William "Bill" Condon (born October 22, 1955) is an American
screenwriterScreenwriters or scenarists or scriptwriters are people in a film crew who write/create the screenplays from which films and television programs are made....
and
directorA film director, or filmmaker is a person who directs the making or production of a film. Some also consider a film producer to be a filmmaker....
.
Condon was born in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
, the son of a
detectiveA detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators...
, and was raised in an
Irish CatholicIrish Catholic is a term used to describe people who are both Catholic and Irish .The term is of note due to Irish immigration to many countries of the English speaking world, particularly as a result of the Great Irish Famine in the late 1840s, following which the population declined by over half...
family. He attended
Regis High SchoolRegis High School is a Jesuit, college preparatory school for Catholic young men. The school is located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. Annual class enrollment is limited to approximately 135 male students from the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut tri-state area...
and
Columbia College of Columbia UniversityColumbia College is the oldest undergraduate college at Columbia University, situated on the university's main campus of Morningside Heights in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York. It was founded in 1754 by the Church of England as King's College, receiving a Royal Charter from King...
, where he studied
philosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing these questions by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on reasoned...
. Condon is
openlyComing out of the closet, or simply coming out, is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people disclosing their sexual orientation and gender identity...
gayThe term gay was originally used, until well into the mid-20th century, primarily to refer to feelings of being "carefree", "happy", or "bright and showy"; it had also come to acquire some connotations of "immorality" as early as 1637....
.
After earning his Bachelor of Arts degree, Condon began to work as a journalist for film magazines including
American Film and
Millimeter. He got his start writing low-budget features including
Strange BehaviorStrange Behavior was a 1981 horror spoof directed by Michael Laughlin and written by Bill Condon, poking fun at pulp horror films of the 1950s. The original release was titled "Dead Kids". The film was intended to be the first installment of the aborted Strange Trilogy, which was canceled after...
(1981) and
Strange InvadersStrange Invaders is a spoof science-fiction film made in 1983, as a tribute to the 1950s films, but most notably The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. It is well-remembered by viewers for a soundtrack that captures the authenticity of 1950s science-fiction...
(1983).
William "Bill" Condon (born October 22, 1955) is an American
screenwriterScreenwriters or scenarists or scriptwriters are people in a film crew who write/create the screenplays from which films and television programs are made....
and
directorA film director, or filmmaker is a person who directs the making or production of a film. Some also consider a film producer to be a filmmaker....
.
Personal life
Condon was born in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
, the son of a
detectiveA detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators...
, and was raised in an
Irish CatholicIrish Catholic is a term used to describe people who are both Catholic and Irish .The term is of note due to Irish immigration to many countries of the English speaking world, particularly as a result of the Great Irish Famine in the late 1840s, following which the population declined by over half...
family. He attended
Regis High SchoolRegis High School is a Jesuit, college preparatory school for Catholic young men. The school is located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. Annual class enrollment is limited to approximately 135 male students from the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut tri-state area...
and
Columbia College of Columbia UniversityColumbia College is the oldest undergraduate college at Columbia University, situated on the university's main campus of Morningside Heights in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York. It was founded in 1754 by the Church of England as King's College, receiving a Royal Charter from King...
, where he studied
philosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing these questions by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on reasoned...
. Condon is
openlyComing out of the closet, or simply coming out, is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people disclosing their sexual orientation and gender identity...
gayThe term gay was originally used, until well into the mid-20th century, primarily to refer to feelings of being "carefree", "happy", or "bright and showy"; it had also come to acquire some connotations of "immorality" as early as 1637....
.
Career
After earning his Bachelor of Arts degree, Condon began to work as a journalist for film magazines including
American Film and
Millimeter. He got his start writing low-budget features including
Strange BehaviorStrange Behavior was a 1981 horror spoof directed by Michael Laughlin and written by Bill Condon, poking fun at pulp horror films of the 1950s. The original release was titled "Dead Kids". The film was intended to be the first installment of the aborted Strange Trilogy, which was canceled after...
