David Mamet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David Mamet
Mamet in 2008
Born	(1947-11-30) November 30, 1947 (age 77) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation	Author playwright screenwriter film director
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

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.

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)

Movies

Short films (selected)

Television

Acting roles

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: David Mamet para niños