Richard Hack facts for kids

Richard Hack (born March 20, 1951) is an American writer. He is well-known for writing books about people's lives, called biographies, and for creating movie scripts. He often appears as a guest on TV talk shows. He also shares his opinions about fairness in TV news.

Early Life and Education

Richard Hack was born on March 20, 1951, in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. He grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia. He went to Lynnewood School and then Haverford High School. Later, he studied at Pennsylvania State University. He earned a master's degree in Environmental Design.

Career in Media

Working in Hollywood

After finishing his studies, Hack moved to Los Angeles. There, he started working for TV Guide magazine. He was the West Coast national programming editor. This meant he helped manage the TV listings for the western part of the country.

In the early 1980s, Hack began writing a column called "TeleVisions." This column appeared in The Hollywood Reporter, which is a daily newspaper about entertainment. For the next ten years, Hack often appeared on TV shows like The Tonight Show and Today. He would report on news from Hollywood.

TV Appearances

During this time, Richard Hack was a frequent guest on many popular talk shows. These included Oprah Winfrey, Good Morning America, Larry King Live, and Charlie Rose. He also appeared on Tomorrow, Entertainment Tonight, and Access Hollywood.

Moving to Production

In 1990, Hack left The Hollywood Reporter. He became the Vice President of Creative Affairs at Dove Audio and Entertainment. This company made miniseries and audiobooks. While at Dove, Hack helped turn some of Sidney Sheldon’s novels into miniseries. These included The Sands of Time, Memories of Midnight, and The Stars Shine Down. He also produced these miniseries. During this time, he wrote his first book, Next to Hughes, with Robert Maheu.

After leaving Dove, Hack moved to a horse ranch in Maui. He kept polo ponies there. He also set up a home in Florida.

Notable Books

Hughes: The Private Diaries, Memos and Letters

Richard Hack's bestseller, Hughes: The Private Diaries, Memos and Letters, was released on September 11, 2001. This book was about the billionaire Howard Hughes. On the day the book was released, Hack was being interviewed live on the Today show by Matt Lauer. During their interview, the first plane crashed into the World Trade Center. Matt Lauer had to stop their interview to report on the breaking news. The sudden end of their interview and the early reports from the Today show are now part of an exhibit. You can see it at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City.

PuppetMaster: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover

Another important book by Hack is PuppetMaster: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover. This book was used as the basis for the 2011 movie J. Edgar. The famous director Clint Eastwood directed this film.

Published Works

Richard Hack has written many books. Here are some of them:

• 1991: Scanners II: The New Order (written as Professor Janus Kimball)
• 1993: Next to Hughes (with Robert Maheu)
• 1994: Richard Hack’s Home Video Companion for Parents
• 1994: Unfinished Lives
• 1995: LoveMates: An Astrological Guide to Romance
• 1995: The Dinosaur Who Wouldn't Brush His Teeth (written as Dr. Dandelion)
• 1995: Jackson Family Values (with Margaret Maldanado Jackson)
• 1995: Memories of Madison County (with Jana St. James)
• 1996: Waffle the Bear's Amazing Adventure (written as Dr. Dandelion)
• 1996: Your Life: An Owner’s Manual
• 1997: When Money Is King
• 1998: Open House
• 2000: Madness in the Morning: Life and Death in TV's Early Morning Ratings War
• 2001: Hughes: The Private Diaries, Memos and Letters
• 2002: Clash of the Titans: How the Unbridled Ambition of Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch Has Created Global Empires That Control What We Read and Watch
• 2004: PuppetMaster: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover
• 2009: Duchess of Death: The Unauthorized Biography of Agatha Christie
• 2013: "Baby Boomers' Guide to the Fountain of Youth"
• 2017: "The Lion & the Bluebird: The Peter Bistrian Story"

The Aviator Film Connection

Some people mistakenly believe that Richard Hack's book Hughes was the main source for Martin Scorsese's 2004 film, The Aviator. This movie was also about Howard Hughes.

However, two different movies about Howard Hughes were being planned at the same time. One of these films was going to be directed by Christopher Nolan. It was set to star Jim Carrey and be funded by Castle Rock Entertainment. The script for this film was going to be based on Hack's biography. This movie was never made. Even so, Leonardo DiCaprio, who starred in The Aviator, has mentioned Hack's biography in interviews about the film.