Eric Max Frye (born 1956) is an American

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

and film director from

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

. In 2015, he received an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

nomination for co-writing, with Dan Futterman, the original screenplay for ''

Foxcatcher ''Foxcatcher'' is a 2014 American biographical thriller- sports film produced and directed by Bennett Miller. Written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, the film stars Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo. The film's plot is loose ...

''.

Early life and education

Frye was born in Oregon and raised in Eugene. His parents were Helen (Jackson) Frye, a federal judge, and William Frye.Turnquist, Kristi.
Judge files an appeal on behalf of 'Amos and Andrew' screenings
, ''

The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the West Coast of the United States, U.S. West Coast, founded as a weekly by Tho ...

'', March 11, 1993. He attended

Lewis & Clark College Lewis & Clark College is a private liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1867 and is situated on the historic M. Lloyd Frank Estate in South Portland's Collins View neighborhood. It is composed of three distinct but adjac ...

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

for one year before moving to

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. He lived in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and worked as a male model in

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

. After returning to the United States, Frye considered becoming a painter and moved to New York's East Village in 1981 before attending New York University Film School a few years later. Talking a mandatory writing class, he discovered an affinity for screenwriting. "I pursued it hard," he recalled, "and got lucky."

Career

While still in film school, Frye wrote the early drafts of what would become the screenplay for ''Something Wild'' (1986). Other early writing credits included the 1993 comedy film '' Amos & Andrew,'' which Frye also directed, and the third episode in the 2001 HBO

miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...

'' Band of Brothers''. Frye was a co-screenwriter for ''

'' (2014), a film about John Eleuthere du Pont and his 1996 murder of World and Olympic champion wrestler, Dave Schultz. Director

Bennett Miller Bennett Altman Miller (born December 30, 1966) is an American film director who is known for having directed the films ''Capote (film), Capote'' (2005), ''Moneyball (film), Moneyball'' (2011), and ''Foxcatcher'' (2014). He has been nominated twic ...

came to Frye with the project, who was intrigued by the reverse direction of the story arc: instead of an athlete working his or her way to the top, this story began with an Olympic champion who finds himself back at the bottom. Frye taught screenwriting for many years, emphasizing conflict as an essential ingredient. "You want to have mean people, bullies, cheaters, criminals as part of your story. They are much more interesting characters than people who follow the rules."

Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an American filmmaker and screenwriter. His career in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and ver ...

is an influence; his portrait hangs in Frye's kitchen. In 1986, Frye appeared in the music video for

Bizarre Love Triangle "Bizarre Love Triangle" is a song by English rock band New Order, released as a single in November 1986 from their fourth studio album, '' Brotherhood'' (1986), which reached the top five on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart, an ...

directed by

Robert Longo Robert Longo (born January 7, 1953) is an American artist, filmmaker, photographer and musician. Longo became first well known in the 1980s for his ''Men in the Cities'' drawing and print series, which depict sharply dressed men and women writ ...

in which Frye argues about reincarnation with actress

Jodi Long Jodi Long is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Madame Ybarra on '' Cafe Americain'' (1993–1994), Mrs. Kim on the Margaret Cho sitcom ''All-American Girl'' (1994-1995), Ok Cha on '' Sullivan and Son'' (2012–2014), as wel ...

Filmography

As screenwriter * '' Something Wild'' (1986) * '' Amos & Andrew'' (1993) - Also Director * '' Palmetto'' (1998) * '' Where the Money Is'' (2000) * ''

'' (2014)

Honors and awards

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Frye, E. Max Writers from Eugene, Oregon American male screenwriters American television writers 1956 births Living people Lewis & Clark College alumni South Eugene High School alumni Edgar Award winners Tisch School of the Arts alumni Film directors from Oregon American male television writers Screenwriters from Oregon 20th-century American screenwriters 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American screenwriters 21st-century American male writers