Paul Attanasio
A sharp-witted screenwriter who turned complex true stories into gripping, character-driven Hollywood dramas.
Born 1959 (age 67)·American screenwriter and producer·Birthday: November 14·Baby Boomers
Biography
Paul Attanasio's path to Hollywood was anything but typical. A Harvard Law graduate and former film critic for The Washington Post, he brought an intellectual's precision and a critic's understanding of narrative to screenwriting. His breakthrough came with 'Quiz Show,' Robert Redford's incisive look at the 1950s television scandals, for which Attanasio earned an Oscar nomination by deftly exploring themes of ethics, class, and identity. He followed this with another nominated adaptation, 'Donnie Brasco,' transforming an undercover FBI agent's memoir into a tense, morally ambiguous crime saga. Beyond these prestige projects, Attanasio proved his versatility by creating the innovative medical drama 'House,' a global hit built on a misanthropic genius protagonist—a character whose voice was sharpened by Attanasio's experience with dialogue. As a producer and creator, his work consistently favors smart, talky, and psychologically intricate storytelling over simple spectacle.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Paul was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Paul Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Paul's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for 'Quiz Show.'
- Received a second Oscar nomination for adapting the true crime story 'Donnie Brasco.'
- Created the long-running and internationally successful medical drama 'House.'
- Wrote the screenplay for the science fiction film 'The Sphere,' based on Michael Crichton's novel.
- Served as an executive producer on the political drama 'The Good Wife.'
Did You Know?
Before screenwriting, he was the chief film critic for The Washington Post.
He graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Law School but never practiced law.
He is married to actress Kate Attanasio (formerly Kate Crowley).
His brother is investment banker Mark Attanasio, the principal owner of the Milwaukee Brewers.
“The best writing is rewriting, and the best rewriting is ruthless.”