(1981) and
Strange InvadersStrange Invaders is a spoof science-fiction film made in 1983, as a tribute to the 1950s films, but most notably The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. It is well-remembered by viewers for a soundtrack that captures the authenticity of 1950s science-fiction...
(1983). His directorial debut was
Sister, SisterSister, Sister is a 1987 Southern Gothic thriller directed and co-written by Bill Condon. The film stars Eric Stoltz, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Judith Ivey.-Plot summary:...
(1987), an eerie
Southern GothicSouthern Gothic is a subgenre of the gothic novel, unique to American literature.Like its parent genre, it relies on supernatural, ironic, or unusual events to guide the plot...
mystery starring
Eric StoltzEric Cameron Stoltz is an American actor. He is known for playing either sensitive misfits or sociopathic criminals...
and
Jennifer Jason LeighJennifer Jason Leigh is an American actress.Her work has drawn high critical praise. Salon has praised her as "one of America's best actors"...
. Following this, Condon made a series of made-for-TV thrillers, including
Murder 101 (1991), which starred
Pierce BrosnanPierce Brendan Brosnan is an Irish actor, film producer and environmentalist, who holds both Irish and American citizenship. After leaving school at 16, Brosnan began training in commercial illustration, but trained at the Drama Centre in London for three years...
and earned Condon and co-writer Roy Johansen a 1992
Edgar AwardThe Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
for their screenplay. During this period he also wrote the screenplay for the thriller
F/X2F/X2 is a 1991 action thriller film directed by Richard Franklin and starring Bryan Brown and Brian Dennehy. It is a sequel to the 1986 film F/X.-Outline:...
(1991), which was directed by Aussie director
Richard FranklinRichard Franklin was an Australian-born film director.-Early life and career:Franklin was born and grew up in Brighton, Melbourne and was educated at Haileybury College. In the 1960s, Franklin was the drummer in the Melbourne band The Pink Finks, which also featured Ross Wilson and Ross Hannaford,...
.
After directing
Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995), a sequel to
Bernard Rose'sBernard Rose is an English film director most famous for his direction of the 1992 urban horror film Candyman and the 1994 historical romance film Immortal Beloved....
horror film, Condon came to prominence with his film
Gods and MonstersGods and Monsters is a 1998 film which recounts the last days of the life of troubled film director James Whale, whose homosexuality is a central theme. It stars Ian McKellen as Whale, along with Brendan Fraser, Lynn Redgrave, Lolita Davidovich, and David Dukes...
, which he both wrote and directed. The screenplay was based on a novel written by
Christopher BramChristopher Bram is an American author.- Life and work :Bram grew up in Kempsville, Virginia , where he was a paperboy and an Eagle Scout. He graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1974 . He moved to New York City in 1978...
. For his efforts, he won the
Academy Award for Best Adapted ScreenplayThe Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent film awards in the United States. It is awarded each year to the writer of a screenplay adapted from another source...
. He would also be nominated for the same award for the Oscar-winning 2002
adaptationChicago is a American film adaptation of the satirical stage musical Chicago, the film explores the themes of celebrity and scandal in Jazz age Chicago. Directed and choreographed by Rob Marshall, and adapted for film by screenwriter Bill Condon, Chicago won six Academy Awards in 2003, including...
of the musical
ChicagoChicago is a American film adaptation of the satirical stage musical Chicago, the film explores the themes of celebrity and scandal in Jazz age Chicago. Directed and choreographed by Rob Marshall, and adapted for film by screenwriter Bill Condon, Chicago won six Academy Awards in 2003, including...
, which also brought him a second Edgar Award.
He received further accolades in 2004 for writing and directing the film
KinseyKinsey is a 2004 biographical film written and directed by Bill Condon. It describes the life of Alfred Kinsey , a pioneer in the area of sexologic research...
