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Michael Tolkin Biography

Birth Name:Michael L. Tolkin

Birth Place:New York City, New York, United States

Profession Writer, Script department, Producer, Director, Actor

Fast Facts

Won an Edgar for Best Motion Picture for "The Player" at the 1993 Edgar Allen Poe Awards
Graduated from Vermont's Middlebury College in 1974
Began his career as a journalist, writing feature articles for various publications while living in New York City
Many of his screenplays are social satires that take a hard look at the world, but remain compassionate toward the people in it
Sometimes writes screenplays based on his own novels, as in 1992's "The Player," based on his 1988 book by the same name
Believes that a film changes so much from the writing process to the point at which the audience sees and interprets it that by that point, the story is theirs, not his
Sees it as the director's job to cut down on scenes that are too long and dialogue that is too wordy

Awards

1992ACCA-Best Adapted Screenplay: nominated
1992Independent Spirit Award-Best First Feature: nominated
1992Independent Spirit Award-Best Screenplay: nominated
1992NYFCC Award-Best Screenplay: nominated
1993Oscar-Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published: nominated
1993Best Foreign Film Award-: nominated
1993BAFTA Film Award-Best Screenplay - Adapted: winner
1993BAFTA Film Award-Best Film: nominated
1993CFCA Award-Best Screenplay: winner
1993CFCA Award-Best Picture: nominated
1993Edgar-Best Motion Picture: winner
1993Independent Spirit Award-Best Feature: winner
1993Golden Globe-Best Screenplay - Motion Picture: nominated
1993ALFS Award-Screenwriter of the Year: winner
1993NSFC Award-Best Screenplay: nominated
1993Literary Award-Screenplay: winner
1993USC Scripter Award-: nominated
1993WGA Award (Screen)-Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published: winner
1998Stinker Award-Worst Screenplay for a Film Grossing More than $100 Million Using Hollywood Math: nominated
1999Stinker Award-Worst Screenplay for a Film Grossing More than $100 Million Using Hollywood Math: nominated
2002WAFCA Award-Best Original Screenplay: nominated
2013Felix-Best Adapted Screenplay: winner
2019PGA Award-Outstanding Producer of Limited Series Television: nominated
2019Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Limited Series: nominated
2019Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special: nominated
2019Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special: nominated