David Mamet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Mamet
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Mamet in 2008
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Born | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
November 30, 1947
Occupation |
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Education | Goddard College (BA) |
Period | 1970–present |
Notable works | The Duck Variations (1971) Glengarry Glen Ross (1983) |
Spouse |
Lindsay Crouse
(m. 1977; div. 1990)Rebecca Pidgeon
(m. 1991) |
Children | 4, including Zosia Mamet and Clara Mamet |
Signature | |
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David Alan Mamet (born November 30, 1947) is an American writer, filmmaker, and playwright. He is famous for writing plays and movies.
He won a Pulitzer Prize for his play Glengarry Glen Ross. He was also nominated for Tony Awards for Glengarry Glen Ross and Speed-the-Plow. Some of his first well-known plays were The Duck Variations and American Buffalo.
David Mamet has also written and directed many movies. These include House of Games, Homicide, and The Spanish Prisoner. His movie Heist was very popular. He also wrote screenplays for other famous films like The Untouchables and Wag the Dog. He created the TV show The Unit.
Mamet has written many books too. These include books about filmmaking, novels, and essays.
Contents
Early Life and School
David Mamet was born in 1947 in Chicago. His mother, Lenore June, was a teacher. His father, Bernard Morris Mamet, was a lawyer. His family was Jewish. His grandparents came from Poland.
When he was young, Mamet worked many different jobs. He was a busboy, an actor, and even a taxi driver. He went to the Francis W. Parker School and Goddard College. He also said the Chicago Public Library was very important for his education.
Later, Mamet met a theater director named Robert Sickinger. This meeting started his long career in theater.
His Career
Theater Work
David Mamet helped start the Atlantic Theater Company. He became well-known in 1976 for his plays The Duck Variations and American Buffalo.
In 1984, he won the Pulitzer Prize for his play Glengarry Glen Ross. This play was brought back to Broadway in 2005. His play Race opened on Broadway in 2009. It starred actors like James Spader and Kerry Washington.
In 2002, Mamet was honored in the American Theater Hall of Fame. He also received a special award for being a "Grand Master of American Theater" in 2010.
In 2017, Mamet offered an online class for writers. It was called David Mamet teaches dramatic writing. In 2019, his new play Bitter Wheat opened in London. It starred John Malkovich. A new play called Henry Johnson is expected to open in Los Angeles.
Film Work
Mamet started his film career by writing screenplays. Later, he began to direct his own scripts.
His first movie script was for The Postman Always Rings Twice in 1981. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his script for The Verdict in 1982. He also wrote The Untouchables and Wag the Dog. He got another Academy Award nomination for Wag the Dog.
In 1987, Mamet directed his first movie, House of Games. This film won awards for its script. It starred his wife at the time, Lindsay Crouse. Mamet often worked with the same actors and friends. He said he wanted their support for his first directing job.
After House of Games, he directed more films about con artists. These include The Spanish Prisoner (1997) and Heist (2001). Heist was his most successful movie.
Other films he wrote and directed are Things Change (1988) and Homicide (1991). He also directed Oleanna (1994) and State and Main (2000).
When Mamet turned his play Glengarry Glen Ross into a movie in 1992, he added a new part for actor Alec Baldwin.
Mamet likes to tell stories visually in his films. He believes movies should show things rather than just tell them. He tries to use less talking and more action to move the story forward.
In 2023, it was reported that Mamet would direct a new film called Assassination. It is about the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Famous actors like Viggo Mortensen and Al Pacino are expected to star in it. Later, Barry Levinson took over as director, but Mamet remained the writer.
In 2024, Mamet said he is writing a film inspired by the life of Hunter Biden. The movie is called The Prince.
Books He Wrote
Mamet has written many books. In 1986, he published a collection of essays called Writing in Restaurants. He also wrote a poetry book, The Hero Pony.
He has written four novels: The Village (1994), The Old Religion (1997), Wilson: A Consideration of the Sources (2000), and Chicago (2018). He also wrote non-fiction books and stories for children.
In 2011, Mamet wrote The Secret Knowledge: On the Dismantling of American Culture. This book shares his thoughts on culture and politics. In 2023, he wrote Everywhere an Oink Oink. This book tells about his experiences working in Hollywood for 40 years.
TV and Radio Work
Mamet wrote an episode for the TV show Hill Street Blues in 1987. His wife at the time, Lindsay Crouse, was in that episode.
He also created and produced the TV series The Unit. He often wrote episodes for this show. He even directed two TV commercials for Ford Motor Company. His sister, Lynn Mamet, is also a TV writer and producer.
Mamet has also created several plays for BBC Radio. These include an adaptation of Glengarry Glen Ross.
His Personal Life
David Mamet was married to actress Lindsay Crouse from 1977 to 1990. They have two children together. Since 1991, he has been married to actress and singer Rebecca Pidgeon. They also have two children. Mamet and Pidgeon live in Santa Monica, California.
