Glenn Ficarra

{{Infobox person

| name = Glenn Ficarra

| image = Glenn Ficarra (6146978302).jpg

| caption = Glenn Ficarra at the Sydney Crazy, Stupid, Love. premiere in September 2011.

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|5|27}}

| nationality = American

| occupation = {{hlist|Screenwriter|director|producer}}

| years_active=

}}

Glenn Ficarra (born May 27, 1969) is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. He has frequently collaborated with John Requa.

Early life

Ficarra is the son of Marianne and Robert F. Ficarra, grandchild of Theresa (née Filippone) and Frank Ficarra, and brother of Chris Ficarra.{{cite web |title=Theresa Ficarra Obituary (2008) - Newark, NJ - The Star-Ledger |url=https://obits.nj.com/us/obituaries/starledger/name/theresa-ficarra-obituary?id=13278148 |website=Legacy.com |access-date=13 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230513182402/https://obits.nj.com/us/obituaries/starledger/name/theresa-ficarra-obituary?id=13278148 |archive-date=13 May 2023}}{{cite web |title=Scenes from the 2019 Gala |url=https://www.thalassemia.org/scenes-from-the-2019-cooleys-anemia-gala-a-global-spotlight/ |website=Cooley's Anemia Foundation |access-date=13 May 2023 |date=13 June 2019 |archive-date=May 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230513190644/https://www.thalassemia.org/scenes-from-the-2019-cooleys-anemia-gala-a-global-spotlight/ |url-status=live }} Ficarra attended St. John Vianney High School in Holmdel Township, New Jersey.{{cite news |title=Catholic Schools Week 2020 – Celebrating the contributions of Catholic school graduates! |url=https://trentonmonitor.com/Content/Default/Schools/Article/Catholic-Schools-Week-2020-Celebrating-the-contributions-of-Catholic-school-graduates-/-3/268/22433 |access-date=13 May 2023 |work=trentonmonitor.com |date=January 24, 2020 |language=en-us |archive-date=May 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230513190645/https://trentonmonitor.com/Content/Default/Schools/Article/Catholic-Schools-Week-2020-Celebrating-the-contributions-of-Catholic-school-graduates-/-3/268/22433 |url-status=live }}

Ficarra met John Requa at Pratt Institute, where both were studying film.{{cite web|url=http://www.quinzaine-realisateurs.com/glenn-ficarra-r10208.html|title=Directors' Fortnight|publisher=quinzaine-realisateurs.com|date=March 20, 2011|access-date=March 20, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140807060517/http://quinzaine-realisateurs.com/glenn-ficarra-r10208.html|archive-date=August 7, 2014|url-status=dead}}

Career

After college Requa and Ficarra went to work in animation for the TV channel Nickelodeon.

As writers they wrote the comedy films Cats & Dogs (directed by Lawrence Guterman), Bad Santa (directed by Terry Zwigoff), and Bad News Bears (directed by Richard Linklater).

In 2009 they made their directorial debut with their self-penned I Love You Phillip Morris, based on the life of con man Steven Jay Russell. For their writing on this film, Ficarra and Requa received a nomination for the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.{{cite web |url=http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1516|title=Writers Guild Awards |publisher=Writers Guild of America |date=January 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110108052342/http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1516 |archive-date=January 8, 2011 |url-status=dead}}

Their subsequent release was the comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and Julianne Moore, again directed with Requa, released in July 2011.

With Requa and Charlie Gogolak he has formed the production company Zaftig Films.{{cite web|url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1118033270|title='Phillip Morris' duo to launch Zaftig Films|publisher=Variety.com|date=March 20, 2011|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-date=November 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107222227/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118033270|url-status=live}}

The pair also directed Focus, starring Will Smith and Margot Robbie, and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, starring Tina Fey and Robbie.{{cite news|title=Filming Starts for the Taliban Shuffle Adaptation, Starring Tina Fey|url=https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/408973-filming-starts-for-the-taliban-shuffle-adaptation-starring-tina-fey|access-date=February 12, 2015|publisher=comingsoon.net|date=February 11, 2015|archive-date=August 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831104217/http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/408973-filming-starts-for-the-taliban-shuffle-adaptation-starring-tina-fey|url-status=live}}

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
Year ! Title ! width=65 \|Director ! width=65 \|Writer ! Notes
2001 \| Cats & Dogs \| {{no}} \| {{yes}} \|Also voiced Dimitri Kennelkoff/The Russian; Also credited as co-producer
rowspan=2 \|2003 \| Looney Tunes: Back in Action \| {{no}} \| {{partial\|Story}} \|
Bad Santa \| {{no}} \| {{yes}} \|
2005 \| Bad News Bears \| {{no}} \| {{yes}} \|
2009 \| I Love You Phillip Morris \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \|
2011 \| Crazy, Stupid, Love \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \|
2015 \| Focus \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \|
2016 \| Whiskey Tango Foxtrot \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \|
2018 \| Smallfoot \| {{no}} \| {{partial\|Story}} \| Also producer
2021 \| Jungle Cruise \| {{no}} \| {{yes}} \|

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

Year

! Title

! width=65 |Director

! width=65 |Writer

! Notes

2001

| Cats & Dogs

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

|Also voiced Dimitri Kennelkoff/The Russian;
Also credited as co-producer

rowspan=2 |2003

| Looney Tunes: Back in Action

| {{no}}

| {{partial|Story}}

Bad Santa

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

2005

| Bad News Bears

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

2009

| I Love You Phillip Morris

| {{yes}}

2011

| Crazy, Stupid, Love

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

2015

| Focus

| {{yes}}

2016

| Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

2018

| Smallfoot

| {{no}}

| {{partial|Story}}

| Also producer

2021

| Jungle Cruise

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

Executive producer

Storks (2016)
DC League of Super-Pets (2022)

=Television=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
rowspan="2" style="width:33px;"\|Year ! rowspan="2"\|Title
width=65 \|Director ! width=65 \|Executive Producer ! width=65 \|Writer ! scope="col" \| Notes
1998 \| The Wild Thornberrys \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{yes}} \| Episode "Flight of the Donnie"
1998–2000 \| The Angry Beavers \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{yes}} \| 16 episodes
2013 \| Back in the Game \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| Co-directed "Pilot", co-wrote "Who's on First"
2015–2018 \| Patriot \| {{no}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \|
2016–2018 \| This is Us \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| 7 episodes
2017 \| Controversy \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| TV movie
2020 \| neXt \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| Co-directed 2 episodes
2022 \| WeCrashed \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \|
2023 \| Rabbit Hole \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \|
2025 \| Paradise \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| Co-directed 4 episodes

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

rowspan="2" style="width:33px;"|Year

! rowspan="2"|Title

width=65 |Director

! width=65 |Executive
Producer

! width=65 |Writer

! scope="col" | Notes

1998

| The Wild Thornberrys

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

| Episode "Flight of the Donnie"