John-Henry Butterworth was born in 1976 in London, England, UK. He is a writer and producer, known for Edge of Tomorrow (2014), Ford v Ferrari (2019) and Fair Game (2010).

13. Jez Butterworth

Writer | Edge of Tomorrow

His feature film directorial debut Mojo (1997) starred Ian Hart, Ewen Bremner, Aidan Gillen and Harold Pinter and was officially selected for the 1998 Venice Film Festival. The film was based on his multi award winning stage play of the same name which opened at the Royal Court Theatre in 1995 and ...

14. Hiroshi Sakurazaka

Writer | Edge of Tomorrow

Hiroshi Sakurazaka is known for Edge of Tomorrow (2014) and Live Die Repeat and Repeat.

15. David Mitchell

Writer | That Mitchell and Webb Look

David Mitchell was born on 14th July 1974 in Salisbury, England. His parents, Ian and Kathy Mitchell, worked as hotel managers in Salisbury. David also has a brother. In 1977 the family moved to Oxford, where his parents taught a course in hotel management at Oxford Brookes University. David was ...

16. Tom Tykwer

Writer | Lola rennt

Director, writer, producer and composer Tom Tykwer was born in 1965 in Wuppertal, Germany. He showed an interest in film-making from childhood, making super 8 films from the age of 11. Among his first jobs was working at a local art-house cinema. Tykwer eventually relocated to Berlin, first working...

17. James Cameron

Writer | Avatar: The Way of Water

James Francis Cameron was born on August 16, 1954 in Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada. He moved to the United States in 1971. The son of an engineer, he majored in physics at California State University before switching to English, and eventually dropping out. He then drove a truck to support his ...

18. Dan O'Bannon

Writer | Alien

Dan O'Bannon was inspired at an early age by EC Comics like Tales from the Crypt and old horror films that he saw in St. Louis. He even wrote a few stories for Heavy Metal magazine (which also showed up in the film).

O'Bannon got his start when he and John Carpenter collaborated on the cult sci-fi ...

19. Ronald Shusett

Writer | Alien

Ronald Shusett was born to David and Fanny Shusett in June 1935. His younger brother Gary (1941 - 2013) founded the Sherwood Oaks Film School. When Ronald was three the family moved from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles where he grew up. He attended UCLA for two years and in the mid-1960s began producing ...

20. Vincent Ward

Director | The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey

Vincent Ward has produced, executive produced and/or written and directed feature films including What Dreams May Come (Which won an Oscar and was nominated for 2 Academy Awards), The River Queen (Won best film in Shanghai) and The Last Samurai (4 Academy Award nominations and winner of Best ...

21. David Giler

Producer | Aliens

David Giler was born on July 23, 1943 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for Aliens (1986), Alien³ (1992) and Alien: Resurrection (1997). He was married to Nancy Kwan. He died on December 19, 2020 in Bangkok, Thailand.

22. Walter Hill

Writer | 48 Hrs.

Hill was born in Long Beach, California and educated at Mexico City College and Michigan State University. He worked in oil drilling and construction in the 60s before becoming a 2nd assistant director in 1967. He has written and co-written screenplays, including several uncredited works. He has ...

23. Larry Ferguson

Writer | The Hunt for Red October

Larry Ferguson was born in 1940. He is a writer and actor, known for The Hunt for Red October (1990), Alien³ (1992) and Rollerball (2002).

24. David Crane

Writer | Friends

David Crane was born on August 13, 1957 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Friends (1994), Dream On (1990) and Episodes (2011).

25. Marta Kauffman

Writer | Friends

Marta Kauffman was born on September 21, 1956 in Broomall, Pennsylvania, USA. She is a writer and producer, known for Friends (1994), Dream On (1990) and Grace and Frankie (2015). She was previously married to Michael Skloff.

26. Roxanne Meadows

Producer | The Choice Is Ours

Roxanne Meadows is known for The Choice Is Ours (2015), Designing the Future (2006) and Untitled Venus Project.

27. Joel Holt

Camera_department | The Choice Is Ours

Joel Holt is known for The Choice Is Ours (2015), A World Worth Imagining - Jacque Fresco, the Man with the Plan (2019) and Paradise or Oblivion (2012).

28. William Gazecki

Sound_department | Waco: The Rules of Engagement

William Gazecki is known for Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997), Coming to America (1988) and St. Elsewhere (1982).

