Richard Curtis

Non-comedy TV and film credits may be found here:
Richard Curtis on IMDb

Born

Thursday 8th November 1956 (68 years-old)

Nationality

English

Born in New Zealand of Australian parents, and raised in several continents across the globe, Richard Curtis was educated at Harrow and Oxford, where he was awarded a first-class BA in English Language and Litreature. It was here that he met and began a fruitful collaboration with Rowan Atkinson, after they both joined the scriptwriting team of the Etceteras revue, part of the Experimental Theatre Club. Shortly after graduating, he began writing, together with Atkinson, on TV's Not The Nine O'Clock News, co-creating many of the show's famous songs with composer Howard Goodall. In 1984 and 1985, he contributed material for ITV's satirical puppet show Spitting Image.

Atkinson and Curtis co-wrote the well-loved Blackadder from 1983 to 1989, and although Atkinson played the lead, Curtis is credited as having written every single episode. After the success of this show, they turned their attention to another comedy series, creating Mr. Bean, which ran from 1990 to 1995. In 1994 he also created and co-wrote The Vicar of Dibley for comedian Dawn French.

By now Curtis had begun writing feature films, releasing The Tall Guy in 1989, the TV movie Bernard And The Genie in 1991, and Four Weddings And A Funeral in 1994. The latter would become the highest-grossing British film in history at that time, turning Hugh Grant into an international superstar. Later came romantic comedies Notting Hill, Bridget Jones's Diary (and its 2004 sequel), and Love Actually, cementing Richard Curtis's place in the upper echelons of British romcom royalty.

Next he would co-write, with Anthony Minghella, an adaptation of Alexander McCall Smith's novel The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, premiering on the BBC in 2008, following this up with the feature film The Boat That Rocked, set in 1966 in the era of British pirate radio and based around a radio station run from a boat in the North Sea. Despite a stellar cast including Bill Nighy and Nick Frost, the film was a critical and commercial flop. After making the feature film War Horse, Curtis made two more romantic comedies: About Time, a story about time travel and family love featuring British actors Bill Nighy and Domhnall Gleeson, and Yesterday, directed by Danny Boyle, which imagines a world in which the Beatles had never existed.

The winner of an Emmy for the made-for-television drama The Girl In The Café and a BAFTA for Academy Fellowship, Richard Curtis is responsible for some of the most cherished comedies in modern British history.

BAFTA Television Awards 2007

BAFTA Fellowship (Winner)

RTS Awards 2007

Judges' Award (Winner)

Primetime Emmy Awards 2006

Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special (Winner)

BAFTA Film Awards 2004

Outstanding British Film (Nominee)

Golden Globe Awards 2004

Best Screenplay (Nominee)

Stinkers Bad Movie Awards 2004

Worst Screenplay (Nominee)

London Critics' Circle Film Awards 2004

British Screenwriter Of The Year (Nominee)
British Newcomer of the Year (Nominee)

BAFTA Film Awards 2002

Best Adapted Screenplay (Nominee)

London Critics' Circle Film Awards 2002

British Screenwriter Of The Year (Winner)

British Independent Film Awards 2001

Variety Award (Winner)

BAFTA Television Awards 1999

Best Comedy (Nominee)
Special Award (Winner)

British Comedy Awards 1999

Best Writing (Winner)

BAFTA Television Awards 1998

Best Comedy (Nominee)

BAFTA Film Awards 1995

Best Original Screenplay (Nominee)

Academy Awards (Oscars) 1995

Best Original Screenplay (Nominee)

Golden Globe Awards 1995

Best Screenplay (Nominee)

London Critics' Circle Film Awards 1995

British Screenwriter Of The Year (Winner)

British Comedy Awards 1993

Best Writing (Winner)

Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards 1993

Best Screenplay (Winner)

BAFTA Television Awards 1992

Best Comedy (Nominee)

BAFTA Television Awards 1990

Best Comedy (Winner)

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