Nicholas Kazan (; born September 15, 1945) is an American

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

film producer A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...

and director.

Early life

Kazan was born in New York, the son of Greek-American director

Elia Kazan Elia Kazan (; born Elias Kazantzoglou ( el, Ηλίας Καζαντζόγλου); September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003) was an American film and theatre director, producer, screenwriter and actor, described by ''The New York Times'' as "one o ...

and his first wife, playwright

Molly Kazan Molly Day Kazan (; Thacher; December 16, 1906 – December 14, 1963) was an American dramatist and the first wife of influential film director Elia Kazan. Biography Molly Day Thacher was born in South Orange, New Jersey, the daughter of Emma C ...

(née Mary Day Thacher). Through his mother, Kazan is a descendant of classicist and college administrator

Thomas Anthony Thacher Thomas Anthony Thacher (January 11, 1815 – April 7, 1886) was an American classicist and college administrator. Early life Thomas A. Thacher was born in Hartford, Connecticut, the son of Anne (née Parks) and Peter Thacher. His first America ...

, Yale president

Jeremiah Day Jeremiah Day (August 3, 1773 – August 22, 1867) was an American academic, a Congregational minister and President of Yale College (1817–1846). Early life Day was the son of Rev. Jeremiah and Abigail (Noble) Osborn Day, who were descendant ...

, and founding father

Roger Sherman Roger Sherman (April 19, 1721 – July 23, 1793) was an American statesman, lawyer, and a Founding Father of the United States. He is the only person to sign four of the great state papers of the United States related to the founding: the Con ...

Career

Kazan, a noted playwright, premiered his newest work, ''Mlle. God'' (2011), in Los Angeles with the Ensemble Studio Theatre-LA. Kazan's

dark comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...

re-invents

Frank Wedekind Benjamin Franklin Wedekind (July 24, 1864 – March 9, 1918) was a German playwright. His work, which often criticizes bourgeois attitudes (particularly towards sex), is considered to anticipate expressionism and was influential in the deve ...

's seminal "Lulu" character. He noted his inspiration came "most of all by

Louise Brooks Mary Louise Brooks (November 14, 1906 – August 8, 1985) was an American film actress and dancer during the 1920s and 1930s. She is regarded today as an icon of the Jazz Age and flapper culture, in part due to the bob hairstyle that she helpe ...

' luminous cosmic performance" of the character. Kazan was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay Film adaptation, adapted from previously established material. The most frequently adapted media are novels, but other adapted narrative formats include st ...

and

Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay The Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay – Motion Picture is a Golden Globe Award given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Winners and nominees 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s See also * Ac ...

for his work on ''

Reversal of Fortune ''Reversal of Fortune'' is a 1990 American drama film adapted from the 1985 book ''Reversal of Fortune: Inside the von Bülow Case'', written by law professor Alan Dershowitz. It recounts the true story of the unexplained coma of socialite Sun ...

''.

Personal life

In 1984, Kazan married screenwriter

Robin Swicord Robin Stender Swicord (born October 23, 1952) is an American screenwriter, film director, and playwright, best known for literary adaptations. Her notable screenplays include ''Little Women'' (1994), ''Matilda'' (1996), ''Practical Magic'' (1998 ...

. Their daughters are actresses

Zoe Kazan Zoe Swicord Kazan (; born September 9, 1983) is an American actress, playwright, and screenwriter. She made her acting debut in the film ''Swordswallowers and Thin Men'' (2003) and later appeared in films such as '' The Savages'' (2007), ''Revol ...

and

Maya Kazan Maya Kazan (; born November 24, 1986) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Eleanor Gallinger on the television series'' The Knick'' (2014–2015). Personal life Kazan is the daughter of screenwriters Nicholas Kazan and Rob ...

Filmography

*''

Frances Frances is a French and English given name of Latin origin. In Latin the meaning of the name Frances is 'from France' or 'free one.' The male version of the name in English is Francis. The original Franciscus, meaning "Frenchman", comes from the F ...

'' (1982) (with Christopher De Vore and

Eric Bergren Eric Lee Bergren (April 27, 1954 – July 14, 2016) was an American screenwriter. Early life and career Bergren was born 1954 in Pasadena, California. He studied theatre arts at the University of Southern California. Based on works of Frederi ...

) *''

At Close Range ''At Close Range'' is a 1986 American neo-noir crime drama film directed by James Foley, based on the real life rural Pennsylvania crime family led by Bruce Johnston Sr. which operated during the 1960s and 1970s. It stars Sean Penn and Christop ...

'' (1986) *''

Patty Hearst Patricia Campbell Hearst (born February 20, 1954) is the granddaughter of American publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst. She first became known for the events following her 1974 kidnapping by the Symbionese Liberation Army. She was found ...

'' (1988)The 10 Best Paul Schrader Movies – Page 2 – Taste of Cinema
/ref> *''

'' (1990) *''

Mobsters A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from '' mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization a ...

'' (1991) (with Michael Mahem) *''

Dream Lover "Dream Lover" is a song written by Bobby Darin. Darin recorded his composition on March 5, 1959 and released it as a single the following month. It was produced by Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler and engineered by Tom Dowd. Song background In a ...

'' (1993) (also Director) *''

Matilda Matilda or Mathilda may refer to: Animals * Matilda (chicken) (1990–2006), World's Oldest Living Chicken record holder * Matilda (horse) (1824–1846), British Thoroughbred racehorse * Matilda, a dog of the professional wrestling tag-team The ...

'' (1996) (with

) *'' Homegrown'' (1998) (with

Stephen Gyllenhaal Stephen Roark Gyllenhaal (; born October 4, 1949) is an American film director and poet. He is the father of actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Personal life Gyllenhaal was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Virginia Lowrie (née Childs) and ...

) *''

Fallen Fallen may refer to: People * Carl Fredrik Fallén (1764–1830), Swedish botanist and entomologist * Gabriel Toledo (born 1991), known as FalleN, Brazilian ''Counter-Strike'' player Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Fallen ...

'' (1998) *'' Bicentennial Man'' (1999) *'' Enough'' (2002) *'' The Whole Truth'' (2016)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kazan, Nicholas 1945 births American male screenwriters American writers of Greek descent Living people Writers from New York City Screenwriters from New York (state) Kazan family