Robert M. Harling III (born November 12, 1951) is an American writer, producer and film director.

Biography

Early life

He was born in 1951 in

Dothan, Alabama Dothan is a city in and the county seat of Houston County, Alabama, Houston County in the U.S. state of Alabama. A slight portion of the city extends into Dale County, Alabama, Dale and Henry County, Alabama, Henry counties. It had a population ...

, one of three children of Robert M. Harling Jr (1923–2019) and Margaret Jones Harling (1923–2013).Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home
Obituary: Margaret Jones Harling
Margaret Jones Harling ObituaryKim Hubbard

''People'', Vol. 29, No. 3, January 25, 1988Julia Reed
The Interview: Robert Harling
''Garden & Gun'', December 2012 – January 2013 He graduated from

Northwestern State University Northwestern State University of Louisiana (NSULA) is a public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport, Louisiana, Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville, Louisiana, Leesville/Fort Jo ...

in Natchitoches, Louisiana and obtained a Juris Doctor from Tulane University Law School in New Orleans.Brooks Barnes
Sweet Tea and Tart Women
''The New York Times'', February 29, 2012 While in law school, he sang in a band which performed in New Orleans on weekends.

Career

However, Harling never used his legal education: skipping the bar exam, he instead moved to New York City to become an actor, auditioning for bit parts in plays and television commercials as well as working as a ticket seller for Broadway shows. After the death of his younger sister, Susan, in 1985 due to diabetes, Harling wrote a short story and adapted it into the play ''

Steel Magnolias ''Steel Magnolias'' is a 1989 American comedy drama film directed by Herbert Ross and starring Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, and Julia Roberts. The screenplay by Robert Harling is based on hi ...

'',Jeremy Kinser
Steel Magnolias Back in Bloom
''The Advocate'', October 25, 2012 which was produced

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

in 1987 to great acclaim and was translated into 17 languages. Harling also wrote the screenplay for the film version of the play that was produced in 1989.Tanner Transky
Robert Harling: The Man Who Loves Women
''Entertainment Weekly'', April 13, 2012 He played a small role in the film as a minister. Harling wrote more screenplays: ''

Soapdish ''Soapdish'' is a 1991 American comedy film directed by Michael Hoffman (American director), Michael Hoffman, from a screenplay by Robert Harling (writer), Robert Harling and Andrew Bergman. The film was produced by Aaron Spelling and Alan Greis ...

'' (1991), '' The First Wives Club'' (1996), and '' Laws of Attraction'' (2004); he also worked as an uncredited

script doctor A script doctor is a writer or playwright hired by a film, television, or theatre production company to rewrite an existing script or improve specific aspects of it, including structure, characterization, dialogue, pacing, themes, and other elemen ...

on a number of films. Harling also wrote and directed the sequel to ''

Terms of Endearment ''Terms of Endearment'' is a 1983 American family tragicomedy film directed, written, and produced by James L. Brooks, adapted from Larry McMurtry's 1975 novel. It stars Debra Winger, Shirley MacLaine, Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Jeff D ...

'' titled '' The Evening Star'' (1996). In the spring of 2012, he served as writer and producer of the TV show '' GCB''. In the same year, it was reported that Harling was adapting ''Soapdish'' into a musical.Lisa Rosen
Robert Harling, Darren Star breathe life into 'GCB'
''The Los Angeles Times'', January 8, 2012

Personal life

He is Presbyterian and openly gay. He owns the Oaklawn Plantation in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Filmography

Writer

* 1989 ''

'' * 1990 ''

'' (TV pilot) * 1991 ''

'' * 1992 ''Coiffure pour dames'' * 1996 '' The First Wives Club'' * 1996 '' The Evening Star'' * 2004 '' Laws of Attraction'' * 2012 '' GCB''

Producer

* 1997 '' A Smile Like Yours'' * 2012 ''GCB''

Director

* 1996 '' The Evening Star''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harling, Robert 1951 births Living people People from Natchitoches, Louisiana Northwestern State University alumni Tulane University Law School alumni 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights 21st-century American dramatists and playwrights American male screenwriters American Presbyterians American gay writers American male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers Gay screenwriters Gay dramatists and playwrights Film directors from Louisiana Screenwriters from Louisiana Film producers from Louisiana 20th-century American screenwriters 21st-century American screenwriters American LGBTQ screenwriters American LGBTQ film directors American LGBTQ dramatists and playwrights LGBTQ film producers LGBTQ Protestants