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Edward Zwick

{{short description|American filmmaker and producer}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}

{{Infobox person

| image = Edward Zwick 2016.jpg

| caption = Zwick in 2016

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|10|8}}

| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

| othername =

| occupation = Director, producer, screenwriter

| education = Harvard University (BA)
AFI Conservatory (MFA)

| years_active = 1979–present

| spouse = {{marriage|Lynn Liberty Godshall|1982}}

| website =

| notable works = About Last Night, Glory, The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond, Defiance, Love & Other Drugs

}}

Edward M. Zwick (born October 8, 1952) is an American filmmaker. He has worked primarily in the comedy drama and epic historical film genres and was awarded an Academy Award, as well as a BAFTA Award, for his work producing Shakespeare in Love (1998).

He made his film debut with the comedy About Last Night (1986), followed by Glory (1989), Legends of the Fall (1994), Courage Under Fire (1996), The Siege (1998), The Last Samurai (2003), Blood Diamond (2006), and Defiance (2008). His later films include Love & Other Drugs (2010), Pawn Sacrifice (2014), and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016).

He is also the co-creator of the ABC family drama series thirtysomething from 1987 to 1991 and Once and Again from 1999 to 2002.

Early life and education

Zwick was born on October 8, 1952, into a Jewish family in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Ruth Ellen (née Reich) and Allen Zwick.{{Cite web|url=https://www.interfaithfamily.com/arts_and_entertainment/popular_culture/an_interview_with_filmmaker_edward_zwick/|title=An Interview with Filmmaker Edward Zwick|access-date=June 4, 2018|last=Sachs|first=Micah|work=InterfaithFamily.com|date=February 17, 2009 }}{{Cite web|url=http://jewishjournal.com/culture/arts/14119/|work=The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles|title=Director Zwick excavates the bloody price of 'Diamonds'|first=Steven|last=Rosen|date=December 7, 2006|access-date=June 4, 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2009/jan/13/defiance|title=In Defiance of Jewish passivity|access-date=June 4, 2018|date=January 13, 2009|last=Cox|first=David|work=The Guardian}}{{cite web|url = https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/zwick-edward-1952-ed-zwick|title = Zwick, Edward 1952– (Ed Zwick)|website = Encyclopedia.com|accessdate = February 2, 2024}} He attended New Trier High School, received a B.A. at Harvard in 1974, and attended the AFI Conservatory, graduating with a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1975.

Despite sharing a surname and profession, Edward is unrelated to fellow director Joel Zwick. He has been married to actress Liberty Godshall since 1982, and they have two grown children.

Career

His films include Glory (1989), Legends of the Fall (1994), The Siege (1998), The Last Samurai (2003), Blood Diamond (2006), and Defiance (2008). Along with Marshall Herskovitz, Zwick runs a film production company called The Bedford Falls Company (inspired by the name of the town featured in Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life). This company has produced such films as Traffic and Shakespeare in Love and the TV shows thirtysomething, Relativity, Once and Again, and My So-Called Life.

Zwick's body of work has earned numerous accolades, including an Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Picture as a producer, and Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Writing in a Limited Series, and Outstanding Dramatic Special. He was one of the recipients of the Academy Award for Best Picture for Shakespeare in Love; he was also nominated in the same category for Traffic. He has additionally been nominated for multiple Golden Globe Awards.

In 2024, Zwick released his memoir, Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood.{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/ap-illusions-oscar-new-york-hollywood-b2356083.html|title=Oscar-winning director-producer Ed Zwick writing memoir 'Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions'|date=June 12, 2023|website=The Independent}}

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable"
Year

!Title

! width="65" |Director

! width="65" |Producer

! width="65" |Writer

1986

| About Last Night...

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

| {{no}}

1989

| Glory

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

| {{no}}

1992

| Leaving Normal

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

| {{no}}

1994

| Legends of the Fall

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

1996

| Courage Under Fire

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

| {{no}}

1998

| The Siege

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

2003

| The Last Samurai

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

2006

| Blood Diamond

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

2008

| Defiance

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

2010

| Love & Other Drugs

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

2014

| Pawn Sacrifice

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

rowspan=2| 2016

| Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

The Great Wall

| {{no}}

| {{no}}

| {{Partial|Story}}

2017

| American Assassin

| {{no}}

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

2018

| Trial by Fire

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

style="width:100%;"
style="vertical-align:top;"

| style="width:30%;"|

Producer only

| style="width:70%;"|

Executive producer

| style="width:50%;"|

=Television=

class="wikitable"
Year

! Title

! width="65" |Director

! width="65" |Writer

! width="65" |Executive
Producer

! width="65" |Creator

! scope="col" | Notes

1979–80

|Family

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

| {{no}}

| Also producer;
5 episodes (written);
Directed episode "Ballerina"

