Frank Rich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frank Rich
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Rich in 2004
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| Born | Frank Hart Rich Jr. June 2, 1949 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
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| Alma mater | Harvard University (BA) |
| Period | 1971–present |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
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Frank Hart Rich Jr. (born June 2, 1949) is an American writer and columnist who shares his opinions on politics and culture. He worked for The New York Times for many years and is now a writer for New York magazine. He has also helped create popular television shows and documentaries for HBO.
Rich is known for his work as an executive producer on the hit HBO comedy series Veep and the drama series Succession. He has been involved with both shows since they began.
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Early Life and Schooling
Frank Rich was born and grew up in Washington, D.C. His mother was a teacher and artist, and his father was a businessman. He went to public schools and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School (now Jackson-Reed High School) in 1967.
After high school, Rich went to Harvard College. At Harvard, he was a top student and the main editor of the student newspaper, The Harvard Crimson. He graduated with high honors (magna cum laude) in 1971 with a degree in American history and literature.
Career Journey
Writing About Movies and Theater
Before joining The New York Times, Rich worked as a critic for several magazines. He reviewed movies and television shows for Time magazine and The New York Post.
In 1980, Rich became the chief theater critic for The New York Times. He was so influential that he earned the nickname "the Butcher of Broadway." This was because his negative reviews were sometimes powerful enough to cause a show to close. He held this job until 1993.
Rich first got noticed for an essay he wrote as a college student about the musical Follies by Stephen Sondheim. Sondheim was so impressed with Rich's understanding of the show that he invited the young writer to lunch to talk more about it.
Writing About Politics and Media
From 1994 to 2011, Rich wrote a regular opinion column, called an op-ed, for The New York Times. In his columns, he often wrote about how news, television, and movies connect to American politics. He continues to write about these topics for New York magazine.
Rich's writing has sometimes caused debate. He has shared strong opinions on political events and movies. For example, he was a critic of the George W. Bush administration after the September 11, 2001 attacks. In his 2006 book, The Greatest Story Ever Sold, he wrote about how he believed the government and media were not always truthful with the American people.
He also wrote about the Tea Party movement, a political group that started in 2009. He expressed concern that some of the anger in the movement was dangerous and compared some of its actions to dark moments in history.
Work in Television
Since 2008, Rich has worked as a creative consultant for HBO. This means he helps come up with ideas for new shows.
He was an executive producer for two very successful HBO shows:
- Veep - A comedy series starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus about a fictional Vice President of the United States.
- Succession - A drama series about a powerful family that owns a media company.
Rich also helped produce HBO documentaries, including Six by Sondheim (2013), about the famous musical theater composer, and Becoming Mike Nichols (2016).
Awards and Honors
Frank Rich has received many awards for his work in journalism and television.
- Journalism Awards: He won the George Polk Award for his commentary in 2005. In 2016, he received the Mirror Award for Best Commentary from Syracuse University.
- Television Awards: He has won several Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe award as a producer for Veep and Succession. He has also won three Peabody Awards for his television work.
- Other Honors: In 2015, he was added to the Theater Hall of Fame for his important work as a theater critic.
Personal Life
Frank Rich lives in Manhattan, New York City, with his wife, Alex Witchel, who is also a writer. They married in 1991.
Rich has two sons from a previous marriage, and both are successful writers.
- Simon is a writer who created the TV show Man Seeking Woman and wrote for Saturday Night Live.
- Nathaniel is a novelist and journalist.
Memoir
In 2000, Frank Rich published a memoir called Ghost Light. The book is about his childhood in Washington, D.C., during the 1950s and 1960s. It focuses on his love for the theater from a young age and how it shaped his life.
