Dan Futterman
Encyclopedia
Daniel Futterman is an American
actor
and screenwriter
. Although he is known for several high-profile acting roles, including Val Goldman in the film The Birdcage
, and Vincent Gray on the CBS
television series Judging Amy
, he is also a screenwriter. In 2005, he wrote the screenplay for the film Capote
for which he received an Academy Award
nomination and an Independent Spirit Award, Boston Society of Film Critics
award, and Los Angeles Film Critics Association
award.
father and a psychoanalyst mother. He was raised in Conservative Judaism
and grew up in an "intellectual family". Futterman grew up in Larchmont, New York
, and graduated from Mamaroneck High School
in 1985 and Columbia University
in 1989.
Futterman is married to television writer
Anya Epstein (sister of former Boston Red Sox
General Manager and Executive Vice President and current President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs
Theo Epstein
), with whom he has two daughters: Sylvie (b. 2001) and Eve (b. 2005).
as the voluble Louis Ironson in Tony Kushner
's Tony
award winning play Angels in America
on Broadway in 1993. Futterman portrayed an American diplomat's son who runs into trouble in South Africa in Jon Robin Baitz's A Fair Country (1996). He portrayed a slick card player with big dreams in Dealer's Choice
(1997).
Futterman's first film role was as a thug who menaces Robin Williams
in The Fisher King
(1991). He appeared as a teacher in the romantic comedy Breathing Room/'Til Christmas (1996). Far Harbor/Mr. Spreckman's Boat (also 1996) was an ensemble piece which featured Futterman as a smarmy doctor in an interracial relationship. Also in 1996 he played Val, the son of gay lovers and nightclub owners Albert and Armand (again with Robin Williams) in The Birdcage
. He also appeared as the American half of a pair of twenty-something con artists in London in Shooting Fish
(1997). He also had the leading role as a befudled young gay man seeking for his missing lover in the NYC-based award-winning drama/thriller Urbania
. Futterman's most recent film is A Mighty Heart
(2007) with Angelina Jolie
; he portrays murdered journalist Daniel Pearl
.
Futterman has also made several guest appearances in primetime television. He costarred with Mickey Rourke as a teacher who clashes with a priest in Thicker Than Blood (TNT, 1998) and appeared alongside Ron Eldard and Martin Donovan in the World War II drama When Trumpets Fade (HBO, 1998). In 1999, Futterman made the leap to series TV, co-starring as the brother of the central character on the CBS series Judging Amy
. Futterman also had a recurring role as the on-again, off-again boyfriend of a beautiful and gainfully-employed woman (Kiele Sanchez
) on the WB drama Related. He also guest-starred in a four-episode story arc on the sitcom Will and Grace. Futterman was slated to appear in a recurring role on the new ABC
drama Brothers & Sisters, also written by Jon Robin Baitz, but bowed out due to scheduling conflicts. He filmed an appearance alongside former "Birdcage" costar Calista Flockhart
playing her fiancee, but that version of the pilot underwent massive rewrites and never aired. Previously he also played a metrosexual
man (pastry chef Stephan) on Sex and the City
.
, and Futterman's friend Bennett Miller
directed the film. Futterman and Miller graduated together from Mamaroneck High School
and have been friends since 7th grade. The two recruited another old friend, actor Philip Seymour Hoffman
, to star as Truman Capote
and began the process of getting the independent film
made. Futterman and Hoffman were Executive Producers of the film. Futterman was recognized with several award nominations, including an Oscar nod for Best Adapted Screenplay
.
In 2007, Futterman stated that he would focus on his writing career, and was adapting the novel Everything Changes into a film script for Columbia Pictures
.
Since 2007, Futterman and Epstein have been writers and executive producers for the HBO drama series In Treatment
.
In late 2009, Futterman and Epstein were in development with HBO to write and executive-produce a half-hour drama series called "T" about a trans man
going through gender transition
; it is based on a story from the radio show This American Life
, and Ira Glass
and Alissa Shipp of This American Life were slated to be executive producers as well.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
. Although he is known for several high-profile acting roles, including Val Goldman in the film The Birdcage
The Birdcage
The Birdcage is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Mike Nichols, and stars Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, Hank Azaria, and Christine Baranski. The script was written by Elaine May...
, and Vincent Gray on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television series Judging Amy
Judging Amy
Judging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly...
