James Toback
Birth Name:
James Toback
Birth Place:
New York City, New York, United States
Profession
Writer, Director, Actor, Producer, Script department
Fast Facts
- He, Michael Wadleigh and Marius Müller-Westernhagen won the German Independence Honorary Award in 2008 at the Oldenburg Film Festival
- Won a Regard Knockout Award at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival for his documentary "Tyson․"
- Recipient of numerous awards for his work on "Bugsy" including a Los Angeles Film Critics' Award, among others
- Graduated magna cum laude from Harvard in 1966
- Worked as a professor at the City College of New York before making his film industry debut
- Though he asked former heavyweight-champion boxer Mike Tyson interview-style questions during the filming of the documentary "Tyson," he edited out his own presence in the final version of the film
- A lifelong gambler, he gained widespread prominence with his screenplay for 1974's "The Gambler", which he wrote based on his own gambling addiction
- Became good friends with NFL legend Jim Brown while researching his book about the star, titled 'Jim: The Author's Self-Centered Memoir of the Great Jim Brown'
- Served as the subject for the 2006 documentary, "The Outsider"
- In his teens, he often appeared on "Alan Freed's Rock 'n' Roll" as a dancer
Awards
- 1990Critics AwardNominated
- 1991LAFCA Award - Best Screenplay:Winner
- 1992Oscar - Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen:Nominated
- 1992CFCA Award - Best Screenplay:Nominated
- 1992Golden Globe - Best Screenplay - Motion Picture:Nominated
- 1992NSFC Award - Best Screenplay:Nominated
- 1992WGA Award (Screen) - Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen:Nominated
- 2008Regard Knockout AwardWinner
- 2008Un Certain Regard AwardNominated
- 2009Gotham Independent Film Award - Best Documentary:Nominated
- 2010Black Reel - Best Documentary:Nominated
- 2010Cinema Eye Audience Choice PrizeNominated