Tony McNamara (writer)

Last updated

Tony McNamara
PoorThingsBFILFF141023 (15 of 33) (53259593184) (cropped).jpg
McNamara at the 2023 BFI London Film Festival
Born1967 (age 5657)
Kilmore, Victoria, Australia
Occupation(s)Playwright, screenwriter, television producer, film director, film producer
Years active1993–present
Known for The Favourite
The Great
Cruella
Poor Things
Spouse(s)Unknown; Belinda Bromilow (m.2009)
Children3

Tony McNamara (born 1967) is an Australian playwright, screenwriter, and television producer. He is also an occasional film director and producer. He is known for his work on the scripts for The Favourite (2018) and Poor Things (2023), two films directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay with Deborah Davis for the former and the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the latter. On television, he created the comedy-drama series The Great (2020–2023).

Contents

Early life and education

Tony McNamara was born in 1967 [1] in Kilmore, in the state of Victoria, Australia, and was educated at Assumption College, Kilmore. Following careers in catering and finance, McNamara settled on a career as a writer following a visit to Rome. [2] He studied writing at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and screenwriting at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. [3]

Career

After writing various television episodes and stage plays, [4] McNamara made his film debut in 2003 directing The Rage in Placid Lake , adapted from his stage play The Café Latte Kid. [5] Following this, he wrote for various television programmes in Australia, most notably The Secret Life of Us , Love My Way , Tangle and Puberty Blues . [3]

In 2015, McNamara directed his second feature film, comedy-drama Ashby , starring Mickey Rourke, Sarah Silverman and Emma Roberts. [6] A year later, he returned to television as creator of medical drama Doctor Doctor . [7]

In 2018, he received critical acclaim for his work in co-writing the historical comedy-drama film The Favourite with Yorgos Lanthimos, starring Emma Stone. [8] Originally a screenplay by Deborah Davis written 20 years prior to the film's release, Lanthimos and McNamara worked together to complete the final script. [9]

McNamara created The Great , a series revolving around the life of Catherine the Great, starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult, which premiered on Hulu on 15 May 2020. [10] It is based on his play about Catherine the Great, which premiered at the Sydney Theatre Company in 2008. [11] McNamara also wrote a film adaptation of the play. [12] [13]

McNamara returned to work with Lanthimos as the writer for the 2023 film Poor Things , with Stone as the lead actress once again. [14]

Personal life

McNamara has a child by a first marriage, and married Australian actress Belinda Bromilow [15] in 2009. [16] They have two children. [17]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleDirectorWriterNotes
1995 The Beat Manifesto NoYesShort film
2003 The Rage in Placid Lake YesYes
2015 Ashby YesYes
2018 The Favourite NoYesAlso executive producer
2021 Cruella NoYes
2023 Poor Things NoYes
2025 The Roses NoYes

Television

YearTitleNotes
1993 All Together Now 1 episode; 'Your Cheatin' Heart'
1997 Big Sky 3 episodes
2001–2005 The Secret Life of Us 12 episodes
2004–2007 Love My Way 7 episodes
2008 Echo Beach 2 episodes
Moving Wallpaper 1 episode
Rush
2009–2012 Tangle 7 episodes
2010–2011 Spirited 3 episodes
2011 Offspring 1 episode; 'Complications'
2012–2014 Puberty Blues 7 episodes
2016–2018 Doctor Doctor Creator, 15 episodes
2020–2023 The Great Creator, 30 episodes

