Douglas McGrath has become well known not only as a director, but also as a screenwriter, actor, and popular essayist and commentator for such publications as The New Yorker, The New Republic, The New York Times, and Vanity Fair.
Born and raised in Texas, he attended Princeton University and, shortly after graduation, was hired as a writer on “Saturday Night Live.” His first screenplay was the updated remake of Garson Kanin‟s BORN YESTERDAY, which starred Melanie Griffith, Don Johnson and John Goodman. He struck gold with his second screenplay, BULLETS OVER BROADWAY (for which he shared credit with director Woody Allen);: it brought him an Academy Award nomination, as well as nominations for Writers‟ Guild, BAFTA, and Independent Spirit awards.
McGrath‟s success with BULLETS OVER BROADWAY led to his directing debut, the Jane Austen adaptation EMMA, for Miramax. McGrath also wrote the screenplay for this popular and critical success, which starred Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeremy Northam, Alan Cumming, and Toni Collette.
He next starred in, co-wrote and co-directed (with Peter Askin) COMPANY MAN, a comedy set in Cuba in the 1960s, in which Sigourney Weaver, Paul Guilfoyle, Alan Cumming, and an unbilled Woody Allen also appeared. McGrath followed this with the British production NICHOLAS NICKLEBY, based on the novel by Charles Dickens, starring Charlie Hunnam in the title role with Jamie Bell, Christopher Plummer, Anne Hathaway, Alan Cumming, Jim Broadbent, Juliet Stevenson, and Tom Courtenay. Once again, McGrath bore credit as both director and screenwriter.
In 2006 McGrath wrote and directed INFAMOUS, based on George Plimpton‟s Truman Capote biography entitled Truman Capote: In Which Various Friends, Enemies, Acquaintances and Detractors Recall His Turbulent Career. Although it opened shortly after the competing biopic CAPOTE, it was equally well received. Toby Jones starred as Capote, with a supporting cast including Sigourney Weaver, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sandra Bullock, Isabella Rossellini, Daniel Craig, Jeff Daniels, and Hope Davis.
In April of 2011, McGrath‟s HIS WAY, a feature-length documentary on Hollywood producer Jerry Weintraub, received its premiere on HBO. Graydon Carter and Steven Soderbergh were among the film‟s producers, and actors who participated in its interviews included James Caan, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Julia Roberts, George Clooney, and Ellen Barkin, to name just a few.
McGrath‟s lengthy list of acting credits includes such films as SOLITARY MAN, MICHAEL CLAYTON, HOLLYWOOD ENDING, SMALL TIME CROOKS, THE INSIDER, CELEBRITY, HAPPINESS, THE DAYTRIPPERS, and QUIZ SHOW.
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