, chronicling the life of the controversial sex researcher
Alfred KinseyAlfred Charles Kinsey was an American biologist and professor of entomology and zoology, who in 1947 founded the Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction at Indiana University, now called the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction...
. In 2005, he was given the
Stephen F. Kolzak AwardThe GLAAD Media Awards were created in 1990 by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to "recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives."-Davidson/Valentini...
at the GLAAD Media Awards. This award is "presented to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individuals in the media for their outstanding contribution in combating homophobia".
In 2005, it was announced that Condon would write the screenplay for, and direct, the film adaptation of
DreamgirlsDreamgirls is a American musical film, directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures. The film debuted in three special road show engagements beginning December 15, 2006, with a nationwide release on December 25, 2006 and a home video...
, the acclaimed Broadway musical loosely based on the career of the musical group
The SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
with
Motown RecordsMotown Records was a group of record labels originally based in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. on January 12, 1959 as Tamla Records, the company was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of the words motor and town, is also a...
. It was his second adaptation of a musical. The production was filmed at CBS Studios in
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
, with a cast including
Jamie FoxxEric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, stand-up comedian, and singer. For his work in the film Ray, Foxx won the Academy Award and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award for Best Actor...
,
Eddie MurphyEdward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American actor, voice actor, film director, producer, comedian and singer. He is the second-highest grossing actor in motion picture history. He was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984, and has worked as a stand-up comedian...
,
Beyoncé KnowlesBeyoncé Giselle Knowles , often referred to mononymously as Beyoncé , is an American R&B singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and model. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
,
Jennifer HudsonJennifer Kate Hudson is an American recording artist, actress and model. She came to prominence in 2004 as one of the finalists on the third season of the Fox reality television series American Idol...
,
Anika Noni RoseAnika Noni Rose is a Tony Award-winning American singer and actress.- Early life :Rose was born in Bloomfield, Connecticut to Claudia and John Rose, Jr., a corporate counsel for the city of Hartford. In her freshman year in high school, she appeared in a school production and caught the acting bug...
, and
Danny GloverDanny Lebern Glover is an American actor, film director, and political activist. Glover is best known for his role as Mr. Albert Johnson in The Color Purple and as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film franchise....
.
Dreamgirls was released in December 2006, having finished shooting in April. Condon received
Directors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of America is the labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
and
Broadcast Film Critics AssociationThe Broadcast Film Critics Association is the largest film critics organization in the U.S. and Canada, representing 199 television, radio and online critics....
nominations for Directing but while the film led the nominations count with eight, neither Condon nor the film received nominations in their categories at the Academy Awards.
Condon is a member of the Independent Feature Projects (IFP) in Los Angeles, a non-profit organization which supports independent films, as well as the Independent Writers Steering Committee, which was initiated by the Writers Guild of America (WGA).
Director
- Aaliyah (2009)
- Dreamgirls
Dreamgirls is a American musical film, directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures. The film debuted in three special road show engagements beginning December 15, 2006, with a nationwide release on December 25, 2006 and a home video...
(2006)
- Kinsey
-People:*Alfred Kinsey, entomologist and sexologist**the Kinsey Reports, a pair of books on sexuality by Alfred Kinsey**the Kinsey scale of sexual orientation, invented by Alfred Kinsey, or person's orientation as measured on that scale, as in "Kinsey 6"...
(2004)
- The Others
The Others is an American TV series created by John Brancato and Michael Ferris, and produced by Delusional Films, NBC and DreamWorks Television. It ran for 13 60-minute episodes from February 5, 2000 to June 10, 2000, airing on NBC in the US, Five in the UK and Nine in Australia...
- 1 episode, 2000.
- Gods and Monsters
Gods and Monsters is a 1998 film which recounts the last days of the life of troubled film director James Whale, whose homosexuality is a central theme. It stars Ian McKellen as Whale, along with Brendan Fraser, Lynn Redgrave, Lolita Davidovich, and David Dukes...