, he is also a screenwriter. In 2005, he wrote the screenplay for the film Capote
Capote (film)
Capote is a 2005 biographical film about Truman Capote, following the events during the writing of Capote's non-fiction book In Cold Blood. Philip Seymour Hoffman won several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actor, for his critically acclaimed portrayal of the title role. The movie was...
for which he received an Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
nomination and an Independent Spirit Award, Boston Society of Film Critics
Boston Society of Film Critics
The Boston Society of Film Critics is an organization of film reviewers from Boston, Massachusetts, United States, based publications.The BSFC was formed in 1981 to make "Boston's unique critical perspective heard on a national and international level by awarding commendations to the best of the...
award, and Los Angeles Film Critics Association
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association was founded in 1975. Its main purpose is to present yearly awards to members of the film industry who have excelled in their fields. These awards are presented each January...
award.
Personal life
Futterman, one of three siblings, was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a lawyerLawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
father and a psychoanalyst mother. He was raised in Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
and grew up in an "intellectual family". Futterman grew up in Larchmont, New York
Larchmont, New York
Larchmont is a village in Westchester County, New York. The population was 5,864 at the 2010 census. It is located within the town of Mamaroneck, on the shore of Long Island Sound, northeast of Midtown Manhattan...
, and graduated from Mamaroneck High School
Mamaroneck High School
Mamaroneck High School is a public school located in Mamaroneck, New York. The school is part of the Mamaroneck Union Free School District.-Campus setting and facilities:...
in 1985 and Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1989.
Futterman is married to television writer
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
Anya Epstein (sister of former Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
General Manager and Executive Vice President and current President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
Theo Epstein
Theo Epstein
Theo Nathan Epstein is the President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs.On November 25, 2002, he became the youngest GM in the history of Major League Baseball when the Boston Red Sox hired him at the age of 28...
), with whom he has two daughters: Sylvie (b. 2001) and Eve (b. 2005).
Acting career
In 1991, Futterman landed his first stage role in the WPA production Club Soda. He also succeeded Joe MantelloJoe Mantello
Joseph Mantello is an American actor and director best known for his work on Broadway productions of Wicked, Take Me Out and Assassins, as well as earlier in his career being one of the original Broadway cast of Angels in America...
as the voluble Louis Ironson in Tony Kushner
Tony Kushner
Anthony Robert "Tony" Kushner is an American playwright and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1993 for his play, Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, and co-authored with Eric Roth the screenplay for the 2005 film, Munich.-Life and career:Kushner was born...
's Tony
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
award winning play Angels in America
Angels in America
Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes is the 1993 Pulitzer Prize winning play in two parts by American playwright Tony Kushner. It has been made into both a television miniseries and an opera by Peter Eötvös.-Characters:...
on Broadway in 1993. Futterman portrayed an American diplomat's son who runs into trouble in South Africa in Jon Robin Baitz's A Fair Country (1996). He portrayed a slick card player with big dreams in Dealer's Choice
Dealer's Choice
Dealer's Choice is a play by Patrick Marber first performed at the Royal National Theatre in London in February 1995 where it won both the 1995 Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy and the Writers' Guild Award for Best West End Play....
(1997).
Futterman's first film role was as a thug who menaces Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
in The Fisher King
The Fisher King (film)
The Fisher King is a 1991 American comedy-drama film written by Richard LaGravenese and directed by Terry Gilliam. It stars Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer and Michael Jeter...
(1991). He appeared as a teacher in the romantic comedy Breathing Room/'Til Christmas (1996). Far Harbor/Mr. Spreckman's Boat (also 1996) was an ensemble piece which featured Futterman as a smarmy doctor in an interracial relationship. Also in 1996 he played Val, the son of gay lovers and nightclub owners Albert and Armand (again with Robin Williams) in The Birdcage
The Birdcage
The Birdcage is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Mike Nichols, and stars Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, Hank Azaria, and Christine Baranski. The script was written by Elaine May...
. He also appeared as the American half of a pair of twenty-something con artists in London in Shooting Fish
Shooting Fish
Shooting Fish is a 1997 British film co-written by Richard Holmes and Stefan Schwartz. Holmes produced and Schwartz directed. It co-starred Dan Futterman and Stuart Townsend as two con men with Kate Beckinsale as their unwilling assistant. It was produced by Winchester Films and partly funded by...
(1997). He also had the leading role as a befudled young gay man seeking for his missing lover in the NYC-based award-winning drama/thriller Urbania
Urbania (film)
For the Italian province, please see UrbaniaUrbania is a 2000 independent drama film based on the play Urban Folk Tales. It premiered at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival and played a number of LGBT film festivals as well as playing in limited release throughout the year.-Plot summary:Urbania follows...
. Futterman's most recent film is A Mighty Heart
A Mighty Heart (film)
A Mighty Heart is a 2007 drama film directed by Michael Winterbottom; It is an adaptation of Mariane Pearl's memoir, A Mighty Heart. Although initially a financial failure, A Mighty Heart was met with relatively positive reviews from both critics and viewers alike.The film was screened out of...
(2007) with Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009 and 2011. Jolie is noted for promoting humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the...
