Bill Condon

Infobox actor


imagesize = 150px
name = Bill Condon
birthdate = birth date and age|1955|10|22
birthplace = New York City, New York
academyawards = Best Adapted Screenplay
1998 "Gods and Monsters"
goldenglobeawards = Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
2006 "Dreamgirls"

William "Bill" Condon (born October 22, 1955) is an Academy Award-winning American screenwriter and director.

Biography

Personal life

Condon was born in New York City, the son of a detective, [ [http://www.filmreference.com/film/12/Bill-Condon.html Bill Condon Biography (1956?-) ] ] and was raised in an Irish Catholic family. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_2004_Nov_23/ai_n8700527 Bill & Al's excellent adventure: out Oscar winner Bill Condon talks about taking on Alfred Kinsey, bisexual icon of the sexual revolution, in a a new film | Advocate, The | Find Articles at BNET.com ] ] [ [http://www.films42.com/chats/bill_condon.asp Jan chats with Bill Condon ] ] He attended Regis High School and Columbia College of Columbia University, where he studied philosophy. Condon is openly gay.cite web |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_2004_Nov_23/ai_n8700527 |title=Bill & Al's excellent adventure |work=The Advocate |date=2004-11-23 |first=Bruce C. |last=Steele |accessdate=2007-08-08]

Career

After earning his Bachelor of Arts degree, Condon began to work as a journalist for film magazines including "American Film" and "Millimeter". He got his start writing low-budget features including "Strange Behavior" (1981) and "Strange Invaders" (1983). His directorial debut was "Sister, Sister" (1987), an eerie Southern Gothic mystery starring Eric Stoltz and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Following this, Condon made a series of made-for-TV thrillers, including "Murder 101" (1991), which starred Pierce Brosnan and earned Condon and co-writer Roy Johansen a 1992 Edgar Award for their screenplay. During this period he also wrote the screenplay for the thriller "F/X2" (1991), which was directed by Aussie director Richard Franklin.

After directing "Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh" (1995), a sequel to Bernard Rose's horror film, Condon came to prominence with his film "Gods and Monsters", which he both wrote and directed. The screenplay was based on a novel written by Christopher Bram. For his efforts, he won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He would also be nominated for the same award for the Oscar-winning 2002 adaptation of the musical "Chicago", which also brought him a second Edgar Award.

He received further accolades in 2004 for writing and directing the film "Kinsey", chronicling the life of the controversial sex researcher Alfred Kinsey. In 2005, he was given the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the GLAAD Media Awards. This award is "presented to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individuals in the media for their outstanding contribution in combating homophobia".cite web |url=http://www.glaad.org/media/release_detail.php?id=3809 |work=GLAAD Meda Awards |title=Liza Minnelli, Bill Condon, Kinsey, Six Feet Under, Univision's Aquí y Ahora Honored at 16th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Presented by Absolut Vodka in Los Angeles |date=2005-05-01 |accessdate=2007-08-08]

In 2005, it was announced that Condon would write the screenplay for, and direct, the film adaptation of "Dreamgirls", the acclaimed Broadway musical loosely based on the career of the musical group The Supremes with Motown Records. It was his second adaptation of a musical. The production was filmed at CBS Studios in Los Angeles, with a cast including Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Beyoncé Knowles, Jennifer Hudson, Anika Noni Rose, and Danny Glover. "Dreamgirls" was released in December 2006, having finished shooting in April. Condon received Directors Guild of America and Broadcast Film Critics Association nominations for Directing but while the film led the nominations count with eight, neither Condon nor the film received nominations in their categories at the Academy Awards.

Condon is a member of the Independent Feature Projects (IFP) in Los Angeles, a non-profit organization which supports independent films, as well as the Independent Writers Steering Committee, which was initiated by the Writers Guild of America (WGA).

Filmography

Director

*"Dreamgirls" (2006)
*"Kinsey" (2004)
*"The Others" - 1 episode, 2000.
*"Gods and Monsters" (1998)
*"" (1995)
*"The Man Who Wouldn't Die" (1994) (TV)
*"Dead in the Water" (1991) (TV)
*"White Lie"' (1991)(TV)
*"Murder 101" (1991) (TV)
*"Sister, Sister" (1987)

Writer

*"Dreamgirls" (2006) (screenplay)
*"Kinsey" (2004) (written by)
*"Shortcut to Happiness" (2003) (screenplay)
*"Chicago" (2002) (screenplay)
*"Gods and Monsters" (1998) (screenplay)
*"F/X2" (1991)
*"Murder 101" (1991) (TV) (written by)
*"Sister, Sister" (1987)
*"Strange Invaders" (1983)
*"Strange Behavior" (1981)

References

External links

*imdb name|0174374|Bill Condon