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A filmmaker who earned an Academy Award and BAFTA for producing *Shakespeare in Love*.
Edward Zwick is an American filmmaker born on October 8, 1952, who has worked primarily in the comedy drama and epic historical film genres. He received an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for his work producing *Shakespeare in Love* (1998). His film debut was the comedy *About Last Night* (1986), followed by *Glory* (1989), *Legends of the Fall* (1994), *Courage Under Fire* (1996), *The Siege* (1998), *The Last Samurai* (2003), *Blood Diamond* (2006), and *Defiance* (2008). Later films include *Love & Other Drugs* (2010), *Pawn Sacrifice* (2014), and *Jack Reacher: Never Go Back* (2016). He is also the co-creator of the ABC family drama series *thirtysomething* and *Once and Again*.
- Role
- Defender / Hero
- Affiliation
- The Defiant
- First Appears
- Early Game Campaigns
- Status
- Active
- Weaponry
- Varied Melee & Ranged
- Location
- Falling Layers
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Edward M. Zwick was born on October 8, 1952, into a Jewish family in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Ruth Ellen (née Reich) and Allen Zwick. He attended New Trier High School, received a B.A. at Harvard in 1974, and graduated from the AFI Conservatory with a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1975. Despite sharing a surname and profession, Edward is unrelated to fellow director Joel Zwick. He has been married to actress Liberty Godshall since 1982, and they have two grown children. Along with Marshall Herskovitz, Zwick runs The Bedford Falls Company (named after the town in Frank Capra's *It's a Wonderful Life*). The film production company has produced such films as *Traffic* and *Shakespeare in Love* and the TV shows *thirtysomething*, *Relativity*, *Once and Again*, and *My So-Called Life*.
In Their Own Story
Zwick's body of work has earned numerous accolades, including an Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Picture as a producer, and Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Writing in a Limited Series, and Outstanding Dramatic Special. He was one of the recipients of the Academy Award for Best Picture for *Shakespeare in Love*; he was also nominated in the same category for *Traffic*. He has also been nominated for multiple Golden Globe Awards. In 2024, Zwick released his memoir, *Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood*.
Reader's Guide
Zwick's films include *Glory* (1989), *Legends of the Fall* (1994), *The Siege* (1998), *The Last Samurai* (2003), *Blood Diamond* (2006), and *Defiance* (2008). Under Zwick's direction, actors have received Academy Award wins and nominations for their performances in their respective roles. His memoir, published on February 13, 2024, is titled *Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood* (New York: Gallery Books, ISBN 9781668046999, OCLC 1384411519).
Did You Know?
- Edward Zwick received an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for producing *Shakespeare in Love* (1998).
- He is the co-creator of the ABC family drama series *thirtysomething* and *Once and Again*.
- Zwick was born on October 8, 1952, into a Jewish family in Chicago, Illinois.
- He graduated from the AFI Conservatory with a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1975.
- In 2024, Zwick released his memoir *Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood*.