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryNominated workResult
1995 Australian Film Institute Best Screenplay in a Short Film The Beat Manifesto Won
2003Australian Comedy AwardsOutstanding Comic Screenplay The Rage in Placid Lake Nominated
Australian Film Institute Best Adapted Screenplay Won
AWGIE Awards Major AWGIE Award Won
Best Screenplay AdaptationWon
Film Critics Circle of Australia AwardsBest Adapted ScreenplayNominated
Melbourne International Film FestivalMost Popular Feature FilmWon
2007AWGIE AwardsBest Writing for a Television Series Love My Way Won
Australian Film Institute Best Screenplay in Television Nominated
2013 AACTA Awards Best Screenplay in Television Puberty Blues Nominated
2014AWGIE AwardsBest Writing for a Television SeriesNominated
2015Best Screenplay Original Ashby Nominated
2018 Academy Award Best Original Screenplay The Favourite Nominated
Atlanta Film Critics CircleBest ScreenplayWon
BAFTA Award Best Original Screenplay Won
British Independent Film Awards Best ScreenplayWon
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards Best Original Screenplay Won
Golden Globe Award Best Screenplay Nominated
Indiana Film Journalists AssociationBest Original ScreenplayNominated
Los Angeles Online Film Critics SocietyBest Original ScreenplayRunner-Up
Detroit Film Critics Society Best Original ScreenplayNominated
Gotham Independent Film Awards Best Screenplay Nominated
2020 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series The Great Nominated
2023 Capri Hollywood International Film Festival Best Adapted Screenplay Poor Things Won
2024Academy Award Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivia Colman</span> English actress (born 1974)

Sarah Caroline Sinclair, known professionally as Olivia Colman, is an English actress. She has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, four BAFTA Awards, two Emmy Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicholas Hoult</span> English actor (born 1989)

Nicholas Caradoc Hoult is an English actor. His filmography includes supporting work in big-budget mainstream productions and starring roles in independent projects in American and British films. He has received several accolades, including nominations for a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. He was included in Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emma Stone</span> American actress and producer (born 1988)

Emily Jean "Emma" Stone is an American actress and producer. Her accolades include two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. In 2017, she was the world's highest-paid actress and named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cultural depictions of Anne, Queen of Great Britain</span>

Anne, Queen of Great Britain, has been depicted in novels, film and television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yorgos Lanthimos</span> Greek filmmaker (born 1973)

YorgosLanthimos is a Greek filmmaker. He has received multiple accolades, including a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for five Academy Awards.

<i>Spirited</i> Australian television drama series

Spirited is an Australian television supernatural comedy-drama series made for subscription television channel W that aired for two seasons, 2010 and 2011.

Belinda Bromilow is an Australian actress. She is known for her roles in the Nine Network series, Doctor Doctor (2016–21), and the Hulu/Disney+ series, The Great (2020–23).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Rabiah</span> Australian film actor

Robert Rabiah is an Australian film actor, screen writer, and producer. He is best known for his roles as Hakim in Face to Face (2011), for which he was nominated for a AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Film and Best Actor at the Inside Film Awards, and as Bilal in Safe Harbour (2018) for which he was nominated at the Equity Ensemble Awards.

<i>The Lobster</i> 2015 film by Yorgos Lanthimos

The Lobster is a 2015 absurdist black comedy drama film directed and co-produced by Yorgos Lanthimos, from a screenplay by Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou. It stars Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Jessica Barden, Olivia Colman, Ashley Jensen, Ariane Labed, Angeliki Papoulia, John C. Reilly, Léa Seydoux, Michael Smiley, and Ben Whishaw. The film follows a newly single bachelor who moves into a hotel with other singletons, who are all obliged to find a romantic partner in 45 days, lest they be transformed into animals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Alwyn</span> English actor (born 1991)

Joseph Matthew Alwyn is an English actor. Alwyn made his feature film debut as the titular character in Ang Lee's 2016 war drama Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk and has since played roles in films such as The Favourite (2018), Boy Erased (2018), Mary Queen of Scots (2018), and Harriet (2019). In 2022, he starred in the Hulu drama series Conversations with Friends and the period comedy film Catherine Called Birdy.

<i>The Favourite</i> 2018 film by Yorgos Lanthimos

The Favourite is a 2018 satirical absurdist period dark comedy film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, and written by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara. A co-production between Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the film stars Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz. Set in early 18th century Great Britain, it examines the relationship between cousins Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough and Abigail Hill as they vie to be court favourite of Queen Anne.

