Tony Kushner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tony Kushner
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Kushner in 2016
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| Born | July 16, 1956 New York City, U.S. |
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| Education | Columbia University (BA) New York University (MFA) |
| Notable awards | Full list |
| Spouse |
Mark Harris
(m. 2008) |
Anthony Robert Kushner (born July 16, 1956) is a well-known American writer. He writes plays, books, and movie scripts. He is famous for his play Angels in America. This play won a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award. It was also made into a popular HBO TV show.
Tony Kushner has worked a lot with director Steven Spielberg on movies. In 2013, he received the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama. He is one of the few writers to be nominated for an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award. These are major awards in entertainment.
His play Angels in America: Millennium Approaches first appeared on Broadway in 1993. The second part, Angels in America: Perestroika, also debuted then. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play for his work. Later, he wrote the script for the 2003 TV show based on Angels in America. For this, he won a Primetime Emmy Award.
In 2003, he wrote the words and story for the musical Caroline, or Change. This musical earned him Tony Award nominations. A new version of Caroline, or Change in 2021 also got him a Grammy Award nomination.
He has worked with director Steven Spielberg on several films. These include Munich (2005), Lincoln (2012), West Side Story (2021), and The Fabelmans (2022). His movie work with Spielberg has earned him four Academy Award nominations.
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Early Life and Education
Tony Kushner was born in Manhattan, New York. His mother was a bassoon player, and his father played the clarinet and conducted music. His family is Jewish, with roots in Russia and Poland. Soon after he was born, his family moved to Lake Charles, Louisiana. He grew up there.
In high school, Kushner was active in debate. In 1974, he moved back to New York for college. He studied at Columbia University and earned a degree in Medieval studies in 1978. He then went to New York University and finished in 1984. During his graduate studies, he directed plays for children in Lake Charles. These plays included his own early works and plays by Shakespeare.
Kushner has received several special degrees from universities. These are called honorary degrees. He received them from places like Columbia College Chicago and Brandeis University.
His Career in Writing
Kushner is best known for his play Angels in America. It is a long play, about seven hours, split into two parts. The play is about the AIDS epidemic in New York during the 1980s. It was later made into an HBO TV show, and Kushner wrote the script.
He has written other plays like Slavs!: Thinking About the Longstanding Problems of Virtue and Happiness and A Bright Room Called Day. He also wrote the story for the musical Caroline, or Change. Kushner has also translated and adapted classic plays. For example, he translated Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children.
In the early 2000s, Kushner started writing for movies. He co-wrote the script for Munich in 2005. This film was directed by Steven Spielberg. A documentary about Kushner, called Wrestling with Angels, came out in 2006.
In 2011, he worked with Spielberg again. He wrote the script for the movie Lincoln. This movie was based on a book about Abraham Lincoln. The script for Lincoln won many awards and nominations.
In 2016, Kushner worked on the script for the movie Fences. This film was directed by Denzel Washington.
Kushner is known for often rewriting his plays. He works on them for many years. For example, Angels in America: Perestroika was changed a lot even after it was first published. His play The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures started as a novel more than ten years before it became a play.
In 2018, it was announced that Kushner was writing a new script for West Side Story. Steven Spielberg directed this movie. It was released in 2021 and received many good reviews and Academy Award nominations.
In 2022, Kushner worked with Spielberg again on The Fabelmans. This movie tells a fictional story inspired by Spielberg's childhood. It was highly praised and won an award at the Toronto Film Festival.
In 2023, Tony Kushner was nominated for a Grammy Award for Caroline, or Change. This made him one of the few writers to be nominated for an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award.
His Views
Tony Kushner has shared his political views. He once said, "At least I never voted Republican." He has also spoken about the Israeli government's actions toward Palestinians. He has also talked about some political changes in Israel. These views have caused some discussion, especially among American Jews.
Kushner has said that his words have sometimes been misunderstood. He told an interviewer, "I want the state of Israel to continue to exist. I've always said that." He added that his views have been "lied about and misrepresented." He hopes that one day, Israel and Palestine might merge, but he knows this is unlikely now.
In 2011, a university board voted to remove Kushner's name from a list of people getting honorary degrees. This was because of his views on Zionism and Israel. Many people, including other award winners, spoke up for Kushner. The university board later changed its decision. Kushner accepted the honorary degree.
In 2024, Kushner signed a letter with other Jewish Americans. This letter spoke against the lobbying efforts of a group called AIPAC in the U.S. government.
Personal Life
Tony Kushner and his partner, Mark Harris, had a commitment ceremony in 2003. They were legally married in 2008 in Massachusetts.
Mark Harris is an editor and author. He has written books about Hollywood and famous people.
Kushner is also good friends with theater director Michael Mayer. They met when they were studying at New York University.
Awards and Honors
Tony Kushner has won many awards. These include two Tony Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award. He has also been nominated for four Academy Awards and a Grammy Award.
Some of his other honors include:
- 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Angels in America: Millennium Approaches
- 2002 PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award
- 2008 Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award
- 2011 Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship
- 2012 St. Louis Literary Award
- 2013 Elected Member, American Philosophical Society
- 2013 The Lincoln Forum's Richard Nelson Current Award of Achievement
Images for kids
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Kushner in 2016
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Kushner at Columbia University in 1978
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Kushner speaking at the University of Maryland in 2011
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Kushner receiving a National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama, 2013
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In Spanish: Tony Kushner para niños
- Dramatic license
- LGBT culture in New York City
- List of LGBT people from New York City
