Naomi Foner
Birth Name:
Naomi Achs
Birth Place:
New York City, New York, United States
Profession
Writer, Producer, Director, Actress, Script department
Fast Facts
- Won a PEN Center USA West Literary Award for Best Screenplay for "Running on Empty" in 1989
- Won the Susan B․ Anthony "Failure is Impossible" Award at the High Falls Film Festival in 2005
- Graduated from Barnard College with a degree in English and earned her Master's in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University
- Is the mother of actor Jake Gyllenhaal and actress Maggie Gyllenhaal
- Started out as a content producer for "Sesame Street," for which she created animated short films
- Quote: "I have always been interested in film․․․as a way to introduce people to things they would otherwise never experience․ To open the world to them․ To open their hearts and hope that they'll think about what they've seen․"
- Quote: "When I'm doing my best writing, I feel like I've done all the work in advance; I learn the things I need to learn, or see into things I need to see․ You need to know who your people are down to the last detail․"
- Best known as the producer of "The Electric Company" and as the writer and producer of "Running on Empty," "Losing Isaiah," and "A Dangerous Woman․"
Awards
- 1989Oscar - Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen:Nominated
- 1989Golden Globe - Best Screenplay - Motion Picture:Winner
- 1989Literary Award - Screenplay:Winner