- Dan Futterman
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Dan Futterman Born June 8, 1967
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.Occupation Actor/Screenwriter Years active 1991—present Spouse Anya Epstein (2000-present) Daniel Futterman (born June 8, 1967) is an American actor and screenwriter. Although he is known for several high-profile acting roles, including Val Goldman in the film The Birdcage, and Vincent Gray on the CBS television series Judging Amy, he is also a screenwriter.[1] In 2005, he wrote the screenplay for the film Capote for which he received an Academy Award nomination and an Independent Spirit Award, Boston Society of Film Critics award, and Los Angeles Film Critics Association award.
Contents
Personal life
Futterman, one of three siblings,[2] was born in Brooklyn, New York,[3] to a lawyer father and a psychoanalyst mother.[3] He was raised in Conservative Judaism and grew up in an "intellectual family".[2][3][4] Futterman grew up in Larchmont, New York, and graduated from Mamaroneck High School in 1985 and Columbia University in 1989.
Futterman is married to television writer Anya Epstein (sister of former Boston Red Sox General Manager and Executive Vice President and current President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs Theo Epstein),[1] with whom he has two daughters: Sylvie (b. 2001) and Eve (b. 2005).[4]
Acting career
In 1991, Futterman landed his first stage role in the WPA production Club Soda. He also succeeded Joe Mantello as the voluble Louis Ironson in Tony Kushner's Tony award winning play Angels in America on Broadway in 1993. Futterman portrayed an American diplomat's son who runs into trouble in South Africa in Jon Robin Baitz's A Fair Country (1996). He portrayed a slick card player with big dreams in Dealer's Choice (1997).
Futterman's first film role was as a thug who menaces Robin Williams in The Fisher King (1991). He appeared as a teacher in the romantic comedy Breathing Room/'Til Christmas (1996). Far Harbor/Mr. Spreckman's Boat (also 1996) was an ensemble piece which featured Futterman as a smarmy doctor in an interracial relationship. Also in 1996 he played Val, the son of gay lovers and nightclub owners Albert and Armand (again with Robin Williams) in The Birdcage. He also appeared as the American half of a pair of twenty-something con artists in London in Shooting Fish (1997). He also had the leading role as a befudled young gay man seeking for his missing lover in the NYC-based award-winning drama/thriller Urbania. Futterman's most recent film is A Mighty Heart (2007) with Angelina Jolie; he portrays murdered journalist Daniel Pearl.[1]
Futterman has also made several guest appearances in primetime television. He costarred with Mickey Rourke as a teacher who clashes with a priest in Thicker Than Blood (TNT, 1998) and appeared alongside Ron Eldard and Martin Donovan in the World War II drama When Trumpets Fade (HBO, 1998). In 1999, Futterman made the leap to series TV, co-starring as the brother of the central character on the CBS series Judging Amy. Futterman also had a recurring role as the on-again, off-again boyfriend of a beautiful and gainfully-employed woman (Kiele Sanchez) on the WB drama Related. He also guest-starred in a four-episode story arc on the sitcom Will and Grace. Futterman was slated to appear in a recurring role on the new ABC drama Brothers & Sisters, also written by Jon Robin Baitz, but bowed out due to scheduling conflicts. He filmed an appearance alongside former "Birdcage" costar Calista Flockhart playing her fiancee, but that version of the pilot underwent massive rewrites and never aired. Previously he also played a metrosexual man (pastry chef Stephan) on Sex and the City.
Writing career
Futterman wrote the screenplay for Capote, and Futterman's friend Bennett Miller directed the film. Futterman and Miller graduated together from Mamaroneck High School and have been friends since 7th grade. The two recruited another old friend, actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, to star as Truman Capote and began the process of getting the independent film made. Futterman and Hoffman were Executive Producers of the film. Futterman was recognized with several award nominations, including an Oscar nod for Best Adapted Screenplay.
In 2007, Futterman stated that he would focus on his writing career,[1][5] and was adapting the novel Everything Changes into a film script for Columbia Pictures.[4]
Since 2007, Futterman and Epstein have been writers and executive producers for the HBO drama series In Treatment.
In late 2009, Futterman and Epstein were in development with HBO to write and executive-produce a half-hour drama series called "T" about a trans man going through gender transition; it is based on a story from the radio show This American Life, and Ira Glass and Alissa Shipp of This American Life were slated to be executive producers as well.[6]
Filmography
As actor
- A Mighty Heart (2007)
- Related (2005) (TV Series) (2005–2006)
- Gerald L'Ecuyer: A Filmmaker's Journey (2004) (TV)
- Will and Grace (2003) (TV Series)
- Enough (2002)
- Urbania (2000)
- Sex and the City (1999) (TV Series)
- Homicide: Life on the Street (1999) (TV Series)
- Judging Amy (1999) (TV Series) (1999–2001, 2004–2005)
- When Trumpets Fade (1998) (TV)
- Thicker Than Blood (1998) (TV)
- 1999 (1998)
- Caroline in the City (1997) (TV Series)
- Shooting Fish (1997)
- Far Harbor (1996)
- Breathing Room (1996)
- The Birdcage (1996)
- New York News (1995) (TV Series)
- Tracey Takes on New York (1993) (TV)
- Class of '61 (1993) (TV)
- Another World (1964) TV Series (1992)
- Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get Even (1992)
- Passed Away (1992)
- The Fisher King (1991)
- Daughters of Privilege (1991) (TV)
As writer
- Capote (2005)
- In Treatment (television) (2010)
References
- ^ a b c d Koltnow, Barry (2007-06-20). "A 'Mighty' responsibility". OC Register. http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/entertainment/movies/abox/article_1738433.php. Retrieved 2007-06-24.
- ^ a b Hill, Logan (2007-06-17). "Portraying Pearl: Dan Futterman". New York Magazine. http://nymag.com/movies/features/33523/. Retrieved 2007-06-24.
- ^ a b c Tugend, Tom (2007-06-22). "Actor Dan Futterman and director Michael Winterbottom: What we learned in making 'A Mighty Heart'". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=17820. Retrieved 2007-06-24.
- ^ a b c Miller, Gerri (2007-06-28). "Dan Futterman: A Mighty Part in 'A Mighty Heart'". New York Post. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. http://web.archive.org/web/20070929123226/http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/movies/news/n12534.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
- ^ ""Mighty Heart" Star Says Acting Days Are Done". Javno. 2007-06-14. http://www.javno.com/en/lifestyle/clanak.php?id=53279. Retrieved 2007-06-24.
- ^ Levine, Stuart (2009-11-05), "HBO aboard gender bender", Variety, http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118010905.html?categoryId=14&cs=1&cache=false
7. http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/blog/2010/09/in_treatment.html Boston.com
External links
Categories:- 1967 births
- American film actors
- American Jews
- American television actors
- Columbia University alumni
- Independent Spirit Award winners
- Jewish actors
- Jewish American writers
- Living people
- Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners
- Actors from Maryland
- Actors from New York City
- People from Brooklyn
- People from Westchester County, New York
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