; he portrays murdered journalist Daniel Pearl
Daniel Pearl
Daniel Pearl was an American journalist who was kidnapped and killed by Al-Qaeda.At the time of his kidnapping, Pearl served as the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, and was based in Mumbai, India. He went to Pakistan as part of an investigation into the alleged links between...
.
Futterman has also made several guest appearances in primetime television. He costarred with Mickey Rourke as a teacher who clashes with a priest in Thicker Than Blood (TNT, 1998) and appeared alongside Ron Eldard and Martin Donovan in the World War II drama When Trumpets Fade (HBO, 1998). In 1999, Futterman made the leap to series TV, co-starring as the brother of the central character on the CBS series Judging Amy
Judging Amy
Judging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly...
. Futterman also had a recurring role as the on-again, off-again boyfriend of a beautiful and gainfully-employed woman (Kiele Sanchez
Kiele Sanchez
Kiele Michelle Sanchez is an American actress who stars in the A&E Network drama The Glades. Previously she starred as the second-eldest Sorelli sister, Anne, a therapist in her mid-twenties, in The WB's comedic ensemble drama, Related. She was cast as a co-star in the third season of the ABC...
) on the WB drama Related. He also guest-starred in a four-episode story arc on the sitcom Will and Grace. Futterman was slated to appear in a recurring role on the new ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
drama Brothers & Sisters, also written by Jon Robin Baitz, but bowed out due to scheduling conflicts. He filmed an appearance alongside former "Birdcage" costar Calista Flockhart
Calista Flockhart
Calista Kay Flockhart is an American actress who is primarily recognized for her work in television. She is best known for playing the title character in the Fox comedy-drama series Ally McBeal for which she won a Golden Globe Award...
playing her fiancee, but that version of the pilot underwent massive rewrites and never aired. Previously he also played a metrosexual
Metrosexual
Metrosexual is a neologism derived from metropolitan and heterosexual coined in 1994 describing a man who spends a lot of time and money on shopping for his appearance...
man (pastry chef Stephan) on Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
.
Writing career
Futterman wrote the screenplay for CapoteCapote (film)
Capote is a 2005 biographical film about Truman Capote, following the events during the writing of Capote's non-fiction book In Cold Blood. Philip Seymour Hoffman won several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actor, for his critically acclaimed portrayal of the title role. The movie was...
, and Futterman's friend Bennett Miller
Bennett Miller
Bennett Miller is an American film director.Miller is the director of the feature Capote , a film for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Director. He also directed the documentary film The Cruise...
directed the film. Futterman and Miller graduated together from Mamaroneck High School
Mamaroneck High School
Mamaroneck High School is a public school located in Mamaroneck, New York. The school is part of the Mamaroneck Union Free School District.-Campus setting and facilities:...
and have been friends since 7th grade. The two recruited another old friend, actor Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman is an American actor and director. Hoffman began acting in television in 1991, and the following year started to appear in films...
, to star as Truman Capote
Truman Capote
Truman Streckfus Persons , known as Truman Capote , was an American author, many of whose short stories, novels, plays, and nonfiction are recognized literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's and the true crime novel In Cold Blood , which he labeled a "nonfiction novel." At...
and began the process of getting the independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
made. Futterman and Hoffman were Executive Producers of the film. Futterman was recognized with several award nominations, including an Oscar nod for Best Adapted Screenplay
Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay
The Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent film awards in the United States. It is awarded each year to the writer of a screenplay adapted from another source...
.
In 2007, Futterman stated that he would focus on his writing career, and was adapting the novel Everything Changes into a film script for Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
.
Since 2007, Futterman and Epstein have been writers and executive producers for the HBO drama series In Treatment
In Treatment
In Treatment is an American HBO drama, produced and developed by Rodrigo Garcia, about a psychologist, 50-something Dr. Paul Weston, and his weekly sessions with patients, as well as those with his own therapist at the end of the week. The program, which stars Gabriel Byrne as Paul, debuted on...
.
In late 2009, Futterman and Epstein were in development with HBO to write and executive-produce a half-hour drama series called "T" about a trans man
Trans man
A trans man, transman, trans guy, or FTM is a transgender or transsexual man: a person who was assigned female at birth, but who identifies as male....
going through gender transition
Transitioning (transgender)
Transitioning is the process of changing one's gender presentation to accord with one's internal sense of one's gender - the idea of what it means to be a man or woman...
; it is based on a story from the radio show This American Life
This American Life
This American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
, and Ira Glass
Ira Glass
Ira Glass is an American public radio personality, and host and producer of the radio and television show This American Life.- Early life :...
and Alissa Shipp of This American Life were slated to be executive producers as well.
