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Jez Butterworth

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Jez Butterworth
Butterworth in 2019
Butterworth in 2019
BornJeremy Butterworth
(1969-03-04) March 4, 1969 (age 55)
London, England, UK
Occupation
  • Playwright
  • screenwriter
  • film director
Notable works
PartnerLaura Donnelly
RelativesJohn-Henry Butterworth (brother)

Jeremy "Jez" Butterworth is a British playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He has gained recognition for his unique voice in contemporary theater, 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, a comedic dark crime drama Mojo (1995) 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".[1] 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.

He made his directorial film debut with Mojo (1997) based off 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 sports drama Ford v Ferrari (2019). He has also co-written screenplays for James Bond film Spectre (2015) and the Indiana Jones franchise film Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023).

Early life

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In March 1969, Butterworth was born in London, England. 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.[2] All his brothers have been active in film and theatre: Steve is a producer, while Tom and John-Henry are writers.[citation needed]

Career

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1995-2008: Early work

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Butterworth's play Mojo, which premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in 1995, won the 1996 Laurence Olivier,[3] 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.[4]

In 1999 Butterworth was one of the recipients of the V Europe Prize Theatrical Realities awarded to the Royal Court Theatre[5] (with Sarah Kane, Mark Ravenhill, Conor McPherson, Martin McDonagh).[6] Butterworth co-wrote and directed the film Birthday Girl (2001), which was produced by his brother Steve and starred Nicole Kidman.[7]

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."[8] 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."[9] His play Parlour Song[10] opened in New York to "rave reviews" at the Atlantic Theatre Company, Off-Broadway in March 2008.[11] 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."[12]

2008–2016: Breakthrough with Jerusalem

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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.[13] 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.[14]

Jerusalem opened on Broadway in April 2011, with many of the original UK cast.[15] It returned to London later that year, again playing at the Apollo. In January 2014 Jerusalem opened at the San Francisco Playhouse,[16] where it also received rave reviews.[17] Jerusalem was nominated for the 2011 Tony Award, Play.[18] Mark Rylance won the 2011 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Play.[15] 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.[19]

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.[20][21] 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.[22] Reception was positive, with London critics finding the work "lyrical", "beautifully written" and "suffuse[d] with wonder and beauty".[23]

2017–2019: The Ferryman and acclaim

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Butterworth's play The Ferryman opened at the Royal Court Theatre in April 2017. Directed by Sam Mendes,[24] it became the fastest selling play in the Royal Court Theatre's history.[25] 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."[26] The Huffington Post said that it was "one of the two or three greatest plays of the decade". But, The Guardian's Sean O'Hagan wrote, "I'm from Northern Ireland and it doesn't ring true", and it was "so close to a cultural stereotype as to be offensive".[27] Two weeks later The Irish Times printed an opinion piece by actor Gerard Lee (of Father Ted)[28] entitled "In defence of The Ferryman". He challenged negative comments, calling the play "layered and powerful".[29]

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.[30] 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.[31] 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.[32]

2020–present

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In 2023 he wrote the fifth installment 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.[33][34] 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".[35]

Influences

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Butterworth has said that Harold Pinter, 2005 Nobel Literature Laureate, 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."[11]

Work

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Film

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Year Title Director
1997 Mojo Himself
2001 Birthday Girl
2007 The Last Legion Doug Lefler
2010 Fair Game Doug Liman
2014 Edge of Tomorrow
Get On Up Tate Taylor
2015 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

Uncredited

Television

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Year Title Notes Ref.
1993 Night of the Golden Brain Television movie [37]
1996 Christmas Television movie
2017–2021 Britannia 26 episodes [38]
2019 The Monologue Project Episode: "Mojo"
2022 Mammals 6 episodes [39]
2024 The Agency 10 episodes

Theater

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Year Title Notes Ref.
1995 Mojo Royal Court Theatre [40]
2002 The Night Heron Royal Court Theatre, West End
2003 Atlantic Theater Company, 0ff-Broadway
2006 The Winterling Royal Court Theatre, West End
2008 Parlour Song Atlantic Theatre Company, Off-Broadway
2009 Almeida Theatre, West End
2009 Jerusalem Royal Court Theatre, West End
2011 Music Box Theater, Broadway [41]
2012 The River Royal Court Theatre, West End [42]
2014 Circle in the Square Theatre, Broadway [43]
2017 The Ferryman Royal Court Theatre, West End [44]
2018 Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, Broadway [45]
2024 The Hills of California Harold Pinter Theatre, West End
Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway [46]

Awards and nominations

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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.[47] In May 2007 Butterworth received the E. M. Forster Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.[citation needed]

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
1995 Evening Standard Theatre Award Most Promising Playwright Mojo Won
1996 Laurence Olivier Award Best New Comedy Won
1999 Europe Theatre Prize Europe Prize Theatrical Realities Won
2010 Laurence Olivier Award Best New Play Jerusalem Nominated
2011 Tony Award Best Play Nominated [48]
2017 Critics' Circle Theatre Award Best New Play The Ferryman Won [49]
2018 Laurence Olivier Award Best New Play Won
2019 Tony Award Best Play Won [50]
2024 Laurence Olivier Award Best New Play The Hills of California Nominated [51]

