Tony McNamara (writer)

McNamara was born in Kilmore and was educated at Assumption College Kilmore. Following careers in catering and finance, McNamara settled on a career as a writer following a visit to Rome.[2] His education consisted of studying writing at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and screenwriting at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.[3]

After writing various television episodes and stage plays,[4] McNamara made his film debut in 2003 directing The Rage in Placid Lake, adapted from his stage play The Café Latte Kid.[5]

Following this, McNamara wrote for various television programmes in Australia, most notably The Secret Life of Us, Love My Way, Tangle and Puberty Blues.[3] In 2015, McNamara directed his second feature film, comedy-drama Ashby starring Mickey Rourke, Sarah Silverman and Emma Roberts.[6]

A year later, McNamara returned to television as creator of medical drama Doctor Doctor.[7]

In 2018, McNamara received critical acclaim for his work in co-writing the historical period comedy-drama film The Favourite.[8]

McNamara created The Great, a series revolving around the life of Catherine the Great, starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult which premiered on Hulu on May 15, 2020.[9] It is based upon his play revolving around Catherine the Great, which premiered at the Sydney Theater Company in 2008.[10] McNamara also wrote a film adaptation of the play, "It had been a play and a film, and I was always struggling [with] the fact it was such a massive story for a film. I wanted to tell it as a story that goes for years and years."[11][12]

McNamara is married to Australian actress Belinda Bromilow.[13]

• Tony McNamara at IMDb