Ronald L. Nyswaner ( ; born October 5, 1956) is an American screenwriter and film director. He is a Peabody Award winner, and has been nominated for numerous awards including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards.
He is known for his screenplays Smithereens (1982), Philadelphia (1993), The Painted Veil (2006), Freeheld (2015), and My Policeman (2022). He is also known as a writer and producer of the Showtime series Ray Donovan (2013–2015), Homeland (2017–2018), and the historical drama series Fellow Travelers (2023).
Early life and education Nyswaner was born in Clarksville, Pennsylvania. He later attended the University of Pittsburgh and Columbia University.
Career Nyswaner wrote his first screenplay for the Susan Seidelman film Smithereens. After two other notable screenplays for Swing Shift and Mrs. Soffel, he gave his directorial debut with The Prince of Pennsylvania in 1988, a film with Keanu Reeves and Fred Ward.
Nyswaner, who is openly gay and an activist for gay rights, has often worked on movies dealing with subjects such as homosexuality, homophobia, and AIDS. In 1993, he came to worldwide prominence for his screenplay to the Academy Award-winning movie Philadelphia, directed by Jonathan Demme. It earned him nominations at the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, and the BAFTAs.
After several years of working for television, he wrote the screenplay for the 2006 film The Painted Veil, based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham. He received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award and won the award of the National Board of Review in 2006.
From 2015 to 2017, he was an executive producer for the Showtime TV series Homeland.
In 2015, Nyswaner directed the documentary film She's the Best Thing in It, featuring Mary Louise Wilson, which he coproduced along with Jeffrey Schwarz and Neda Armian.
Nyswaner created the historical drama miniseries Fellow Travelers in 2023, which won a Peabody Award at the 84th ceremony in 2024.
Filmography Film As a director Year Title Notes1988 The Prince of Pennsylvania also written2012 Why Stop Now? co-directed with Phil Dorling; also written2015 She's the Best Thing in It documentary
As a writer Year Title Notes1982 Smithereens 1984 Mrs. Soffel 1989 Gross Anatomy 1990 Love Hurts 1993 Philadelphia 2006 The Painted Veil 2015 Freeheld 2022 My Policeman
Television Year Title NotesRef.2003 Soldier's Girl Television movie 2006 Filthy Gorgeous Television movie 2013–2014 Ray Donovan Wrote 4 episodes; also co-executive producer 2015–2018 Homeland Wrote 9 episodes; also co-executive producer 2020 Murder on Middle Beach Co-executive producer only 2023 Fellow Travelers Screenwriter and executive producer
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Project Result1988 Deauville Film Festival Critics Prize The Prince of Pennsylvania 1989 Independent Spirit Awards Best First Feature 1993 Academy Award Best Original Screenplay Philadelphia 1993 Golden Globe Awards Best Screenplay 1993 British Academy Film Awards Best Original Screenplay 1993 Writers Guild of America Awards Best Original Screenplay 2006 Independent Spirit Awards Best Screenplay The Painted Veil 2006 National Board of Review Best Adapted Screenplay 2014 Writers Guild of America Awards New Series Ray Donovan 2015 SXSW Film Festival Grand Jury Documentary Prize She's The Best Thing in It 2015 Woodstock Film Festival Audience Award 2016 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Drama Series Homeland 2024 Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Fellow Travelers 2024 Peabody Awards Chronicling LGBTQ+ History Over 50 Years Fellow Travelers
Bibliography In 2004, he published Blue Days, Black Nights: A Memoir, which chronicles his relationship with alcohol, drugs, and hustlers.
References
External links
Yahoo UK Movies Ron Nyswaner at College University