Mamet is a Reform Jew and supports Israel.
Works
Plays (selected)
- Lakeboat (1970)
- The Duck Variations (1972)
- American Buffalo (1975)
- A Life in the Theatre (1977)
- The Woods (1977)
- Edmond (1982)
- Glengarry Glen Ross (1983)
- Speed-the-Plow (1988)
- Oleanna (1992)
- The Cryptogram (1994)
- Boston Marriage (1999)
- Faustus (2004)
- Romance (2005)
- November (2007)
- Race (2009)
- The Anarchist (2012)
- China Doll (2015)
- The Penitent (2017)
- Bitter Wheat (2019)
- Henry Johnson (2023)
Movies
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1981 | The Postman Always Rings Twice | No | Yes | |
1982 | The Verdict | No | Yes | |
1987 | The Untouchables | No | Yes | |
House of Games | Yes | Yes | ||
1988 | Things Change | Yes | Yes | |
1991 | Homicide | Yes | Yes | |
1992 | Glengarry Glen Ross | No | Yes | Also based on his play |
Hoffa | No | Yes | ||
1994 | Oleanna | Yes | Yes | Also based on his play |
1996 | American Buffalo | No | Yes | |
1997 | The Spanish Prisoner | Yes | Yes | |
The Edge | No | Yes | ||
Wag the Dog | No | Yes | ||
1998 | Ronin | No | Yes | Credited as "Richard Weisz" |
1999 | The Winslow Boy | Yes | Yes | |
2000 | Lakeboat | No | Yes | Also based on his play |
State and Main | Yes | Yes | ||
2001 | Hannibal | No | Yes | |
Heist | Yes | Yes | ||
2004 | Spartan | Yes | Yes | |
2005 | Edmond | No | Yes | Also based on his play |
2008 | Redbelt | Yes | Yes | |
2023 | The Penitent | No | Yes | Also based on his play |
TBA | The Prince | No | Yes | Filming |
Short films (selected)
Year | Title | Director | Writer |
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2000 | Catastrophe | Yes | No |
2010 | Inside the Actor's Workshop | Yes | Yes |
The Marquee | Yes | Yes | |
Our Valley | Yes | Yes | |
Two Painters | Yes | Yes |
Television
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Executive Producer |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1987 | Hill Street Blues | No | Yes | No | TV Series Episode "A Wasted Weekend" |
1992 | The Water Engine | No | Yes | No | TV Movie Also based on his play |
1993 | A Life in the Theatre | No | Yes | Yes | |
1994 | Texan | No | Yes | No | TV Movie |
1996 | Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants | Yes | No | No | TV Special |
1999 | Lansky | No | Yes | Yes | TV Movie |
2004 | The Shield | Yes | No | No | TV Series Episode "Strays" |
2006-2009 | The Unit | Yes | Yes | Yes | TV Series; also creator Directed 4 episodes and wrote 11 episodes |
2013 | Phil Spector | Yes | Yes | Yes | TV Movie |
Acting roles
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1987 | Black Widow | Herb | Theatrical feature film |
1992 | The Water Engine | Brown Haired Man | TV Movie |
1996 | Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist | Himself (voice) | TV animated series Episode: "New Telephone System" |
2011 | The Simpsons | TV animated series Episode: "Homer the Father" |
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2023 | Beau is Afraid | Rabbi (voice) | Theatrical feature film |
Awards and Nominations
Association | Year | Category | Project | Result | Ref. |
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Theater Awards | |||||
Drama Desk Awards | 1977 | Outstanding Play | American Buffalo | Nominated | |
1978 | The Water Engine | Nominated | |||
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Edmond | Nominated | |||
1984 | Glengarry Glen Ross | Nominated | |||
1988 | Speed-the-Plow | Nominated | |||
1993 | Oleanna | Nominated | |||
1995 | The Cryptogram | Nominated | |||
New York Drama Critics' Circle | 1977 | Best American Play | American Buffalo | Won | |
1984 | Glengarry Glen Ross | Won | |||
Pulitzer Prize | 1984 | Drama | Glengarry Glen Ross | Won | |
1995 | The Cryptogram | Nominated | |||
Tony Awards | 1984 | Best Play | Glengarry Glen Ross | Nominated | |
1988 | Speed-the-Plow | Nominated | |||
Film and Television Awards | |||||
Academy Awards | 1982 | Best Adapted Screenplay | The Verdict | Nominated | |
1997 | Wag the Dog | Nominated | |||
British Academy Film Awards | 1998 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Wag the Dog | Nominated | |
Golden Globe Awards | 1983 | Best Screenplay | The Verdict | Nominated | |
1987 | House of Games | Nominated | |||
1997 | Wag the Dog | Nominated | |||
Primetime Emmy Awards | 2013 | Outstanding Miniseries or Movie | Phil Spector | Nominated | |
Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series or Movie | Nominated | ||||
Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series or Movie | Nominated |
See also
In Spanish: David Mamet para niños