29. Peter Joseph

Writer | Zeitgeist: Moving Forward

Peter Joseph (Winston-Salem, NC, USA) inadvertently became globally acclaimed after a private performance work called "Zeitgeist" went viral online in 2007. This highly controversial art piece was artlessly placed online after a short performance run in Manhattan.Peter is/was a solo percussionist/...

30. Bill Lancaster

Writer | The Thing

Bill was known by his friends as "Billy", when he was a youth. He attended "public" school, as many actor's sons and daughters did in the 1960s. He was never athletic since he was stricken with a childhood disease. He was well liked at Emerson Junior High School in West Los Angeles, California. He ...

31. John W. Campbell Jr.

Writer | The Thing

John W. Campbell, Jr. was an American science fiction writer and editor, known predominantly for the sub-genre 'Hard Science Fiction', and further credited for his role in the Golden Age of Science Fiction. He began writing science fiction in his teens and attended Massachusetts Institute of ...

32. Ben Ripley

Writer | Source Code

Ben Ripley grew up in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. A cum laude graduate of Stanford University and an honors graduate of the University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television, he sold his first screenplay to Fox in 2002. Since then he has worked steadily in the genres of horror, ...

33. Ed Solomon

Writer | Men in Black

Ed Solomon was born on September 15, 1960 in Saratoga, California, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Men in Black (1997), Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) and Now You See Me 2 (2016). He was previously married to Cynthia Cleese.

34. Boaz Yakin

Writer | Fresh

Boaz Yakin was born on June 15, 1965. He is a writer and producer, known for Fresh (1994), Remember the Titans (2000) and Aviva (2020).

35. Edward Ricourt

Producer | Raising Dion

Edward Ricourt is known for Raising Dion (2019), Now You See Me (2013) and Now You See Me 2 (2016).

36. Ari Schlossberg

Writer | Hide and Seek

Ari Schlossberg is known for Hide and Seek (2005), Harper's Island (2009) and Lucky 13 (2005).

37. Neill Blomkamp

Director | District 9

Neill Blomkamp is a South African-Canadian film director and screenwriter who is known for the science fiction films District 9, Elysium and Chappie. He also directed the supernatural horror film Demonic and the 2007 short film Halo: Landfall, based on the Microsoft science fiction video game ...

38. Marv Wolfman

Writer | Young Justice

Marv Wolfman was born on May 13, 1946 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He is a writer and actor, known for Young Justice (2010), Blade II (2002) and Blade: Trinity (2004). He has been married to Noel Wolfman since November 16, 1991.

39. Gene Colan

Writer | Blade II

Long-time comic book artist, perhaps best known for his work at Marvel. At that company, Gene drew a revival of the Sub-Mariner in the mid-1960s; took over from artist Don Heck on Iron Man; took over from John Romita Sr. on Daredevil; spent time drawing Captain America; and launched a successful ...

40. David S. Goyer

Writer | Dark City

David S. Goyer was born on December 22, 1965 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Dark City (1998), The Dark Knight (2008) and Flashforward (2009). He is married to Marina Black. They have two children. He was previously married to Jessika Borsiczky.

41. Joss Whedon

Producer | Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Joss Whedon is the middle of five brothers - his younger brothers are Jed Whedon and Zack Whedon. Both his father, Tom Whedon and his grandfather, John Whedon were successful television writers. Joss' mother, Lee Stearns, was a history teacher and she also wrote novels as Lee Whedon. Whedon was ...

42. Frank Darabont

Writer | The Shawshank Redemption

Three-time Oscar nominee Frank Darabont was born in a refugee camp in 1959 in Montbeliard, France, the son of Hungarian parents who had fled Budapest during the failed 1956 Hungarian revolution. Brought to America as an infant, he settled with his family in Los Angeles and attended Hollywood High ...

43. Stephen King

Writer | Maximum Overdrive

Stephen Edwin King was born on September 21, 1947, at the Maine General Hospital in Portland. His parents were Nellie Ruth (Pillsbury), who worked as a caregiver at a mental institute, and Donald Edwin King, a merchant seaman. His father was born under the surname "Pollock," but used the last name ...

44. William Monahan

Writer | The Departed

William Monahan was born on November 3, 1960 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for The Departed (2006), London Boulevard (2010) and Edge of Darkness (2010).

45. Alan Mak

Director | Mou gaan dou

Alan Mak Siu Fai was born in Hong Kong in 1965. In 1986, he studied in the School of Drama at the Hong Kong Academy for Performance Arts. Upon graduation in 1990, he started his movie career.

