Richard LaGravenese

Richard LaGravenese (/ləˈɡrɑːvəneɪz/;[1] born October 30, 1959)[2][3] is an American screenwriter and film director, known for The Fisher King, The Bridges of Madison County, and Behind the Candelabra.

Richard LaGravenese
LaGravenese in September 2017
Born (1959-10-30) October 30, 1959
New York City, U.S.
Occupation
  • Screenwriter
  • film director
Years active1989–present
Spouse(s)Ann Weiss
Children1

Personal life

LaGravenese was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of a taxi driver.[2] He is of Italian descent.[4] He graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 1980 with a bachelor of fine arts degree in acting.[5]

Career

LaGravenese wrote The Fisher King on spec in the late 1980s. It was acquired by Stacey Sher, Lynda Obst, Debra Hill's production company and subsequently directed by Terry Gilliam.

In New York City during the early 1980s, billed as "The Double R" comedy duo, in collaboration with playwright Richard O’Donnell, LaGravenese co-penned and consecutively performed in several Off-Off-Broadway productions including Spare Parts, Blood-brothers" at The 78th Street Theatre Lab, The Lion Theatre, and West Bank Cafe.

LaGravanese wrote an adaptation for the famously on-and-off version of the musical Gypsy for Barbra Streisand. In 2015, he revealed that he'd spent several months working on the script with Streisand. "I had the best time with her. I can’t even tell you. It was like a fantasy come true. I did my first draft and went to her house to do rewrites. She’s so meticulous in the best possible way. We went through it page by page by page."

Filmography

Films
Year Film Director Screenwriter Notes
1989 Rude Awakening Yes Directed by David Greenwalt and Aaron Russo
Co-written with Neil Levy
1991 The Fisher King Yes Directed by Terry Gilliam
1994 The Ref Yes Directed by Ted Demme
Co-written with Marie Weiss
1995 A Little Princess Yes Directed by Alfonso Cuaron
Co-written with Elizabeth Chandler
The Bridges of Madison County Yes Directed by Clint Eastwood
Unstrung Heroes Yes Directed by Diane Keaton
1996 The Mirror Has Two Faces Yes Directed by Barbra Streisand
1998 The Horse Whisperer Yes Directed by Robert Redford
Co-written with Eric Roth
Living Out Loud Yes Yes
Beloved Yes Directed by Jonathan Demme
Co-written with Akosua Busia and Adam Brooks
2006 Paris, Je T'aime segment Pigalle Yes
2007 Freedom Writers Yes Yes
P.S. I Love You Yes Yes Co-written with Steven Rogers
2010 Conviction Yes Directed by Tony Goldwyn
Co-written with Pamela Gray. Uncredited as screenwriter.
2011 Water for Elephants Yes Directed by Francis Lawrence
2013 Beautiful Creatures Yes Yes
Behind the Candelabra Yes Directed by Steven Soderbergh
2014 The Last Five Years Yes Yes
Unbroken Yes Directed by Angelina Jolie
Co-written with the Coen Brothers and William Nicholson
2016 The Comedian Yes Directed by Taylor Hackford
Co-written with Art Linson, Jeff Ross and Lewis Friedman

Television

He was the creator of The Divide and wrote, or co-wrote, all but one episode before it was cancelled.

References
  1. "Say How: L". National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  2. "Richard Lagravenese Biography (1959?-)". FilmReference.com. Retrieved 2013-12-12. Born October 30, 1959 (some sources say 1960)...
  3. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KJ6K-VJD
  4. Hornaday, Ann (March 27, 1994). "Film; Still Speaking After Writing 'The Ref'". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-12-12.
  5. "Primetime Emmy Nominees > And the Tisch nominees are..." Tisch School of the Arts. 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-12-15. Retrieved 2013-12-12. Outstanding Writing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special ... Richard LaGravenese ’80 (BFA, Acting)

7. ^Jeremy Kinser (February 13, 2015) ‘The Last Five Years’ Director On His Heartbreaking New Musical And Working On ‘Gypsy’ With Barbra Streisand'

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