Birthplace: London, England

theOscarSite Bio: His father was Arthur Morgenthau, a German Jew who fled the Nazis and who died when Morgan was aged nine; his mother, Inga, a Catholic Pole who fled the Soviets. They met in London, 'both trying to reinvent themselves', and settled in the suburbs of Wimbledon.

Morgan grew up speaking German and was nicknamed 'Fritz' at his public school, 'because the English are so broad-minded about that kind of thing'. In 1981, he went to study at Leeds - 'a fantastic university' - but found the English department's old-fashioned approach so suffocating that he switched to fine art, which was 'very politicised'. It was while at Leeds that he became involved in student theatre, first as an actor.

He entered British film in 1988, providing additional script material for Madame Sousatzka. Other film writing credits include DEAR ROSIE (1992), MARTHA, MEET FRANK, DANIEL AND LAURENCE (1998), THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND and THE QUEEN (both 2006) and THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL (2008). Active in television since 1989, he also wrote and executive produced the mini-series "The Jury" (2002), "Henry VIII" (2003) and "Longford" (2006). His first play, "Frost/Nixon", starring Michael Sheen and Frank Langella, ran in London's West End and is scheduled to be released as a film in 2008.

Since 2006, Morgan has lived in Battersea, south London, with his Austrian wife Lila Schwarzenberg and their six children. Morgan was invited to join A.M.P.A.S. in 2007.

· Outstanding Achievement in Writing: Original Screenplay 2006: THE QUEEN