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Richard Russo

Richard Russo

Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Russo is renowned for his novels, which depict blue-collar lives in abandoned mill towns in upstate New York and northern New England.

His best-selling novel Empire Falls won the 2002 Pulitzer (for fiction). Mr. Russo received an Emmy Award nomination for adapting his novel, which was filmed by director Fred Schepisi and aired on HBO in two parts in May 2005. Empire Falls starred Ed Harris, Helen Hunt, Paul Newman, and Joanne Woodward.

Paul Newman had previously starred in Twilight, which Mr. Russo wrote with The Ice Harvest co-screenwriter Robert Benton, and in Nobody's Fool. The latter film was adapted by Robert Benton from Mr. Russo's novel of the same name.

Mr. Russo's earlier novels include Mohawk, Straight Man, and The Risk Pool. The latter has a feature film version in the planning stages, to star Tom Hanks for writer/director Lawrence Kasdan.

He also wrote the teleplays The Flamingo Rising (adapted from Larry Baker's novel and directed by Martha Coolidge) and Brush with Fate (adapted from Susan Vreeland and directed by Brent Shields).

Mr. Russo's latest screenplay, Keeping Mum, is currently in post-production. The comedy, directed by Niall Johnson, stars Rowan Atkinson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Patrick Swayze, and Maggie Smith.


Note: This profile was written in or before 2005.

Richard Russo Facts

OccupationScreenwriter, Producer
BirthdayJuly 15, 1949 (74)
SignCancer
BirthplaceJohnstown, New York, USA

Selected Filmography

Not available.