References

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  1. ^ Cavendish, Dominic (15 July 2019). "The greatest British play of the century: why Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem is a masterpiece". The Telegraph. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Tripos examination results from Cambridge university", The Times, 9 July 1991, p. 34.
  3. ^ "Olivier Awards, 1996" officiallondontheatre.com, retrieved 10 February 2018
  4. ^ " Mojo Film" bfi.org, retrieved 10, February 2018
  5. ^ "VII Edizione". Premio Europa per il Teatro (in Italian). Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  6. ^ "Europe Theatre Prize – VII Edition – Reasons". archivio.premioeuropa.org. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  7. ^ Arnoldi, Matt. "Film review – 'Birthday Girl'" BBC.co.uk., 20 June 2002
  8. ^ Billington, Michael. "Theatre. 'The Night Heron'" The Guardian, 18 April 2002
  9. ^ Fisher, Philip. "Reviews. The Winterling", britishtheatreguide, 2006, retrieved 9 February 2018
  10. ^ Butterworth, J. (2009) Parlour Song, Nick Hern Books, London. ISBN 978-1-84842-026-7
  11. ^ a b Piepenburg, Erik (23 March 2008). "An Edge-of-Town Story as Simple as the Blues". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 March 2008.
  12. ^ Billington, Michael (27 March 2009). "Parlour Song". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  13. ^ Brantley, Ben (19 July 2009). "Time, and the Green and Pleasant Land". the New York Times.
  14. ^ "Jerusalem Apollo Theatre". Apollo Theatre Co. Uk. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  15. ^ a b " 'Jerusalem' Broadway" Playbill, retrieved 9 February 2018
  16. ^ "San Francisco Playhouse". San Francisco Playhouse. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  17. ^ "SF Gate". SF Gate. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  18. ^ Edemariam, Aida (14 May 2011). "The Saturday interview: Jez Butterworth". The Guardian. London.
  19. ^ "Fair Game (2010)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  20. ^ Butterworth, Jez (2012). The River. London: Nick Hern Books. ISBN 9781848422896.
  21. ^ Lawson, Mark (30 October 2012). "How The River shows the power of a theatre programme". The Guardian.
  22. ^ Hetrick, Adam. "The River, Starring Tony Winner Hugh Jackman, Will Open at Broadway's Circle in the Square This Fall" Archived 12 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, 9 May 2014
  23. ^ "High praise for Butterworth play". BBC News. 29 October 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  24. ^ Hewis, Ben (31 October 2017). "Sam Mendes to direct Jez Butterworth play in new Royal Court season". WhatsOnStage.com. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  25. ^ "Jez Butterworth's The Ferryman transfers to The Gielgud Theatre". londontheatre.co.uk. London Theatre. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  26. ^ Staunton, Denis. "North dominating more than political stage in London". The Irish Times. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  27. ^ O'Hagan, Sean (16 July 2017). "Critics loved The Ferryman. But I'm from Northern Ireland, and it doesn't ring true". the Guardian.
  28. ^ "Forsaken". New Island Books. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  29. ^ Lee, Gerard (1 August 2017). "In defence of The Ferryman by Jez Butterworth". the Irish Times.
  30. ^ "Olivier Awards 2018" officiallondontheatre.com, retrieved 3 June 2019
  31. ^ Fierberg, Ruthie. " 'Tootsie', 'Hadestown', and 'The Ferryman' Lead 2019 Drama Desk Award Winners", Playbill, 2 June 2019
  32. ^ "Ford v. Ferrari". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  33. ^ "What 'Dial of Destiny's Box Office Flop Means for Franchise Blockbusters". Collider. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  34. ^ "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny". Metacritic. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  35. ^ "'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' Review: Harrison Ford Cracks the Whip One Last Time in a Final Chapter Short on Both Thrills and Fun". The Hollywood Reporter. 19 May 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  36. ^ ""Spectre" Scribe Jez Butterworth Tapped to Rewrite Emma Stone-Starring "Cruella" for Disney (EXCLUSIVE)". August 2016.
  37. ^ "Jez Butterworth". IMDb. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  38. ^ Higgins, Charlotte (11 January 2018). "Giant squid and sexed-up druids: is Britannia Jez Butterworth's mad masterpiece? | Television & radio | The Guardian". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  39. ^ Singh, Anita (7 October 2022). "Mammals, review: James Corden reminds us of his true talents in this superb comedy-drama". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  40. ^ "Jez Butterworth". doollee.com. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  41. ^ "Jerusalem (Broadway, 2011)". September 15, 2024.
  42. ^ Bowie-Sell, Daisy (11 June 2012). "Royal Court announces new play from Jerusalem writer Jez Butterworth". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
  43. ^ "The River (Broadway, 2014)". Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  44. ^ "the ferryman". Royal Court Theatre. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  45. ^ "The Ferryman (Broadway, 2018)". Playbill. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  46. ^ "The Hills of California (Broadway, 2024)". Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  47. ^ "Jez Butterworth turned down OBE over government's EU Referendum pledge". The Irish News. 16 July 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  48. ^ "The 2011 Tony Award Nominations". American Theatre Wing. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  49. ^ "2017 Results | Critics' Circle Theatre Awards". 31 January 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  50. ^ "The 2019 Tony Award Nominations". American Theatre Wing. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  51. ^ "Olivier awards 2024: complete list of nominations". The Guardian. 12 March 2024. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
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