Nicholas Meyer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nicholas Meyer
Meyer in 2025
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
Children	2, including Dylan Meyer
Relatives	Kristen Stewart (daughter-in-law)

Nicholas Meyer (born December 24, 1945) is an American writer, director, and author. He is famous for his popular novel The Seven-Per-Cent Solution. He also directed well-known films like Time After Time and two Star Trek movies. Another important film he directed was the 1983 TV movie The Day After.

Meyer was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Seven-Per-Cent Solution in 1976. He has also received nominations for a Satellite Award and three Emmy Awards. He has won four Saturn Awards for his work.

Early Life and Education

Nicholas Meyer was born in New York City on December 24, 1945. His father, Bernard Constant Meyer, was a psychiatrist. His mother, Elly Kassman, was a concert pianist. He grew up with three sisters.

Meyer went to the University of Iowa. He studied theater and filmmaking there. While in college, he also wrote movie reviews for the school newspaper.

Nicholas Meyer's Career

Nicholas Meyer has had a long and successful career. He is known for writing books and for directing and writing movies and TV shows.

Becoming a Famous Author

Meyer first became well-known for his 1974 Sherlock Holmes novel, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution. This story shows Holmes dealing with personal struggles with the help of Sigmund Freud.

He wrote four more Sherlock Holmes novels after that:

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

Meyer shared that The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols was inspired by a book called Pogrom: Kishinev and the Tilt of History by Steven Zipperstein.

Writing and Directing Films

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

He then became interested in a novel called Time After Time by his college friend Karl Alexander. Meyer bought the rights to the book and wrote the screenplay. He insisted on directing the movie himself. This film, Time After Time (1979), was his first time directing. It was a big success with both critics and audiences.

Meyer was later hired to direct Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. He also directed the 1983 television film The Day After. This movie showed what might happen after a nuclear attack. For his work on The Day After, Meyer was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Director.

He directed the 1985 comedy Volunteers, starring Tom Hanks. He then returned to the Star Trek universe. He helped write the screenplay for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986).

In 1986, Meyer also helped write the screenplay for the movie Fatal Attraction. He suggested a new ending for the film. His next directing job was the 1988 drama The Deceivers. He also wrote and directed the 1991 spy comedy Company Business. In 1991, he directed Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. This was the last film to feature the original Star Trek cast.

Meyer adapted the novel The Human Stain into a 2003 film. In 2006, he worked with Martin Scorsese to write a screenplay about Theodore Roosevelt's early life.

In 2014, Meyer's script for the miniseries Houdini aired on the History Channel. It starred Adrien Brody. The series was nominated for seven Emmys. In 2016, he helped create the Italian-British TV series Medici: Masters of Florence.

His Work on Star Trek

Nicholas Meyer is often given credit for helping to make the Star Trek movies popular again. The first Star Trek movie had some problems, and the studio wanted to improve the series.

Meyer was hired to direct Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. He had never seen the first Star Trek movie. He quickly helped rewrite the script, making it much better in just twelve days. He even started working before his contract was finalized. He is not officially credited as a writer on the final film.

Meyer changed the style of the film, making it feel more like a naval adventure. The Wrath of Khan was a big success. Many fans still consider it one of the best Star Trek films.

Even though he didn't want to work on another Star Trek project, Meyer co-wrote the screenplay for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. He wrote the part of the story that takes place in 1986 San Francisco. This film was also very successful.

Meyer worked on the Star Trek series again for the sixth film, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991). He helped create the story and co-wrote the screenplay. He also directed the movie. This film was the last one to feature the entire original Star Trek cast. It was another financial success.

In 2016, Meyer joined the writing team for the new TV series Star Trek: Discovery. However, he did not return for the second season. In 2020, Meyer proposed a new Star Trek film project. This project would tell a new story with new characters, set in a different part of the Star Trek timeline.

Personal Life

Nicholas Meyer was married to Lauren Taylor Meyer. They have two daughters, Rachel (born 1986) and Madeleine (born 1990). His daughter Rachel, now known as Dylan Meyer, married actress and filmmaker Kristen Stewart in 2025.

In 2023, Nicholas Meyer received the Future of Life Award. He won this award for helping to reduce the risk of nuclear war through his powerful storytelling.

Filmography

Movies Nicholas Meyer Worked On

Producer

• Collateral Damage (2002)

Television Shows Nicholas Meyer Worked On

Miniseries

TV Movies

Awards and Nominations

Nicholas Meyer has received many awards and nominations for his work.

See also

In Spanish: Nicholas Meyer para niños