Michael Clayton

Anthony Joseph “Tony” Gilroy (born September 11, 1956) is an American screenwriter and filmmaker. He wrote the screenplays for the Bourne series starring Matt Damon, among other successful films. He has been nominated for Academy Awards for his direction and script for Michael Clayton, starring George Clooney. Gilroy recently wrote and directed Duplicity, starring Julia Roberts and Clive Owen.

Gilroy was born in Manhattan, New York, the son of Ruth Dorothy (née Gaydos), a sculptor and writer, and Frank D. Gilroy, a playwright. He is the brother of screenwriter Dan Gilroy and editor John Gilroy. He lives in Manhattan with his family.

Writing career

Gilroy has written many scripts for film, starting with the script for The Cutting Edge in 1992. This was followed by Dolores Claiborne in 1995 and The Devil’s Advocate in 1997. He also wrote the script for Armageddon, the highest-grossing film of 1998. Gilroy’s next script was Proof of Life in 2000. In 2002, 2003 and 2007 he wrote the screenplays for The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, and he is scheduled to write and direct the next installment of the Bourne series.

Also in 2007, he wrote and directed the film Michael Clayton, which won an Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay, and was nominated for several Academy Awards including screenplay. In 2009, Gilroy wrote and directed the corporate espionage thriller Duplicity, starring Clive Owen, Julia Roberts and Tom Wilkinson. Gilroy is set, along with The Bourne Ultimatum co-screenwriter Scott Z. Burns, to write the script for the upcoming film Army of Two, based on the hit video game from EA Montreal, for a 2011 release.

Directing career

Gilroy’s directorial debut was in 2007, when he directed the film Michael Clayton, which his brother John Gilroy edited. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor. In addition to its Edgar Award, the film won one Oscar, for Best Supporting Actress (Tilda Swinton). The film was a box-office success, grossing $86 million worldwide.

Gilroy’s most recent film, Duplicity, was released March 20, 2009. Gilroy also wrote the screenplay of the film which stars Clive Owen, Julia Roberts and Tom Wilkinson. —Wikipedia