Edward Burns Biography

Fast Facts

• His first feature film, "The Brothers McMullen," won the Grand Jury Prize at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival on his 27th birthday
• Won Best Director at the Boston Film Festival for "Nice Guy Johnny" in 2010
• Made his first film while working as a production assistant on "Entertainment Tonight․"
• Quote: "I suffer from Irish-Catholic guilt․ Guilt is a good reality check․ It keeps that 'do what makes you happy' thing in check․"
• His frequent collaborators include Max Baker, Dennis Farina, Kerry Bishé, Michael McGlone, and David Krumholtz
• Often writes and directs, acts in and produces his own films
• Wrote, directed, starred in and produced the first feature film to premiere exclusively on iTunes, "Purple Violets․"
• Believes that the industry is changing for small films, and is an advocate for producing low cost films and releasing them on digital platforms
• He was so late finishing the final version of "The Brothers McMullen" that the screening in front of the audience at the Sundance Film Festival was the first time he or any of the cast saw the film
• The budge of his first feature film, which he wrote, directed and starred in, was only $25,000, but it went on to make $10 million at the domestic box office