<i>The Killing of a Sacred Deer</i> 2017 film by Yorgos Lanthimos

The Killing Of A Sacred Deer is a 2017 absurdist psychological horror thriller film directed and co-produced by Yorgos Lanthimos, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Efthimis Filippou. It stars Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan, Raffey Cassidy, Sunny Suljic, Alicia Silverstone, and Bill Camp. It follows a cardiac surgeon who introduces his family to a teenage boy with a connection to his past, after which they mysteriously begin to fall ill.

<i>The Great</i> (TV series) Comedy-drama television series (2020–2023)

The Great is an alternate historical and satirical comedy-drama television series very loosely based on the rise to power of Empress Catherine the Great of Russia. The series stars Elle Fanning as Catherine and Nicholas Hoult as Emperor Peter III and Peter's body double Yemelyan Pugachev.

The 17th Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards were announced on December 3, 2018.

The nominations for the 19th Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards, honoring the best in filmmaking in 2018, were announced on December 12, 2018. The Favourite led with six nominations.

Yorgos Mavropsaridis is a Greek film editor. He is well known for his collaborations with Yorgos Lanthimos, having edited all his films to date. He is a graduate of the London Film School, and honed his skills working in commercials. He has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for his work on The Favourite and Poor Things.

<i>Poor Things</i> (film) 2023 film by Yorgos Lanthimos

Poor Things is a 2023 film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and written by Tony McNamara, based on the 1992 novel by Alasdair Gray. A co-production between Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the film stars Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, and Jerrod Carmichael. Stone plays Bella Baxter, a young woman in Victorian London who has been brought back to life via brain transplant.

Deborah Davis is a British screenwriter, known for The Favourite (2018).

The Roses is an upcoming satirical black comedy-drama film directed by Jay Roach. It serves as a reimagining of the 1989 film The War of the Roses directed by Danny DeVito, which was itself an adaptation of the Warren Adler novel of the same name. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman, Kate McKinnon, and Andy Samberg.

References

  1. "Catalogue". National Library of Australia . Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  2. "Tony McNamara". Austlit . 27 September 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Tony McNamara". Australian Plays. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  4. "Playwright takes stock". The Age . 9 July 2002. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  5. "The Rage in Placid Lake". The Sydney Morning Herald . 28 August 2003. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  6. "Comedy-drama film "Ashby" by Tony McNamara". 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  7. Bizzaca, Caris (7 September 2016). "Claudia Karvan on Doctor Doctor and Producing". Screen Australia . Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  8. "Playing favourites - Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone, Olivia Colman, Nicholas Hoult, Joe Alwyn and Tony McNamara on The Favourite". 30 September 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  9. Utichi, Joe (13 February 2019). "How Tony McNamara's Hulu-Bound 'The Great' Landed Him 'The Favourite' And An Oscar Nomination". Deadline. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  10. Hipes, Patrick (17 January 2020). "Hulu Sets Premiere Dates For 'The Great', 'Ramy' And 'Solar Opposites' – TCA". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  11. McHenry, Jackson (15 May 2020). "How The Great Very, Very Loosely Adapts Russian History". New York . Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  12. Utichi, Joe (13 February 2019). "How Tony McNamara's Hulu-Bound 'The Great' Landed Him 'The Favourite' And An Oscar Nomination". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  13. Ryan, Patrick (15 May 2020). "Hulu's 'The Great': Elle Fanning on playing Catherine the Great, severed heads and 'fully clothed sex'". USA Today . Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  14. "'Poor Things' Screenwriter Tony McNamara Breaks Down One of Its Most Complex Scenes". Vanity Fair. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  15. "Australian actress Oscars red carpet moment has a special meaning". Nine.com.au. 24 February 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  16. Rocca, Jane (21 May 2023). "The Great's Belinda Bromilow on fighting cancer twice". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  17. Moran, Robert (6 May 2020). "Belinda Bromilow's second stab at the story of Catherine the Great". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 10 January 2024.