Jeremy "Jez" Butterworth (born 4 March 1969) is an English playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He has gained recognition for his unique voice in contemporary theatre, often blending themes of myth, folklore, and realism. He has received a Tony Award and two Laurence Olivier Awards.
Butterworth started his career with his play Mojo (1995), a comedic dark crime drama which earned the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy. He found acclaim with his play Jerusalem, which has been described as "the greatest British play of the 21st century". He wrote the play The Ferryman (2017), about a former IRA volunteer set in The Troubles, which won both the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play and the Tony Award for Best Play. His latest play, The Hills of California (2024), debuted in London and made its Broadway transfer in the same year.
Butterworth made his directorial film debut with Mojo (1997), based on his own play of the same name. He has since written the screenplays for films such as the erotic thriller Birthday Girl (2001), the political drama Fair Game (2010), the science-fiction action film Edge of Tomorrow (2014), the James Brown biopic Get On Up (2014), the Whitey Bulger crime drama Black Mass (2015), and the sports drama Ford v Ferrari (2019). He has also co-written screenplays for the James Bond film Spectre (2015) and the Indiana Jones franchise film Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023).
Early life Butterworth was born in London, England, on 4 March 1969. He has three brothers: older brothers Tom (born 1966) and Steve (born 1968), and younger brother John-Henry (born 1976). He also has a sister, Joanna. He attended Verulam Comprehensive School, St Albans, and St John's College, Cambridge, where he studied the English tripos and graduated in 1991."Tripos examination results from Cambridge university", The Times, 9 July 1991, p. 34. All his brothers have been active in film and theatre; Steve is a producer, while Tom and John-Henry are writers.
Career 1995–2008: Early work Butterworth's play Mojo, which premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in 1995, won the 1996 Laurence Olivier,"Olivier Awards, 1996" officiallondontheatre.com, retrieved 10 February 2018 Evening Standard, The Writer's Guild, and the George Devine awards, and the Critic's Circle Award. Butterworth also wrote and directed the film adaptation of Mojo (1997). The film featured Harold Pinter." Mojo Film" bfi.org, retrieved 10, February 2018
In 1999, Butterworth was one of the recipients of the V Europe Prize Theatrical Realities awarded to the Royal Court Theatre (with Sarah Kane, Mark Ravenhill, Conor McPherson, Martin McDonagh). Butterworth co-wrote and directed the film Birthday Girl (2001), which was produced by his brother Steve and starred Nicole Kidman.Arnoldi, Matt. "Film review – 'Birthday Girl'" BBC.co.uk., 20 June 2002
Butterworth received positive reviews of his play The Night Heron (2002), which premiered in the West End at the Royal Court Theatre. The Guardian reviewer wrote: "Can a play be simultaneously very good and very bad? I believe so".Billington, Michael. "Theatre. 'The Night Heron'" The Guardian, 18 April 2002 The Winterling also ran at the Royal Court in 2006. The British Theatre Guide wrote: "The Winterling can be a difficult play but contains rich veins of comedy".Fisher, Philip. "Reviews. The Winterling", britishtheatreguide, 2006, retrieved 9 February 2018 His play Parlour SongButterworth, J. (2009) Parlour Song, Nick Hern Books, London. opened in New York to "rave reviews" at the Atlantic Theatre Company, Off-Broadway in March 2008. The play then played at the Almeida Theatre, with Michael Billington of The Guardian writing: "After the more erratic The Night Heron and The Winterling, Butterworth shows that he has a compassionate understanding of the quiet desperation that stalks Britain's new estates. He exactly captures the mundane madness beneath the bland routine of affluence".
2008–2016: Breakthrough with Jerusalem Butterworth's fourth play for the Royal Court Theatre was Jerusalem, which premiered in July 2009 to positive reviews. Described as a "contemporary vision of life in [England's] green and pleasant land", Jerusalem was the second important Butterworth production in London in 2009. The production starred Mark Rylance as Johnny Byron, and featured Mackenzie Crook as Ginger in a supporting role. It was a sell-out at the Royal Court, won the Evening Standard Theatre Award and Critics' Circle Theatre Award for the best play of 2009 and, with the same cast, transferred to the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue in January 2010.
Jerusalem opened on Broadway in April 2011, with many of the original UK cast." 'Jerusalem' Broadway" Playbill, retrieved 9 February 2018 It returned to London later that year, again playing at the Apollo. In January 2014 Jerusalem opened at the San Francisco Playhouse, where it also received rave reviews. Jerusalem was nominated for the 2011 Tony Award, Play. Mark Rylance won the 2011 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Play. Jez and John-Henry Butterworth were named recipients of the Writers Guild of America West's 2011 Paul Selvin Award for their screenplay for the film Fair Game (2010), directed by Doug Liman and starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn.
On 26 October 2012, Butterworth's play The River opened at the Royal Court Theatre, starring Dominic West, Laura Donnelly, and Miranda Raison, with an appearance by Gillian Saker. The River had its US premiere on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theatre in a limited engagement in October 2014, starring Hugh Jackman and directed by Ian Rickson.Hetrick, Adam. "The River, Starring Tony Winner Hugh Jackman, Will Open at Broadway's Circle in the Square This Fall" playbill.com, 9 May 2014 Reception was positive, with London critics finding the work "lyrical", "beautifully written" and "suffuse[d] with wonder and beauty".
