Eric Roth

Eric R. Roth (born March 22, 1945) is an American screenwriter. He has been nominated six times for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay — for Forrest Gump (1994), The Insider (1999), Munich (2005), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), A Star Is Born (2018), and Dune (2021) — winning for Forrest Gump; he also earned a Best Picture nomination for producing Mank (2020). He also worked on the screenplays for the Oscar-nominated films Ali (2001) and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011), as well as Martin Scorsese's epic Western crime drama Killers of the Flower Moon (2023).

Eric Roth
Born (1945-03-22) March 22, 1945 (age 79)
New York City, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of California, Santa Barbara
UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television
OccupationScreenwriter
Years active1970–present
Notable workForrest Gump
Munich
The Good Shepherd
The Insider
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Dune
Killers of the Flower Moon
SpouseAnne L. Peters[1]
Children5, including Vanessa
AwardsOscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Forrest Gump (1994)
Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement (2012)

Early life and education

Roth was born in New York City, New York, into a Jewish family, the son of Miriam "Mimi", a teacher, studio executive, and radio writer, and Leon Roth, a university teacher and film producer.[2][3] He grew up in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn in New York.[4] He grew up boxing and would credit some of his later successes to habits learned from the sport.[4]

Roth went to college at the University of California, Santa Barbara and graduated in 1966.[5] He later attended UCLA Film School as part of the class of 1973.

Career

Roth won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Forrest Gump. He is known for writing his scripts in a DOS program without Internet access, as well as distributing the scripts only in hard copy formats.[3][6][7] He followed his Academy Award win by co-writing screenplays for several Oscar-nominated films, including The Insider, Munich, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and A Star Is Born. While writing The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, he lost both of his parents, and as a result views the film as "my most personal movie."[4][8][9]

Personal life

Roth lives in Santa Monica, California.[10] He has five children, including documentary filmmaker Vanessa Roth, and filmmakers Geoffrey Roth and Alec Roth; and six grandchildren.

Roth was one of the investors defrauded by Bernard Madoff in a Ponzi Scheme via Stanley Chais.[11][12] He stated that his losses were heavy and he has lost his retirement money, although the full extent is unknown. As a result of the fraud and the associated losses, Roth sued the estate of Chais, who died on September 26, 2010.

Filmography

Film

As writer

YearTitleDirectorNotes
1970To Catch a PebbleJames F. Collier
1974The Nickel RideRobert Mulligan
1975The Drowning PoolStuart RosenbergUncredited
1979The Onion FieldHarold Becker
The Concorde ... Airport '79David Lowell Rich
1981WolfenMichael WadleighUncredited
1987SuspectPeter Yates
1988Memories of MeHenry Winklerwith Billy Crystal
1993Mr. JonesMike Figgiswith Michael Cristofer
1994Forrest GumpRobert Zemeckis
1997The PostmanKevin Costnerwith Brian Helgeland
1998The Horse WhispererRobert Redfordwith Richard LaGravenese
1999The InsiderMichael Mannwith Mann
2001Aliwith Mann, Stephen J. Rivele and Christopher Wilkinson
2005MunichSteven Spielbergwith Tony Kushner
2006The Good ShepherdRobert De Niro
2007Lucky YouCurtis Hansonwith Hanson
2008The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonDavid Fincher
2011Extremely Loud & Incredibly CloseStephen Daldry
2015EllisJRShort film
2018A Star Is BornBradley Cooperwith Cooper and Will Fetters
2021DuneDenis Villeneuvewith Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts
2023Killers of the Flower MoonMartin Scorsesewith Scorsese
2024HereRobert Zemeckiswith Zemeckis

As producer

YearTitleDirector
2020MankDavid Fincher

Television

YearTitleWriterExecutive
Producer
Notes
1972The Strangers in 7AYesNoTV movie
1992The HeightsYesNoCo-creator
1994Jane's HouseYesNoTV movie
2011–2012LuckYesYes
2013–2017House of CardsNoYes
2016–2018Berlin StationNoYes
2018The AlienistNoYes
2020The Alienist: Angel of DarknessNoYes
TBABeforeNoYesUpcoming series

Accolades

Academy Awards

YearNominated workCategoryResult
1995Forrest GumpBest Adapted ScreenplayWon
2000The InsiderNominated
2006MunichNominated
2009The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonNominated
2019A Star Is BornNominated
2021MankBest PictureNominated
2022DuneBest Adapted ScreenplayNominated

British Academy Film Awards

YearNominated workCategoryResult
1995Forrest GumpBest Adapted ScreenplayNominated
2008The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonNominated
2018A Star Is BornNominated
2021DuneNominated

Critics' Choice Movie Awards

YearNominated workCategoryResult
2009The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonBest WriterNominated
2012Extremely Loud & Incredibly CloseBest Adapted ScreenplayNominated
2019A Star Is BornNominated
2022DuneNominated
2024Killers of the Flower MoonNominated

Golden Globe Awards

YearNominated workCategoryResult
1995Forrest GumpBest Screenplay - Motion PictureNominated
2000The InsiderNominated
2006MunichNominated
2009The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonNominated
2024Killers of the Flower MoonNominated

Primetime Emmy Awards

YearNominated workCategoryResult
2013House of CardsOutstanding Drama SeriesNominated
2014Nominated
2015Nominated
2016Nominated
2017Nominated
2018The AlienistOutstanding Limited SeriesNominated

Producers Guild of America Award

YearNominated workCategoryResult
2014House of CardsBest Episodic DramaNominated
2015Nominated
2016Nominated
2017Nominated

Satellite Awards

YearNominated workCategoryResult
2008The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonBest Screenplay - AdaptedNominated
2019A Star Is BornNominated
2022DuneNominated
2024Killers of the Flower MoonNominated

Writers Guild of America Awards

YearNominated workCategoryResult
1995Forrest GumpBest Adapted ScreenplayWon
2000The InsiderBest Adapted ScreenplayNominated
Paul Selvin AwardWon
2009The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonBest Adapted ScreenplayNominated
2012Laurel Award for Screenwriting AchievementWon
2019A Star Is BornBest Adapted ScreenplayNominated
2022DuneBest Adapted ScreenplayNominated
2024Killers of the Flower MoonBest Adapted ScreenplayNominated

References

External links