Paul Albert Attanasio Wiki Biography
Paul Albert Attanasio (born November 14, 1959) is an American screenwriter and film and television producer, who was an executive producer on the television series House.Paul Attanasio was born in The Bronx, New York City, the son of Connie, a real estate broker, and Joseph Attanasio, a commercial consultant. He grew up in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx, and later in Tenafly, New Jersey, where he attended public high school. He is a 1981 graduate of Harvard College, where he lived in Currier House, and earned his law degree at Harvard Law School in 1984. His wife Katie Jacobs is his producing partner; they have three children, Annabelle, John, and Grace. He is the brother of Mark Attanasio, a Los Angeles investment manager who is the principal owner of the Milwaukee Brewers.He was a film critic for The Washington Post from 1984 to 1987. He started writing for television with the CBS sitcom Doctor Doctor and the NBC crime drama Homicide: Life on the Street, for which he holds a ‘Created by’ credit. In 1994 he wrote the Oscar-nominated screenplay adaptation for the drama Quiz Show. He would later write the screenplays for the thriller Disclosure, the gangster movie Donnie Brasco, the science fiction film Sphere, and the political thriller The Sum of All Fears. In 2000 he returned to television and started executive producing, in addition to writing, the medical drama Gideon’s Crossing and the pilot for R.U.S.H. Along with David Shore, he is one of the creators of the TV series House, of which he was executive producer. In 2006 he wrote the screenplay for the dramatic film The Good German. His current projects include the upcoming Showtime series The Vatican (in partnership with Ridley Scott) and a reboot of the Scarface franchise.In his twenty-five years in Hollywood, he has been nominated for every major award in film and television, including the Academy Award, the BAFTA, the Writers Guild of America Award, the Emmy, the Peabody Award, and the Golden Globe.
| Full Name | Paul Attanasio |
| Net Worth | $15 Million |
| Date Of Birth | November 14, 1959 |
| Place Of Birth | New York City, New York, USA |
| Profession | Producer, Writer |
| Education | Harvard Law School, Harvard College |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse | Amanda Benefiel |
| Children | Annabelle Attanasio, John Attanasio, Grace Attanasio |
| Parents | Connie Attanasio, Joseph Attanasio |
| Siblings | Mark Attanasio |
| IMDB | http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001921 |
| Awards | BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, London Film Critics Circle Award for Screenwriter of the Year |
| Nominations | Academy Award for Best Writing Adapted Screenplay, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay, Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay – Motion Picture, Writers Guild of America Award fo… |
| Movies | The Good German, The Sum of All Fears, Sphere, Donnie Brasco, Disclosure, Quiz Show, Courtroom K |
| TV Shows | Gideon’s Crossing, Homicide: Life on the Street, Bull |
| Fact | |
|---|---|
| 1 | In the fall of 2013, Paul Attanasio was hired to rewrite the script for Hot Wheels (2018), from a draft written by Art Marcum & Matt Holloway. As of 2015, the project is still in development as a potential franchise. |
| 2 | In 1987, Paul Attanasio left The Washington Post and signed with CAA. He wrote an original script that he described as being “bad”, but was good enough to open some doors. His first assignment was signing a development deal with Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. That was followed by signing a similar development deal at Columbia Pictures in 1988. He is also quoted by the LA Times stating: “and I’m doing a rewrite for a major star.”, however it hasn’t been disclosed what these three projects were. |
| 3 | During the mid-90s, Attanasio was hired to write the screenplay adaptation of the Allan Folsom debut novel “The Day After Tomorrow”, but the project fell into limbo. |
| 4 | In the mid-90s, Paul Attanasio sold a pitch for an original script titled “The Great Unknown” to Paramount Pictures. Attanasio was going to produce it through his production company, Heel & Toe, with his wife and producing partner Katie Jacobs. Attanasio was also attached to make his directorial debut on the project, but after many drafts the project was shelved. |
| 5 | In 1994, Attanasio was adapting the New Yorker Magazine article by Richard Preston titled “Crisis in the Hot Zone” which was going to be produced with Ridley Scott directing and Robert Redford and Jodie Foster starring. However they were beaten by the similar project Outbreak (1995) and this project was canceled. It is uncertain if Attanasio ever completed a draft. |
| 6 | In the fall of 1998, Paul Attanasio was hired to adapt the yet-to-be-published A. Scott Berg biography “Lindbergh” for Steven Spielberg to produce and direct as his follow-up to Saving Private Ryan (1998). However, by the fall of 1999 it was announced that Attanasio had dropped out of the project without penning a draft, due to the anti-Semitic revelations about Charles Lindbergh’s life that was detailed in the book. He was replaced by screenwriter Menno Meyjes, who had previously worked with Spielberg on The Color Purple (1985) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). The project was shelved after Spielberg decided to pass it. |
| 7 | In 2001, Paul Attanasio signed on to adapt the Vietnam War set non-fiction book “Spite House” by Monika Jensen-Stevenson, for Oliver Stone to produce and direct at Columbia. He was also hired to doctor the screenplay for the adaptation of the Douglas Preston adventure novel “Riptide”, but both projects fell into limbo. |
