Born in Los Angeles. Writer who started out in American television in the late 1960s. Other feature film writing credits include OKLAHOMA CRUDE (1973), ZANDY'S BRIDE (1974), BREAKOUT and THE KILLER ELITE (both 1975), THE AVIATOR (1985), CUTTHROAT ISLAND (1995) and SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (1998, also producer).  Best Picture of the Year 1998: SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE - Producer at Miramax (w. David Parfitt, Donna Gigliotti, Harvey Weinstein & Edward Zwick)  Best Achievement in Writing (Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) 1998: SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (w. Tom Stoppard) 2 nominations, 2 Awards