Mak made his directorial debut in 1997, with his first film being Nude Fear, which was written and produced ...

46. Felix Chong

Writer | Mou gaan dou

Felix Chong was born on January 1, 1968 in Hong Kong, British Crown Colony. He is a writer and director, known for Infernal Affairs (2002), Project Gutenberg (2018) and Overheard (2009).

47. William Wisher

Writer | Terminator 2: Judgment Day

William Wisher is known for Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), The Terminator (1984) and Judge Dredd (1995).

48. Ted Elliott

Writer | Shrek

Ted Elliott was born on July 4, 1961 in Santa Ana, California, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Shrek (2001), The Lone Ranger (2013) and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).

49. Terry Rossio

Writer | Aladdin

Terry Rossio was born on July 2, 1960 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. He is a writer, known for Godzilla VS. Kong (2021), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Aladdin (1992), and Shrek (2001). Additional credits for Rossio include Deja Vu, G-Force, Lovestruck, The Long Ranger...

50. Stuart Beattie

Writer | Interceptor

Stuart Beattie is known for Interceptor (2022), Collateral (2004) and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).

51. Jay Wolpert

Writer | Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Jay Wolpert was born on January 29, 1942 in Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017). He was married to ...

52. Tim Powers

Writer | Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Powers has lived in southern California since 1959. He graduated from California State University at Fullerton with a B.A. in English in 1976; the same year he published his first two novels, "The Skies Discrowned" and "Epitaph in Rust." Powers, who takes more time and care writing novels than his ...

53. Philip K. Dick

Writer | Blade Runner

Philip Kindred Dick was born in Chicago in December 1928, along with a twin sister, Jane. Jane died less than eight weeks later, allegedly from an allergy to mother's milk. Dick's parents split up during his childhood, and he moved with his mother to Berkeley, California, where he lived for most of...

54. Scott Frank

Writer | Logan

Scott Frank was born on March 10, 1960 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Logan (2017), Out of Sight (1998) and The Lookout (2007).

55. Jon Cohen

Writer | Minority Report

Jon Cohen is known for Minority Report (2002), What Should I Read Next? (2016) and 'Minority Report': The Story, the Debate (2002).

56. David Franzoni

Writer | Gladiator

David Franzoni grew up in Vermont, attended the University of Vermont where he studied geology and paleontology and was a partner in a commercial film company. After attending a semester of graduate school, David dropped out, went to Berlin where he bought a motorcycle. He traveled eastern and ...

57. John Logan

Writer | Skyfall

John Logan was a playwright in Chicago for ten years before writing, on spec, his first screenplay, "Any Given Sunday." He won the 2010 Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle awards for his play RED, which premiered at the Donmar Warehouse in London and the Golden Theatre on ...

58. William Nicholson

Writer | Les Misérables

William Nicholson was born in 1948 in England, UK. He is a producer and writer, known for Les Misérables (2012), Gladiator (2000) and Unbroken (2014). He has been married to Virginia Nicholson since 1988. They have three children.

59. Bill Marsilii

Writer | Deja Vu

Bill Marsilii was born in Wilmington, Delaware, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Deja Vu (2006), Cold and Lightspeed.

60. Isaac Asimov

Writer | I, Robot

Isaac Asimov was born Isaak Judah Ozimov, on January 2, 1920, in Petrovichi shtetl, near Smolensk, Russia. He was the oldest of three children. His father, named Judah Ozimov, and his mother, named Anna Rachel Ozimov (nee Berman), were Orthodox Jews. Ozimov family were millers (the name Ozimov ...

61. Robert Silverberg

Writer | Bicentennial Man

Robert Silverberg was born on January 15, 1935 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He is a writer and actor, known for Bicentennial Man (1999), Needle in a Timestack (2021) and How It Was When the Past Went Away. He has been married to Karen Haber since 1987. He was previously married to Barbara H. Brown.

62. Nicholas Kazan

Writer | Fallen

Nicholas Kazan was born on September 15, 1945 in New York, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Fallen (1998), Reversal of Fortune (1990) and The Whole Truth (2016). He has been married to Robin Swicord since 1983. They have two children.

63. David Shore

Producer | House M.D.

David Shore has written for cult favorite Due South, NYPD Blue and EZ Streets, served as head writer and supervising producer on Traders, which he developed for Canadian television, and was part of the writing team of the Emmy Award-winning first season of The Practice. He was twice nominated for ...

