Nicholas Meyer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nicholas Meyer
Meyer in 2016
Born	(1945-12-24) December 24, 1945 (age 79) New York City, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Iowa
Occupation	Screenwriter film producer film director novelist

Nicholas Meyer (born December 24, 1945) is an American writer, director, and producer. He is famous for his exciting novels and for directing popular movies. Some of his best-known works include the novel The Seven-Per-Cent Solution and the films Time After Time. He also directed two Star Trek movies and the important TV film The Day After.

Nicholas Meyer has been nominated for many awards. These include an Academy Award for writing the movie version of his novel The Seven-Per-Cent Solution. He has also won four Saturn Awards, which celebrate science fiction, fantasy, and horror films.

Early Life and Education

Nicholas Meyer was born in New York City, New York. His father was a psychiatrist, and his mother was a concert pianist. He grew up with three sisters.

Meyer went to the University of Iowa. He studied theater and filmmaking there. He also wrote movie reviews for his college newspaper.

Nicholas Meyer's Career

Nicholas Meyer has had a very busy career. He has worked as an author, a screenwriter, and a director.

As an Author

Nicholas Meyer became famous for his novels about the detective Sherlock Holmes. His best-selling book, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, came out in 1974. In this story, Sherlock Holmes meets Sigmund Freud, a famous doctor.

He wrote four more Holmes novels:

• The West End Horror (1976)
• The Canary Trainer (1993)
• The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols (2019)
• The Return of the Pharaoh (2021)

Writer and Director Roles

Meyer wrote the screenplay for the 1976 film The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, based on his own book. This earned him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay nomination.

His first movie as a director was Time After Time (1979). He also wrote the script for this film. It starred Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen. The movie was a big hit with critics and audiences.

In 1983, Meyer directed the TV film The Day After. This movie showed what might happen after a nuclear attack. It starred Jason Robards and John Lithgow. The film was very powerful and was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Director.

He also directed the 1985 comedy Volunteers, starring Tom Hanks. Later, he helped write the script for the popular thriller Fatal Attraction (1987).

Meyer directed The Deceivers (1988) and the spy comedy Company Business (1991). He also wrote the screenplay for The Human Stain (2003).

In 2014, Meyer wrote the script for the miniseries Houdini, starring Adrien Brody. This series was nominated for seven Emmys. In 2016, he helped create the TV series Medici: Masters of Florence.

Working on Star Trek

Nicholas Meyer is known for helping to make the Star Trek movies popular again. The first Star Trek film had some problems, and Paramount Pictures thought about ending the series. But it also made a lot of money, so they wanted a sequel.

Meyer was hired to direct Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). He had never seen the first Star Trek movie! He quickly helped rewrite the script. He made the film feel more like a naval adventure. The Wrath of Khan was a huge success and is often called one of the best Star Trek movies.

Even though he said he wouldn't work on another Star Trek project, Meyer co-wrote the script for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986). This movie was also very successful. It was popular with both Star Trek fans and general moviegoers.

Meyer returned to Star Trek one more time to co-write and direct Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991). This was the last film to feature the original Star Trek cast. It was another financial success.

In 2016, Meyer joined the writing team for the TV series Star Trek: Discovery. He later shared that he was not asked back for the second season.

Personal Life

Nicholas Meyer was married to Lauren Taylor Meyer. They have two daughters, Rachel and Madeleine. His daughter Rachel, known as Dylan Meyer, is a screenwriter. She is engaged to actress Kristen Stewart.

In 2023, Nicholas Meyer won the Future of Life Award. He received this award for helping to reduce the risk of nuclear war through his storytelling, especially with films like The Day After.

Filmography

Film

Producer

• Collateral Damage (2002)

Television

Miniseries

TV movies

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Nicholas Meyer para niños