(1998)
- Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh
Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh was the 1995 sequel to the horror film Candyman, an adaptation of the Clive Barker short story 'The Forbidden'. It starred Tony Todd, Kelly Rowan, William O'Leary, Bill Nunn, Matt Clark and Veronica Cartwright.-Plot:...
(1995)
- The Man Who Wouldn't Die
The Man Who Wouldn't Die is the title of a 1994 TV film starring Roger Moore and Malcolm McDowell, as well as a 1942 film starring Lloyd Nolan as series detective Michael Shayne, based on a novel by Clayton Rawson.-References:* at MSN...
(1994) (TV)
- Dead in the Water
Dead in the Water may refer to:*an episode in the Supernatural TV series *Dead in the Water *a video game by American Softworks Corporation...
(1991) (TV)
- White Lie (1991) (TV)
- Murder 101
Murder 101 is the name of a series of two-hour TV movies appearing regularly on the Hallmark Channel since 2006. In it, Dick Van Dyke stars as professor Dr. Jonathan Maxwell, an absent-minded and brilliant criminologist. His son Barry Van Dyke co-stars as a former cop who is working as a private...
(1991) (TV)
- Sister, Sister
Sister, Sister is a 1987 Southern Gothic thriller directed and co-written by Bill Condon. The film stars Eric Stoltz, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Judith Ivey.-Plot summary:...
(1987)
Writer
- Dreamgirls
Dreamgirls is a American musical film, directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures. The film debuted in three special road show engagements beginning December 15, 2006, with a nationwide release on December 25, 2006 and a home video...
(2006) (screenplay)
- Kinsey
-People:*Alfred Kinsey, entomologist and sexologist**the Kinsey Reports, a pair of books on sexuality by Alfred Kinsey**the Kinsey scale of sexual orientation, invented by Alfred Kinsey, or person's orientation as measured on that scale, as in "Kinsey 6"...
(2004) (written by)
- Shortcut to Happiness (2003) (screenplay)
- Chicago
Chicago is a American film adaptation of the satirical stage musical Chicago, the film explores the themes of celebrity and scandal in Jazz age Chicago. Directed and choreographed by Rob Marshall, and adapted for film by screenwriter Bill Condon, Chicago won six Academy Awards in 2003, including...
(2002) (screenplay)
- Gods and Monsters
Gods and Monsters is a 1998 film which recounts the last days of the life of troubled film director James Whale, whose homosexuality is a central theme. It stars Ian McKellen as Whale, along with Brendan Fraser, Lynn Redgrave, Lolita Davidovich, and David Dukes...
(1998) (screenplay)
- F/X2
F/X2 is a 1991 action thriller film directed by Richard Franklin and starring Bryan Brown and Brian Dennehy. It is a sequel to the 1986 film F/X.-Outline:...
(1991)
- Murder 101
Murder 101 is the name of a series of two-hour TV movies appearing regularly on the Hallmark Channel since 2006. In it, Dick Van Dyke stars as professor Dr. Jonathan Maxwell, an absent-minded and brilliant criminologist. His son Barry Van Dyke co-stars as a former cop who is working as a private...
(1991) (TV) (written by)
- Sister, Sister
Sister, Sister is a 1987 Southern Gothic thriller directed and co-written by Bill Condon. The film stars Eric Stoltz, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Judith Ivey.-Plot summary:...
(1987)
- Strange Invaders
Strange Invaders is a spoof science-fiction film made in 1983, as a tribute to the 1950s films, but most notably The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. It is well-remembered by viewers for a soundtrack that captures the authenticity of 1950s science-fiction...
(1983)
- Strange Behavior
Strange Behavior was a 1981 horror spoof directed by Michael Laughlin and written by Bill Condon, poking fun at pulp horror films of the 1950s. The original release was titled "Dead Kids". The film was intended to be the first installment of the aborted Strange Trilogy, which was canceled after...
(1981)