64. Chris Marker

Writer | Twelve Monkeys

Chris Marker was born on July 29, 1921 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France. He was a writer and director, known for 12 Monkeys (1995), Sans Soleil (1983) and Third Side of the Coin (1960). He died on July 29, 2012 in Paris, France.

65. David Webb Peoples

Writer | Unforgiven

David Webb Peoples was born on February 9, 1940 in Middletown, Connecticut, USA. He is a writer and editor, known for Unforgiven (1992), Blade Runner (1982) and 12 Monkeys (1995). He is married to Janet Peoples.

66. Janet Peoples

Writer | Twelve Monkeys

Janet Peoples is known for 12 Monkeys (1995), 12 Monkeys (2015) and The Prisoner. She is married to David Webb Peoples.

67. Kurt Wimmer

Writer | Equilibrium

Kurt Wimmer was born on March 9, 1964. He is a writer and producer, known for Equilibrium (2002), Total Recall (2012) and Point Break (2015).

68. Mark Bomback

Producer | Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Mark Bomback was born on August 29, 1971 in New Rochelle, New York, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) and Godsend (2004).

69. Jon Povill

Writer | Total Recall

Jon Povill was born in California. He is a writer and producer, known for Total Recall (2012), Total Recall (1990) and Sliders (1995). He is married to Michele Billy Povill. They have two children.

70. Gary Goldman

Writer | Total Recall

Gary Goldman was born on September 17, 1953. He is a writer and producer, known for Total Recall (1990), Total Recall (2012) and Next (2007). He has been married to Judith Wyle since December 19, 1982. They have two children.

71. Jorge Saralegui

Producer | Showtime

Jorge Saralegui was born on March 6, 1953 in Cuba. He is a producer and writer, known for Showtime (2002), Red Planet (2000) and The Time Machine (2002).

72. Keith Sharon

Writer | Showtime

Keith Sharon is known for Showtime (2002), Six Weeks from Now and Hiring a Hitman to Kill My Girlfriend, a Love Story. Keith is married to Nancy Gill.

73. Alfred Gough

Writer | Smallville

Alfred Gough was born on August 22, 1967 in Leonardtown, Maryland, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Smallville (2001), Wednesday (2022) and Spider-Man 2 (2004). He has been married to Beth Corets since September 1, 1996. They have three children.

74. Miles Millar

Writer | Smallville

Miles Millar was born in 1970. He is known for Smallville (2001), Wednesday (2022) and Spider-Man 2 (2004).

75. M. Night Shyamalan

Producer | Lady in the Water

Born in Puducherry, India, and raised in the posh suburban Penn Valley area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, M. Night Shyamalan is a film director, screenwriter, producer, and occasional actor, known for making movies with contemporary supernatural plots.

He is the son of Jayalakshmi, a Tamil ...

76. R.J. Stewart

Writer | The Rundown

R.J. Stewart was born in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He is known for The Rundown (2003), Xena: Warrior Princess (1995) and Remington Steele (1982).

77. James Vanderbilt

Producer | Zodiac

James Vanderbilt was born in 1975 in the USA. He is a producer and writer, known for Zodiac (2007), Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) and Scream (2022). He has been married to Amber Freeman since May 7, 2005.

78. Jeff Nathanson

Writer | Speed 2: Cruise Control

Jeff Nathanson was born on October 12, 1965 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997), Catch Me If You Can (2002) and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017).

79. Ross LaManna

Writer | Rush Hour

Ross LaManna is known for Rush Hour (1998), Rush Hour 3 (2007) and Rush Hour (2016). Ross is married to Lynn.

80. Jim Kouf

Producer | Grimm

Jim Kouf was born on July 24, 1951 in Hollywood, California, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for Grimm (2011), Stakeout (1987) and National Treasure (2004). He is married to Lynn Kouf.

81. Karl Gajdusek

Writer | Oblivion

Karl Gajdusek was born on July 30, 1968 in San Francisco, California, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Oblivion (2013), The November Man (2014) and The King's Man (2021). He has been married to Larissa Kokernot since August 10, 2002. They have one child.

82. Michael Arndt

Writer | Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens

Michael Arndt was born on November 11, 1965 in Harris County, Texas, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015), Little Miss Sunshine (2006) and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013).