As actor
- A Mighty HeartA Mighty Heart (film)A Mighty Heart is a 2007 drama film directed by Michael Winterbottom; It is an adaptation of Mariane Pearl's memoir, A Mighty Heart. Although initially a financial failure, A Mighty Heart was met with relatively positive reviews from both critics and viewers alike.The film was screened out of...
(2007) - Related (2005) (TV Series) (2005–2006)
- Gerald L'Ecuyer: A Filmmaker's Journey (2004) (TV)
- Will and Grace (2003) (TV Series)
- EnoughEnoughThe score for Enough, composed by David Arnold, was released on June 4, 2002.#"Give Me a Sign"#"F.B.I.?"#"New Leaf"#"Slim and Joe"#"Get Out of the House"#"Goodbye Gracie"#"Training Day"#"Breaking In"#"Setting the Trap"#"Fight Club"...
(2002) - UrbaniaUrbania (film)For the Italian province, please see UrbaniaUrbania is a 2000 independent drama film based on the play Urban Folk Tales. It premiered at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival and played a number of LGBT film festivals as well as playing in limited release throughout the year.-Plot summary:Urbania follows...
(2000) - Sex and the CitySex and the CitySex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
(1999) (TV Series) - Homicide: Life on the StreetHomicide: Life on the StreetHomicide: Life on the Street is an American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Homicide Unit. It ran for seven seasons on NBC from 1993 to 1999, and was succeeded by a TV movie, which also acted as the de-facto series finale...
(1999) (TV Series) - Judging AmyJudging AmyJudging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly...
(1999) (TV Series) (1999–2001, 2004–2005) - When Trumpets FadeWhen Trumpets FadeWhen Trumpets Fade is a 1998 war film directed by John Irvin, produced by John Kemeny and written by W.W. Vought. It is based on a true story of the Battle of Hürtgen Forest in Autumn of 1944 during World War II...
(1998) (TV) - Thicker Than Blood (1998) (TV)
- 19991999 (film)- External links :***************...
(1998) - Caroline in the CityCaroline in the CityCaroline in the City is an American situation comedy that ran from September 21, 1995 to April 26, 1999 on the NBC television network. It starred Lea Thompson as cartoonist Caroline Duffy. The series premiered in the two-hour Thursday night block led by Friends.-Premise:Caroline Duffy is a...
(1997) (TV Series) - Shooting FishShooting FishShooting Fish is a 1997 British film co-written by Richard Holmes and Stefan Schwartz. Holmes produced and Schwartz directed. It co-starred Dan Futterman and Stuart Townsend as two con men with Kate Beckinsale as their unwilling assistant. It was produced by Winchester Films and partly funded by...
(1997) - Far Harbor (1996)
- Breathing RoomBreathing RoomBreathing Room is a 2008 horror film written and directed by John Suits and Gabriel Cowan.The film is said to be "Low on camp and high on suspense", with a plot that resembles the 2006 French cult film 13 Tzameti and House of 9.-Plot:Gabriel Hui is tossed naked into a room with thirteen strangers...
(1996) - The BirdcageThe BirdcageThe Birdcage is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Mike Nichols, and stars Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, Hank Azaria, and Christine Baranski. The script was written by Elaine May...
(1996) - New York NewsNew York NewsNew York News was a newspaper drama which was broadcast in the United States by CBS as part of its 1995 fall lineup.-Premise:New York News was the story of the fictional New York Reporter, a struggling tabloid in the nation's largest, most competitive newspaper market, New York City...
(1995) (TV Series) - Tracey Takes on New York (1993) (TV)
- Class of '61Class of '61Class of '61 is a 1993 television film produced by Steven Spielberg as a projected television series about the American Civil War. The film was filmed in Charleston, South Carolina and Atlanta and was the first collaboration between Spielberg and cinematographer Janusz Kaminski.-Plot:The film...
(1993) (TV) - Another WorldAnother World (TV series)Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
(1964) TV Series (1992) - Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get EvenBig Girls Don't Cry... They Get EvenBig Girls Don't Cry...They Get Even - originally titled Stepkids in early promotional trailers - is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Joan Micklin Silver.-Plot:...
(1992) - Passed AwayPassed AwayPassed Away is an American ensemble comedy film from 1992.- Cast :*Bob Hoskins - Johnny Scanlan*Jack Warden - Jack Scanlan*William Petersen - Frank Scanlan*Diana Bellamy - BJ*Don Brockett - Froggie*Helen Lloyd Breed - Aunt Maureen...
(1992) - The Fisher KingThe Fisher King (film)The Fisher King is a 1991 American comedy-drama film written by Richard LaGravenese and directed by Terry Gilliam. It stars Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer and Michael Jeter...
(1991) - Daughters of Privilege (1991) (TV)