J. Michael Straczynski Biography

Fast Facts

• In 1992, an asteroid discovered at the Kitt Peak National Observatory was named in his honor
• Was awarded the 1996 and 1997 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation for his work on "Babylon 5․"
• Got his big break in writing after publishing an adaptation of "Snow White" with Performance Publishing
• In college, he got his start writing articles for his school's student-run newspaper
• Quote: "(On casting "Babylon 5") "I would just sit in the room until the character walked in the door․ I always have a very strong image in my head of what the character is, and I just wait until someone walks in with that character․""
• Quote: "Writing is all about creating your own unique voice and point of view․"
• Earned degrees in psychology and sociology at San Diego State University
• Used over 6,000 different sources for his screenplay for "Changeling․"
• Was so nervous to pitch "Babylon 5" to studio executives that he cracked a molar while grinding his teeth during his preparations
• His college newspaper was jokingly referred to as the "Daily Joe" because of the immense number of articles he wrote for the paper