83. Joseph Kosinski

Director | Top Gun: Maverick

Joseph Kosinski is a director whose uncompromising style has quickly made a mark in the filmmaking zeitgeist. His four theatrical releases have grossed $2.2 billion worldwide and been nominated for 7 Academy Awards and 2 Grammys.

His film debut, "Tron: Legacy" for Walt Disney Studios, grossed $400 ...

84. James DeMonaco

Writer | The Purge: Anarchy

James DeMonaco was born in 1969 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for The Purge: Anarchy (2014), The Purge: Election Year (2016) and The First Purge (2018).

85. Kevin Fox

Producer | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Kevin Fox was born in 1968. Kevin is a producer and writer, known for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999), The Negotiator (1998) and Ryan Caulfield: Year One (1999).

Kevin Wade is an American writer and producer. He began his career by writing plays, and one of his earliest works was "Key Exchange", staged in 1983 and later turned into a movie in 1985.

In 1988, he turned his look into film writing and end up writing one of the year's biggest hits, which was the ...

89. Bo Goldman

Writer | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

There are but a few select screenwriters who are spoken of with the kind of reverence usually reserved for film directors - Robert Towne, Alvin Sargent and Bo Goldman. Goldman is a screenwriter's screenwriter, and one of the most honored in motion picture history. The recipient of two Academy ...

90. Alberto Casella

Writer | Meet Joe Black

Alberto Casella was born in 1891. He was a writer, known for Meet Joe Black (1998), Death Takes a Holiday (1934) and Il romanzo di un giovane povero (1942). He died in 1957.

91. Walter Ferris

Writer | Meet Joe Black

Walter Ferris was born on April 23, 1882 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA. He was a writer, known for Meet Joe Black (1998), The Magnificent Fraud (1939) and The Gallant Blade (1948). He was married to Violet Kemble Cooper. He died on September 2, 1965 in Los Angeles County, California, USA.

92. Maxwell Anderson

Writer | All Quiet on the Western Front

James Maxwell Anderson was born in Atlantic, Pennsylvania, on December 15, 1888 to William Lincoln Anderson and Charlotte Perrimela (Stephenson) Anderson. The second child born to the couple, Anderson spent his formative years on his maternal grandmother's farm in Atlantic before the family moved ...

93. Gladys Lehman

Writer | Meet Joe Black

Gladys Lehman was born on January 24, 1892 in Gates, Oregon, USA. She was a writer, known for Meet Joe Black (1998), Luxury Liner (1948) and Two Girls and a Sailor (1944). She was married to Benjamin H. Lehman Jr.. She died on April 7, 1993 in Newport Beach, California, USA.

94. Rian Johnson

Producer | Knives Out

Rian Johnson was born in Maryland and at a young age his family moved to San Clemente, California, where he was raised. After graduating from high school, he went on to attend the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. His first feature film, Brick (2005), was released in 2005 ...

95. Patrick O'Neill

Actor | Say Anything...

Patrick O'Neill is known for Say Anything (1989), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) and Bang Bang (2014).

96. Christopher McQuarrie

Writer | The Usual Suspects

Christopher McQuarrie is an acclaimed producer, director and an Academy Award® winning writer. McQuarrie grew up in Princeton Junction, New Jersey and in lieu of college, he spent the first five years out of school traveling and working at a detective agency. He later moved to Los Angeles to pursue...

97. Lee Child

Writer | Jack Reacher

Lee Child was born in the exact geographic centre of England, in the heart of the industrial badlands. Never saw a tree until he was 12. It was the sort of place where if you fell in the river, you had to go to the hospital for a mandatory stomach pump. The sort of place where minor disputes were ...

98. Thomas Harris

Writer | The Silence of the Lambs

Thomas Harris was born in 1940 in Jackson, Mississippi, USA. He was raised in the town of Rich where his father worked as a farmer. He earned his bachelor's degree in English from Baylor University in Texas in 1964. While attending school, he also worked for the local newspaper.

After graduating, ...

99. Ted Tally

Writer | The Silence of the Lambs

Ted Tally was born on April 9, 1952. He is a writer and actor, known for The Silence of the Lambs (1991), All the Pretty Horses (2000) and Mission to Mars (2000).

100. David Mamet

Writer | House of Games

Born in 1947 in Chicago, he was educated at Goddard College, in Vermont, and studied drama at New York's Neighborhood Playhouse, before returning to Chicago and establishing the St Nicholas Theatre Company in 1972. He remained their resident writer for four years. The first of his plays to secure ...