Barry Levinson

Barry Levinson is a successful writer-director-producer whose credits include the TV series Homicide: Life on the Street (1993) and the box office hits Rain Man (1988, with Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman) and Wag the Dog (1997, with Hoffman and Robert DeNiro). Originally a stand-up comedian, Levinson got a career boost as a writer for Carol Burnett's hit TV show in the early 1970s. Levinson went on to become a screenwriter in the late '70s, notably for comedian Mel Brooks on the films Silent Movie (1976), High Anxiety (1977) and History of the World, Part I (1981); he also earned an Oscar nomination for his screenplay for ...And Justice For All (1979, starring Al Pacino). His debut as a director, the 1982 film Diner (1982), propelled him into the big-time, as well as identifying him with his hometown of Baltimore, a locale also featured prominently in his films Tin Men (1988) and Avalon (1991). Levinson's other film credits include The Natural (1985, starring Robert Redford); Good Morning, Vietnam (1987, starring Robin Williams); Bugsy (1991, starring Warren Beatty); Bandits (2001, with Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton); Envy (2004, with Ben Stiller and Jack Black); Man of the Year (2006); and What Just Happened? (2008, with DeNiro, Willis and Catherine Keener). Since 2010 Levinson has been more involved with television productions, including the series Borgias (2011-14), Killing Fields (2016-17) and Dopesick (2021).