Edward Zwick

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Edward Zwick
Edward Zwick 2016.jpg
Zwick in 2016
Born (1952-10-08) October 8, 1952 (age 72)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Alma mater Harvard University (AB)
AFI Conservatory (MFA)
Occupation(s)Director, producer, screenwriter
Years active1979–present
Notable work About Last Night , Glory , The Last Samurai , Blood Diamond , Defiance , Love & Other Drugs
Spouse
(m. 1982)

Edward M. Zwick (born October 8, 1952) is an American filmmaker. He has worked primarily in the comedy drama and epic historical film genres and has received nominations for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards.

Contents

He made his film debut with the comedy About Last Night (1986), followed by Glory (1989), Legends of the Fall (1994), Courage Under Fire (1996), The Siege (1998), The Last Samurai (2003), Blood Diamond (2006), and Defiance (2008). His later films include Love & Other Drugs (2010), Pawn Sacrifice (2014), and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016). He won the Academy Award for Best Picture for Shakespeare in Love (1998) as a producer.

He is also the co-creator of the ABC family drama series thirtysomething from 1987 to 1991 and Once and Again from 1999 to 2002.

Early life and education

Zwick was born on October 8, 1952, into a Jewish family in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Ruth Ellen (née Reich) and Allen Zwick. [1] [2] [3] [4] He attended New Trier High School, received an A.B. at Harvard in 1974, and attended the AFI Conservatory, graduating with a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1975.

Despite sharing a surname and profession, Edward is unrelated to fellow director Joel Zwick. He has been married to actress Liberty Godshall since 1982, and they have two grown children. [4]

Career

His films include Glory (1989), Legends of the Fall (1994), The Siege (1998), The Last Samurai (2003), Blood Diamond (2006), and Defiance (2008). Along with Marshall Herskovitz, Zwick runs a film production company called The Bedford Falls Company (inspired by the name of the town featured in Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life ). This company has produced such notable films as Traffic and Shakespeare in Love and the TV shows thirtysomething , Relativity , Once and Again , and My So-Called Life .

Zwick's body of work has earned numerous accolades, including an Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Picture as a producer, and Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Writing in a Limited Series, and Outstanding Dramatic Special. He was one of the recipients of the Academy Award for Best Picture for Shakespeare in Love ; he was also nominated in the same category for Traffic . He has additionally been nominated for multiple Golden Globe Awards.

In 2024, Zwick released his memoir, Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood. [5]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleDirectorProducerWriter
1986 About Last Night... YesNoNo
1989 Glory YesNoNo
1992 Leaving Normal YesNoNo
1994 Legends of the Fall YesYesNo
1996 Courage Under Fire YesNoNo
1998 The Siege YesYesYes
2003 The Last Samurai YesYesYes
2006 Blood Diamond YesYesNo
2008 Defiance YesYesYes
2010 Love & Other Drugs YesYesYes
2014 Pawn Sacrifice YesYesNo
2016 Jack Reacher: Never Go Back YesNoYes
The Great Wall NoNoStory
2017 American Assassin NoNoYes
2018 Trial by Fire YesYesNo

Producer only

Executive producer

Television

YearTitleDirectorWriterExecutive
Producer
CreatorNotes
1979–80 Family YesYesNoNoAlso producer;
5 episodes (written);
Directed episode "Ballerina"
1985 The Insiders YesNoNoNoPilot episode
1987–91 thirtysomething YesYesYesYes3 episodes (directed);
8 episodes (written)
1999–2002 Once and Again YesYesYesYes3 episodes (directed);
4 episodes (written)
Also actor (as Dr. Daniel Rosenfeld)
2008 Quarterlife NoYesYesYesWeb series;
2 episodes (written)
2016–18 Nashville NoYesYesNoWrote episode "The Wayfaring Stranger"
2020 Away YesNoYesNoDirected episode "Go"

Television films

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducer
1982 Paper Dolls YesNoNo
1982Having It AllYesNoNo
1983 Special Bulletin YesYesYes
1990Extreme Close-UpNoStoryexecutive
2009A MarriageNoYesexecutive
2020Thirtysomething(else)YesYesNo

Executive producer only

YearTitleNotes
1987 CBS Summer Playhouse Episode "Sawdust"
1989 Dream Street
1994-95 My So-Called Life
1998 Relativity
2000The Only Living Boy in New YorkTV movie
2002Women vs. Men

Awards and nominations

YearTitleAward/Nomination
1989 Glory Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Director
1994 Legends of the Fall Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Director
1998 Shakespeare in Love Academy Award for Best Picture
BAFTA Award for Best Film
Satellite Award for Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Nominated - Producers Guild of America Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture
2000 Traffic Nominated - Academy Award for Best Picture
2003 The Last Samurai National Board of Review Award for Best Director
Nominated - Saturn Award for Best Director
Nominated - Producers Guild of America Award for Best Picture
2006 Blood Diamond Nominated - St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Award for Best Director
Awards received by Zwick films
YearTitleAcademy AwardsBAFTA AwardsGolden Globe Awards
NominationsWinsNominationsWinsNominationsWins
1989 Glory 53151
1994 Legends of the Fall 314
2003 The Last Samurai 43
2006 Blood Diamond 51
2008 Defiance 11
2010 Love & Other Drugs 2
Total18410161

Books

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References

  1. Sachs, Micah (February 17, 2009). "An Interview with Filmmaker Edward Zwick". InterfaithFamily.com. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  2. Rosen, Steven (December 7, 2006). "Director Zwick excavates the bloody price of 'Diamonds'". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles . Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  3. Cox, David (January 13, 2009). "In Defiance of Jewish passivity". The Guardian . Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Zwick, Edward 1952– (Ed Zwick)". Encyclopedia.com . Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  5. "Oscar-winning director-producer Ed Zwick writing memoir 'Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions'". The Independent. June 12, 2023.

Further reading