Kenneth Lonergan


Kenneth Lonergan is an American film director, playwright, and screenwriter. He is the co-writer of the film Gangs of New York, and wrote and directed You Can Count On Me, Margaret, and Manchester by the Sea.
Lonergan is also known for his work as a playwright. His most noted plays include This Is Our Youth, Lobby Hero and The Waverly Gallery. Each also had a successful revival engagement on Broadway, which resulted in each play receiving a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play
Lonergan earned an Academy Award nomination as Best Director for Manchester by the Sea, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for You Can Count On Me, Gangs of New York, and Manchester by the Sea, winning for the latter at the 89th Academy Awards. He also won the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay for Manchester by the Sea at the 70th British Academy Film Awards.

Early life and education

Lonergan was born in The Bronx, New York City to a psychiatrist mother and physician father. His mother is Jewish, and his father was Irish.
Lonergan began writing in high school at the Walden School, a now defunct, highly progressive private school in Manhattan with a strong drama program.
His first play, The Rennings Children, was chosen for the Stephen Sondheim-founded Young Playwrights, Inc. Young Playwright's Festival in 1982 while he was still an undergraduate. Lonergan matriculated to Wesleyan University, where he trained as a playwright and director. He graduated from the NYU Playwriting Program. He is an alumnus of HB Studio in New York City.
Government and commercial work
After graduating from NYU, Lonergan worked as a speechwriter for the Environmental Protection Agency. He also wrote industrial shows for clients such as Weight Watchers.

Career

Stage

Lonergan's first theatrical success came with the play This Is Our Youth ; it was followed by The Waverly Gallery, based on his grandmother's Greenwich Village gallery, and later Lobby Hero. His play The Starry Messenger premiered Off-Broadway in 2009 and starred his wife J. Smith-Cameron and Matthew Broderick.
In August 2014, This Is Our Youth was revived on Broadway starring Michael Cera, Kieran Culkin, and Tavi Gevinson at the Cort Theatre. The play received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play.
In March 2018, Lobby Hero was revived on Broadway starring Chris Evans, Michael Cera, Brian Tyree Henry, and Bel Powley at the Helen Hayes Theatre. The play received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. Cera and Tyree Henry were also nominated for their performances.
In September 2018, The Waverly Gallery was revived on Broadway starring Elaine May, Lucas Hedges, Joan Allen, David Cromer, and Michael Cera at the John Golden Theatre. The show received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. Elaine May won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.

Film

Lonergan's film career began with his screenplay for the gangland comedy Analyze This. He was subsequently offered a job writing The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle.
Lonergan directed his own screenplay for You Can Count On Me ; the film, which was executive produced by Martin Scorsese, went on to receive and be nominated for numerous writing awards. He contributed to the screenplay for Gangs of New York. In 2005, filming took place for his second film as writer/director, Margaret, starring Anna Paquin, Matt Damon, Matthew Broderick, and J. Smith-Cameron. The film spent over five years in post-production, with Lonergan, the producers and various editors unable to agree on its final cut, resulting in multiple legal disputes. It was finally released in 2011. Margaret ranked 31st in a 2016 BBC poll of the 21st century's greatest films.
Lonergan wrote and directed Manchester by the Sea, which was released in 2016 to critical acclaim. He also had a small part in the film, as a pedestrian. David Fear of Rolling Stone said the film proves that Lonergan is "practically peerless in portraying loss as a living, breathing thing without resorting to the vocabulary of griefporn."
Lonergan also wrote the BBC/Starz miniseries Howards End.

Reception

of Variety noted that Lonergan is "always a superb director of actresses," particularly in Manchester by the Sea where the director "gives the women in his ensemble their due."

Personal life

Lonergan is married to actress J. Smith-Cameron. They have one daughter, Nellie.
In January 2020, Lonergan was appointed Visiting Fellow and Artist in Residence at Kellogg College of the University of Oxford.

Credits

Stage

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

Theatre
YearAwardCategoryTitleResult
1996Drama Desk AwardBest PlayThis Is Our Youth
2000Pulitzer PrizePulitzer Prize for DramaThe Waverly Gallery
2001Drama Desk AwardBest PlayLobby Hero
2001Outer Critics Circle AwardBest PlayLobby Hero
2001Outer Critics Circle AwardJohn Gassner AwardLobby Hero
2001Olivier AwardBest PlayLobby Hero
2015Tony AwardBest Revival of a PlayThis Is Our Youth
2018Tony AwardBest Revival of a PlayLobby Hero
2019Tony AwardBest Revival of a PlayThe Waverly Gallery

Films
YearAwardCategoryFilmResult
2000Academy AwardBest Original ScreenplayYou Can Count On Me
2000Golden Globe AwardBest ScreenplayYou Can Count On Me
2000Independent Spirit AwardBest First FeatureYou Can Count On Me
2000Independent Spirit AwardBest ScreenplayYou Can Count On Me
2000Writers Guild of America AwardBest Original ScreenplayYou Can Count On Me
2000Sundance Film FestivalGrand Jury Prize for DramaYou Can Count On Me
2000Sundance Film FestivalWaldo Salt Screenwriting AwardYou Can Count On Me
2000Toronto Film Critics AssociationBest ScreenplayYou Can Count On Me
2000AFI AwardBest New WriterYou Can Count On Me
2000National Board of ReviewSpecial Achievement AwardYou Can Count On Me
2000National Society of Film Critics AwardBest ScreenplayYou Can Count On Me
2000New York Film Critics Circle AwardBest ScreenplayYou Can Count On Me
2000Los Angeles Film Critics AssociationBest ScreenplayYou Can Count On Me
2000Boston Society of Film Critics AwardBest New FilmmakerYou Can Count On Me
2000Chicago Film Critics Association AwardBest ScreenplayYou Can Count On Me
2000Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics AssociationRussell Smith AwardYou Can Count On Me
2000Satellite AwardBest ScreenplayYou Can Count On Me
2002Academy AwardBest Original ScreenplayGangs of New York
2002British Academy Film AwardsBest Original ScreenplayGangs of New York
2002Writers Guild of America AwardBest Original ScreenplayGangs of New York
2011Boston Society of Film Critics AwardBest ScreenplayMargaret
2011London Film Critics' Circle AwardScreenwriter of the YearMargaret
2016Academy AwardBest DirectorManchester by the Sea
2016Academy AwardBest Original ScreenplayManchester by the Sea
2016British Academy Film AwardsBest DirectionManchester by the Sea
2016British Academy Film AwardsBest Original ScreenplayManchester by the Sea
2016Golden Globe AwardBest DirectorManchester by the Sea
2016Golden Globe AwardBest ScreenplayManchester by the Sea
2016Directors Guild of America AwardOutstanding Directing - Feature FilmManchester by the Sea
2016Writers Guild of America AwardBest Original ScreenplayManchester by the Sea
2016Independent Spirit AwardBest ScreenplayManchester by the Sea
2016Gotham AwardBest ScreenplayManchester by the Sea
2016National Board of ReviewBest Original ScreenplayManchester by the Sea
2016New York Film Critics Circle AwardBest ScreenplayManchester by the Sea
2016Los Angeles Film Critics AssociationBest ScreenplayManchester by the Sea
2016Satellite AwardBest DirectorManchester by the Sea
2016Satellite AwardBest Original ScreenplayManchester by the Sea
2016Washington D.C. Film Critics AssociationBest DirectorManchester by the Sea
2016Washington D.C. Film Critics AssociationBest Original ScreenplayManchester by the Sea