Ronald L. Nyswaner (born October 5, 1956) is an American screenwriter and film director.[1] He is a Peabody Award[2] winner, and has been nominated for numerous awards including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards.
Ron Nyswaner | |
|---|---|
 James Schamus (left) and Nyswaner (right), 2009 | |
| Born | October 5, 1956 |
| Education | University of Pittsburgh (BA) Columbia University (MFA) |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, writer |
He is known for his screenplays Smithereens (1982), Philadelphia (1993), The Painted Veil (2006), Freeheld (2015), and My Policeman (2022). He is also known as a writer and producer of the Showtime series Ray Donovan (2013–2015), Homeland (2017–2018), and the historical drama series Fellow Travelers (2023).
Early life and education
editNyswaner was born in Clarksville, Pennsylvania. He later attended the University of Pittsburgh and Columbia University.[3]
Career
editNyswaner wrote his first screenplay for the Susan Seidelman film Smithereens. After two other notable screenplays for Swing Shift and Mrs. Soffel, he gave his directorial debut with The Prince of Pennsylvania in 1988, a film with Keanu Reeves and Fred Ward.
Nyswaner, who is openly gay[4] and an activist for gay rights, has often worked on movies dealing with subjects such as homosexuality, homophobia, and AIDS. In 1993, he came to worldwide prominence for his screenplay to the Academy Award-winning movie Philadelphia, directed by Jonathan Demme. It earned him nominations at the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, and the BAFTAs.
After several years of working for television, he wrote the screenplay for the 2006 film The Painted Veil, based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham. He received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award and won the award of the National Board of Review in 2006.
From 2015 to 2017, he was an executive producer for the Showtime TV series Homeland.
In 2015, Nyswaner directed the documentary film She's the Best Thing in It, featuring Mary Louise Wilson, which he coproduced along with Jeffrey Schwarz and Neda Armian.[5]
Nyswaner created the historical drama miniseries Fellow Travelers in 2023, which won a Peabody Award[6] at the 84th ceremony in 2024.
Filmography
editFilm
editAs a director
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | The Prince of Pennsylvania | |
| 2012 | Why Stop Now? | |
| 2015 | She's the Best Thing in It | documentary |
As a writer
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Smithereens | |
| 1984 | Mrs. Soffel | |
| 1989 | Gross Anatomy | |
| 1990 | Love Hurts | |
| 1993 | Philadelphia | |
| 2006 | The Painted Veil | |
| 2015 | Freeheld | |
| 2022 | My Policeman |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Soldier's Girl | Television movie | |
| 2006 | Filthy Gorgeous | Television movie | |
| 2013–2014 | Ray Donovan | Wrote 4 episodes; also co-executive producer | |
| 2015–2018 | Homeland | Wrote 9 episodes; also co-executive producer | |
| 2020 | Murder on Middle Beach | Co-executive producer only | |
| 2023 | Fellow Travelers | Screenwriter and executive producer | [7] |
Awards and nominations
editBibliography
editIn 2004, he published Blue Days, Black Nights: A Memoir, which chronicles his relationship with alcohol, drugs, and hustlers.
References
edit- ^ "Ron Nyswaner". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 23, 2009. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- ^ "Fellow Travelers".
- ^ Soloski, Alexis (October 23, 2023). "To Make 'Fellow Travelers,' Ron Nyswaner Had to Fall in Love". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- ^ Nyswaner, Ron (2004), Blue Days, Black Nights: A Memoir, Advocate Books, ISBN 1-55583-889-8
- ^ Setoodeh, Ramin (December 18, 2015). "SXSW Doc 'She's the Best Thing in It' Sells to GoDigital (EXCLUSIVE)". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ "Fellow Travelers".
- ^ Otterson, Joe (July 11, 2022). "'Bridgerton' Star Jonathan Bailey Joins Matt Bomer in Showtime Limited Series 'Fellow Travelers'". Variety. Retrieved July 12, 2022.