1985

| The Insiders

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

| {{no}}

| {{no}}

| Pilot episode

1987–91

| thirtysomething

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| 3 episodes (directed);
8 episodes (written)

1999–2002

| Once and Again

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| 3 episodes (directed);
4 episodes (written)
Also actor (as Dr. Daniel Rosenfeld)

2008

| Quarterlife

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| Web series;
2 episodes (written)

2016–18

| Nashville

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

| Wrote episode "The Wayfaring Stranger"

2020

| Away

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

| Directed episode "Go"

Television films

class="wikitable"
Year

! Title

! width="65" |Director

! width="65" |Writer

! width="65" |Producer

1982

| Paper Dolls

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

| {{no}}

1982

| Having It All

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

| {{no}}

1983

| Special Bulletin

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

1990

| Extreme Close-Up

| {{no}}

| {{partial|Story}}

| {{yes|executive}}

2009

| A Marriage

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

| {{yes|executive}}

2020

| Thirtysomething(else)

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

Executive producer only

class="wikitable"
Year

! Title

! Notes

1987

| CBS Summer Playhouse

| Episode "Sawdust"

1989

| Dream Street

|

1994-95

| My So-Called Life

|

1998

| Relativity

|

2000

| The Only Living Boy in New York

|rowspan=2| TV movie

2002

| Women vs. Men

Awards and nominations

class="wikitable"
Year

!Title

!Award/Nomination

1989

| Glory

| Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Director

1994

| Legends of the Fall

| Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Director

1998

| Shakespeare in Love

| Academy Award for Best Picture
BAFTA Award for Best Film
Satellite Award for Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Nominated - Producers Guild of America Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture

2000

| Traffic

| Nominated - Academy Award for Best Picture

2003

| The Last Samurai

| National Board of Review Award for Best Director
Nominated - Saturn Award for Best Director
Nominated - Producers Guild of America Award for Best Picture

2006

| Blood Diamond

| Nominated - St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Award for Best Director

class="wikitable"

|+Awards received by Zwick films

! rowspan="2" | Year

! rowspan="2" | Title

! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" width=160| Academy Awards

! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" width=160| BAFTA Awards

! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" width=160| Golden Globe Awards

Nominations

! Wins

! Nominations

! Wins

! Nominations

! Wins

1989

|Glory

|align=center|5

|align=center|3

|align=center|1

|

|align=center|5

|align=center|1

1994

|Legends of the Fall

|align=center|3

|align=center|1

|

|

|align=center|4

|

2003

|The Last Samurai

|align=center|4

|

|

|

|align=center|3

|

2006

|Blood Diamond

|align=center|5

|

|

|

|align=center|1

|

2008

|Defiance

|align=center|1

|

|

|

|align=center|1

|

2010

|Love & Other Drugs

|

|

|

|

|align=center|2

|

colspan="2"|Total

!align=center|18

!align=center|4

!align=center|1

!align=center|0

!align=center|16

!align=center|1

Books

  • {{Cite book |last=Zwick |first=Ed |date=13 February 2024 |title=Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood |location=New York |publisher=Gallery Books |isbn=9781668046999 |oclc=1384411519}}

References

{{reflist}}

Further reading

  • {{cite magazine |last=Denby |first=David |author-link=David Denby (film critic) |date=January 12, 2009|title=The Current Cinema: Survivors |magazine=The New Yorker |volume=84 |issue=44 |pages=72–73 |url=http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/cinema/2009/01/12/090112crci_cinema_denby |access-date=March 27, 2009}} Review of Defiance.

External links

  • {{Charlie Rose view|2744}}
  • {{IMDb name|1880}}
  • {{NYTtopic|people/z/edward_zwick}}

{{Edward Zwick}}

{{Navboxes

|title = Awards for Edward Zwick

|list =

{{Academy Award Best Picture Producers}}

{{BAFTA Best Film recipients}}

{{DirectorsGuildofAmericaAwardMiniseriesorTVFilm}}

{{Emmy Award for Miniseries Writing 1979-2000}}

{{Laurel Award for TV Writing Achievement}}

{{National Board of Review Award for Best Director}}

{{WritersGuildofAmericaEpisodicDramaScreenplay 1980s}}

}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zwick, Edward}}

Category:1952 births

Category:20th-century American Jews

Category:20th-century American screenwriters

Category:21st-century American Jews

Category:21st-century American screenwriters

Category:AFI Conservatory alumni

Category:American male screenwriters

Category:Directors Guild of America Award winners

Category:Film directors from Illinois

Category:Film producers from Illinois

Category:Filmmakers who won the Best Film BAFTA Award

Category:Golden Globe Award–winning producers

Category:Harvard College alumni

Category:Jewish American screenwriters

Category:Living people

Category:New Trier High School alumni

Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners

Category:Producers who won the Best Picture Academy Award

Category:Screenwriters from Illinois

Category:Writers Guild of America Award winners

Category:Writers from Chicago