| 8 | In 2004, Attanasio was hired by Universal Pictures to adapt John Steinbeck’s classic novel “East of Eden” for a remake that Ron Howard was going to direct with Brian Grazer producing. Attanasio wrote several drafts but by 2007, Howard decided to pass on the project. As of 2013, the project was resurrected by Universal and Brian Grazer, with Gary Ross attached to direct and Jennifer Lawrence attached to star. However, it is unknown if they will use Attanasio’s draft or hire a new writer. |
| 9 | In the mid-2000s, Attanasio sold an original pitch for a ‘Deliverance’-style script titled “Burnt Creek” to Universal Pictures. He wrote several drafts but by 2007, the project went into limbo. |
| 10 | Paul Attanasio has been one of the most successful and most sought after script doctors in Hollywood since the early 1990’s. He has done uncredited script doctor work on Rapid Fire (1992), Speed (1994), Air Force One (1997), Armageddon (1998), Patch Adams (1998), Town & Country (2001), Poseidon (2006), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), among many others. He has also performed rewrites on scripts without credit including writing drafts for Beyond the Sea (2004), Leatherheads (2008), The Wolfman (2010) and the Oscar nominated screenplay for The Fighter (2010). |
| 11 | Father of actress Annabelle Attanasio. |
| 12 | He is the brother of Mark Attanasio, the owner of the Milwaukee Brewers. |
| 13 | Film critic for the Washington Post from 1984 to 1987. |
Producer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bull | 2016 | TV Series executive producer – 4 episodes | |
| The Vatican | 2013 | TV Movie executive producer | |
| House M.D. | 2004-2012 | TV Series executive producer – 175 episodes | |
| Century City | 2004 | TV Series executive producer – 2 episodes | |
| R.U.S./H. | 2002 | TV Movie executive producer | |
| Gideon’s Crossing | 2000 | TV Series executive producer |
Writer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bull | TV Series created by – 6 episodes, 2016 written by – 1 episode, 2016 | ||
| El Dandy | 2015 | TV Series based on the screenplay by – 1 episode | |
| The Vatican | 2013 | TV Movie | |
| Courtroom K | 2008 | TV Movie written by | |
| The Good German | 2006 | screenplay | |
| R.U.S./H. | 2002 | TV Movie | |
| The Sum of All Fears | 2002 | screenplay | |
| Gideon’s Crossing | 2000-2001 | TV Series created by – 20 episodes | |
| Homicide: Life on the Street | TV Series created by – 122 episodes, 1993 – 1999 written by – 2 episodes, 1993 – 1994 | ||
| Sphere | 1998 | screenplay | |
| Donnie Brasco | 1997 | screenplay | |
| Disclosure | 1994 | screenplay | |
| Quiz Show | 1994 | screenplay | |
| Doctor Doctor | 1989 | TV Series written by – 2 episodes |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Dialogue: An Interview with Screenwriter Paul Attanasio | 2007 | Video | Himself |
| Donnie Brasco: Out of the Shadows | 2000 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| Moving Pictures | 1995 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The 52nd Annual Golden Globe Awards | 1995 | TV Special | Himself – Nominee: Best Screenplay |
Won Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | ALFS Award | London Critics Circle Film Awards | Screenwriter of the Year | Quiz Show (1994) |
| 1995 | BAFTA Film Award | BAFTA Awards | Best Screenplay – Adapted | Quiz Show (1994) |
| 1995 | ShoWest Award | ShoWest Convention, USA | Screenwriter of the Year |
Nominated Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | House M.D. (2004) |
| 2008 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | House M.D. (2004) |
| 2007 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | House M.D. (2004) |
| 2006 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | House M.D. (2004) |
| 2001 | Humanitas Prize | Humanitas Prize | 60 Minute Category | Gideon’s Crossing (2000) |
| 1998 | Oscar | Academy Awards, USA | Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published | Donnie Brasco (1997) |
| 1998 | Chlotrudis Award | Chlotrudis Awards | Best Screenplay | Donnie Brasco (1997) |
| 1998 | Edgar | Edgar Allan Poe Awards | Best Motion Picture | Donnie Brasco (1997) |
| 1998 | USC Scripter Award | USC Scripter Award | Donnie Brasco (1997) | |
| 1998 | WGA Award (Screen) | Writers Guild of America, USA | Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published | Donnie Brasco (1997) |
| 1997 | ACCA | Awards Circuit Community Awards | Best Adapted Screenplay | Donnie Brasco (1997) |
| 1995 | Oscar | Academy Awards, USA | Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published | Quiz Show (1994) |
| 1995 | Golden Globe | Golden Globes, USA | Best Screenplay – Motion Picture | Quiz Show (1994) |
| 1995 | CFCA Award | Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Screenplay | Quiz Show (1994) |
| 1995 | USC Scripter Award | USC Scripter Award | Quiz Show (1994) | |
| 1995 | WGA Award (Screen) | Writers Guild of America, USA | Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published | Quiz Show (1994) |
| 1994 | ACCA | Awards Circuit Community Awards | Best Adapted Screenplay | Quiz Show (1994) |
| 1994 | WGA Award (TV) | Writers Guild of America, USA | Episodic Drama | Homicide: Life on the Street (1993) |
2nd Place Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | NSFC Award | National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA | Best Screenplay | Quiz Show (1994) |
| 1994 | BSFC Award | Boston Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Screenplay | Quiz Show (1994) |
| 1994 | NYFCC Award | New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Screenplay | Quiz Show (1994) |