2017–2019: The Ferryman and acclaim Butterworth's play The Ferryman opened at the Royal Court Theatre in April 2017. Directed by Sam Mendes, it became the fastest-selling play in the Royal Court Theatre's history. Set in rural South Armagh in 1981 and focusing on the events surrounding the deaths of the IRA hunger strikers, it received 15 five-star reviews, including all the major UK papers. The Irish Times said: "Although Butterworth is English, The Ferryman feels like a thoroughly Irish play, not only because there is not a single false note in the dialogue". The Huffington Post said that it was "one of the two or three greatest plays of the decade". But The Guardians Sean O'Hagan wrote: "I'm from Northern Ireland and it doesn't ring true", and that it was "so close to a cultural stereotype as to be offensive". Two weeks later, The Irish Times printed an opinion piece by actor Gerard Lee (of Father Ted) entitled "In defence of The Ferryman". He challenged negative comments, calling the play "layered and powerful".
The Ferryman won the 2017 Evening Standard Award for Best Play, the 2018 Critics' Circle Award for Best New Play, the 2018 WhatsOnStage Award for Best New Play, and the 2018 Olivier Award for Best New Play."Olivier Awards 2018" officiallondontheatre.com, retrieved 3 June 2019 It has played for over 350 performances at the Gielgud Theatre and transferred to Broadway in October 2018. The play won the 2019 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play and Tony Award for Best Play.Fierberg, Ruthie. " 'Tootsie', 'Hadestown', and 'The Ferryman' Lead 2019 Drama Desk Award Winners", Playbill, 2 June 2019 In 2019, he wrote the screenplay for the sports drama Ford v. Ferrari directed by James Mangold starring Christian Bale and Matt Damon. The film received positive reviews.
2020–present In 2023, he wrote the fifth instalment of the Indiana Jones franchise, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny reunited with director James Mangold. The film was not a commercial success and received mixed reviews. David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "This is a big, bombastic movie that goes through the motions but never finds much joy in the process", adding that the screenplay "feel[s] of something written by committee".
Influences Butterworth has said that Harold Pinter has been a major influence on his work: "I know and admire Harold Pinter enormously. He has a ginormous influence on me. Conversations with him have inspired my work".
Theatre credits YearTitle NotesRef. 1995 Mojo Royal Court Theatre 2002 The Night Heron Royal Court Theatre, West End 2003 Atlantic Theater Company, Off-Broadway 2006 The Winterling Royal Court Theatre, West End 2008 Parlour Song Atlantic Theatre Company, Off-Broadway 2009 Almeida Theatre, West End Jerusalem Royal Court Theatre, West End 2011 Music Box Theater, Broadway 2012 The River Royal Court Theatre, West End 2014 Circle in the Square Theatre, Broadway 2017 The Ferryman Royal Court Theatre, West End 2018 Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, Broadway 2024 The Hills of California Harold Pinter Theatre, West End Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway
Filmography Film Year Title Director Notes 1997 Mojo Himself 2001 Birthday Girl 2007 The Last Legion Doug Lefler 2010 Fair GameDoug Liman 2014 Edge of Tomorrow Get On Up Tate Taylor2015 Black Mass Scott Cooper Spectre Sam Mendes 2019 Ford v Ferrari James Mangold 2021 Flag Day Sean Penn 2023 Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny James Mangold 2026Digger Alejandro G. Iñárritu Story by 2028 Sam Mendes
Other writing contributions Lucy In The Sky (2019) (script doctoring) Cruella (2021) (script doctoring) Snow White (2025) (additional literary material) F1 (2025) (additional literary material) Tron: Ares (2025) (additional literary material)
Television YearTitle NotesRef. 1993 Night of the Golden Brain Television movie 1996 Christmas Television movie 2017–21 Britannia 26 episodes 2019 The Monologue Project Episode: "Mojo" 2022 Mammals 6 episodes 2024–present The Agency 20 episodes 2025–present MobLand 20 episodes
Awards and nominations In July 2017, Butterworth revealed he had declined the offer of appointment as Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) due to the Conservative government's pledge to hold a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2019. YearAwardCategoryWorkResult Ref.1995Evening Standard Theatre AwardMost Promising Playwright Mojo1996Laurence Olivier AwardBest New Comedy 1999Europe Theatre PrizeEurope Prize Theatrical Realities 2010Laurence Olivier AwardBest New PlayJerusalem2011Tony AwardBest PlayNew York Drama Critics' Circle AwardBest Foreign Play2017Critics' Circle Theatre AwardBest New PlayThe Ferryman2018Laurence Olivier AwardBest New Play2019Tony AwardBest PlayNew York Drama Critics' Circle AwardBest Play2024Laurence Olivier AwardBest New PlayThe Hills of California 2025Tony AwardBest PlayOuter Critics Circle AwardsOutstanding Broadway PlayDorian AwardsOutstanding Broadway Play
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