Ron Nyswaner
Ronald L. Nyswaner (born October 5, 1956) is an American screenwriter and film director.[1] He has been nominated for numerous awards including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award.
Ron Nyswaner | |
|---|---|
 James Schamus (left) and Ron Nyswaner (right) in 2009 | |
| Born | October 5, 1956 Clarksville, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, writer |
He is known for his screenplays Smithereens (1982), Philadelphia (1993), The Painted Veil (2006), Freeheld (2015), 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 upcoming series Fellow Travelers.
Early life and education
Nyswaner was born in Clarksville, Pennsylvania. He later attended the University of Pittsburgh and Columbia University.[2]
Career
Nyswaner 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[3] and an activist for gay rights, has often worked on movies with the subjects 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 which is 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 a documentary film, She's the Best Thing In It, featuring Mary Louise Wilson, which he coproduced along with Jeffrey Schwarz and Neda Armian.[4]
Filmography
Film
As 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 | |
| 2003 | Soldier's Girl | |
| 2006 | The Painted Veil | |
| 2015 | Freeheld | |
| 2022 | My Policeman | |
Television
| Year | Title | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | [5] |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Project | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Independent Spirit Awards | Best First Feature | The Prince of Pennsylvania | Nominated |
| 1988 | Deauville Film Festival | Critics Prize | Nominated | |
| 1993 | Academy Award | Best Original Screenplay | Philadelphia | Nominated |
| 1993 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Screenplay | Nominated | |
| 1993 | British Academy Film Award | Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | |
| 1993 | Writers Guild of America Award | Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | |
| 2006 | Independent Spirit Award | Best Screenplay | The Painted Veil | Nominated |
| 2006 | National Board of Review | Best Screenplay | Won | |
| 2015 | SXSW Film Festival | Grand Jury Documentary Prize | She's The Best Thing in It | Nominated |
| 2015 | Woodstock Film Festival | Audience Award | Won | |
| 2014 | Writers Guild of America Award | New Series | Ray Donovan | Nominated |
| 2016 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Drama Series | Homeland | Nominated |
Bibliography
In 2004, he published Blue Days, Black Nights: A Memoir, which chronicles his relationship with alcohol, drugs, and hustlers.
References
- The New York Times
- The New York Times
- 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.
- Otterson, Joe (July 11, 2022). "'Bridgerton' Star Jonathan Bailey Joins Matt Bomer in Showtime Limited Series 'Fellow Travelers'". Variety. Retrieved July 12, 2022.