Grant Heslov (born May 15, 1963) is an American

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...

and filmmaker known for his producing and writing collaborations with

George Clooney George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Award, four Golden Globe Awards, and two Academy Awards, one for his acting and the ot ...

, which have earned him four Oscar nominations. As a co-producer of ''

Argo In Greek mythology the ''Argo'' (; in Greek: ) was a ship built with the help of the gods that Jason and the Argonauts sailed from Iolcos to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece. The ship has gone on to be used as a motif in a variety of ...

'' (2012), he received the

Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only categ ...

in 2013. As an actor, he has appeared in films including ''

True Lies ''True Lies'' is a 1994 American spy action comedy film written and directed by James Cameron. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Art Malik, Tia Carrere, Bill Paxton, Eliza Dushku, Grant Heslov and Charlton Heston. I ...

'' (1994), ''

Black Sheep In the English language, black sheep is an idiom that describes a member of a group who is different from the rest, especially a family member who does not fit in. The term stems from sheep whose fleece is colored black rather than the more comm ...

'' (1996), '' Enemy of the State'' (1998) and '' The Scorpion King'' (2002), as well as performing supporting roles in several films made with Clooney.

Personal life

Heslov was born in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, and was raised in its Palos Verdes area. His father, Arthur Heslov, was a dentist, and his mother, Jerrie (''née'' Rosen), a businesswoman. He has two older brothers, Steven and Michael. Heslov is

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

. He attended Palos Verdes High School, then the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

. He is a member of Phi Kappa Psi. Heslov is married to Lysa Hayland-Heslov, a producer.

Career

Heslov's acting credits include the films ''

'', ''

Dante's Peak ''Dante's Peak'' is a 1997 American disaster thriller film directed by Roger Donaldson, written by Leslie Bohem, and starring Pierce Brosnan, Linda Hamilton, and Charles Hallahan. The film is set in the fictional town of Dante's Peak where the in ...

'', '' Enemy of the State'', '' The Scorpion King'', '' Good Night and Good Luck'', '' Congo'', ''

'', and '' Catch Me If You Can''. He has also appeared in such TV series as ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The seri ...

'', '' Happy Days'', ''

Family Ties ''Family Ties'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC for seven seasons, premiering on September 22, 1982, and concluding on May 14, 1989. The series, created by Gary David Goldberg, reflected the move in the United States ...

'', '' Spencer'', '' Mama's Family'', '' L.A. Law'', '' Matlock'', '' Sleeper Cell'' and ''

The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...

''. In August 2006, Heslov and

started

Smokehouse Pictures Smokehouse Pictures is an American film and television production company. The company was founded in 2006 by George Clooney and Grant Heslov after the shutdown of Section Eight Productions. Its name is taken from the Smoke House restaurant, l ...

and began writing screenplays for production. He was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for Best Original Screenplay (with Clooney) and as producer for Best Film for ''Good Night, and Good Luck''. Heslov also appears in the film as Don Hewitt, the director of the TV series '' See It Now'', around which the movie is centered. He directed a screen adaptation of ''

The Men Who Stare at Goats ''The Men Who Stare at Goats'' (2004) is a non-fiction work by Jon Ronson concerning the U.S. Army's exploration of New Age concepts and the potential military applications of the paranormal. The title refers to attempts to kill goats by sta ...

'', starring Clooney, Ewan McGregor,

Jeff Bridges Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Bridges comes from a prominent ac ...

, and

Kevin Spacey Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolade ...

and co-produced '' The American'' starring Clooney in 2012. He also worked on 2011's ''The Ides of March''. In June 2012, he was invited to join the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion ...

. In 2013, Heslov, alongside Clooney and Ben Affleck, won the

for ''

'' (2012). The three men also won the

Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama The Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama is a Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe Award that has been awarded annually since 1944 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). Since its institution in 1943, the Hollywood Foreig ...

and the

BAFTA Award for Best Film The BAFTA Award for Best Film is given annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and presented at the British Academy Film Awards. It has been given since the 1st BAFTA Awards, representing the best films of 1947, but until 1 ...

. Heslov directed the first episode of the 2019 miniseries ''

Catch-22 ''Catch-22'' is a satirical war novel by American author Joseph Heller. He began writing it in 1953; the novel was first published in 1961. Often cited as one of the most significant novels of the twentieth century, it uses a distinctive non- ...

'', on which he was also executive producer.

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Heslov, Grant 1963 births Living people Male actors from Los Angeles American male film actors American male screenwriters American male television actors Film producers from California Jewish American male actors People from Palos Verdes, California Filmmakers who won the Best Film BAFTA Award Producers who won the Best Picture Academy Award USC School of Dramatic Arts alumni Golden Globe Award-winning producers Best Screenplay AACTA International Award winners Screenwriters from California 21st-century American Jews