View source for Barry Levinson

{{short description|American filmmaker (born 1942)}}
{{distinguish|Barry Levinson (producer, born 1932)}}
{{use mdy dates|date=July 2021}} {{Use American English|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Barry Levinson
| image              = Barry Levinson Shankbone 2009 Tribeca.jpg
| caption            = Levinson in 2009
| birth_name         = Barry Lee Levinson
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1942|4|6}}
| birth_place        = [[Baltimore]], Maryland, U.S.
| alma_mater         = [[American University]]
| occupation         = {{flatlist|
*Director
*screenwriter
*producer
}}
| years_active       = 1970–present
| spouse             = 
| children           = 3, including [[Sam Levinson|Sam]]
}}

'''Barry Lee Levinson''' (born April 6, 1942) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Balaban|first=Bob|date=April 19, 2011|title=Interview with Barry Levinson for the Directors Guild of America's Visual History Program|url=https://www.dga.org/VideoHTMLNew.ashx?id=%7BA4488D38-6C6F-4874-BA94-946F2B922271%7D&db=web|access-date=2021-02-26|website=Directors Guild of America|archive-date=April 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408050941/https://www.dga.org/VideoHTMLNew.ashx?id=%7BA4488D38-6C6F-4874-BA94-946F2B922271%7D&db=web|url-status=dead}}</ref> Levinson won the [[Academy Award for Best Director]] for ''[[Rain Man]]'' (1988).<ref>{{cite web | url = https://movies.nytimes.com/person/99530/Barry-Levinson/biography | first = Hal | last = Erickson | title = Barry Levinson | access-date = May 30, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100921063557/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/99530/Barry-Levinson/biography | archive-date = September 21, 2010 | department = Movies & TV Dept. | work = [[The New York Times]] | author-link = Hal Erickson (author) | date = 2010 | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Canby |first=Vincent |author-link=Vincent Canby|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/16/movies/review-film-brotherly-love-of-sorts.html |work=The New York Times |title=Review/Film; Brotherly Love, of Sorts |date=1988-12-16 |access-date=2017-02-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/al-pacino-barry-levinson-and-buck-henry-team-up-on-a-roth-tale|title=Al Pacino, Barry Levinson and Buck Henry Team Up on a Roth Tale|first=Brooks|last=Barnes|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 14, 2009}}</ref> His other best-known works are ''[[Diner (1982 film)|Diner]]'' (1982), ''[[The Natural (film)|The Natural]]'' (1984), ''[[Good Morning, Vietnam]]'' (1987), ''[[Bugsy]]'' (1991), and ''[[Wag the Dog]]'' (1997). In 2021, he co-executive produced the [[Hulu]] miniseries ''[[Dopesick (miniseries)|Dopesick]]'' and directed the first two episodes.

==Early life==

Levinson was born in [[Baltimore]], Maryland, the son of Violet "Vi" (née Krichinsky) and Irvin Levinson, who worked in the furniture and appliance business.<ref>Henderson, Randi (September 28, 1990). "The Roots of the Story: Barry Levinson's 'Avalon' Describes His Family's Coming to America; Levinson Didn't Have Far to Look for Stories for His 'Avalon' Script". ''The Baltimore Sun''. pp.&nbsp;1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-baltimore-sun-avalon-f/40893209/ 5]. Retrieved March 26, 2025. "The Krichinskys settled in Baltimore, where the brothers did well with a wallpaper business. They married and had children. Sam had a daughter named Violet, and Violet, who married Irvin Levinson, had a son named Barry."</ref> He is of Russian-Jewish descent.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ebert|first=Roger|title=Avalon movie review & film summary (1990) {{!}} Roger Ebert|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/avalon-1990-1|access-date=2021-02-26|website=www.rogerebert.com/|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Jews in the News:Sarah Michelle Gellar, Julianne Margulies and Jake Gyllenh {{!}} Tampa JCCs and Federation|url=https://www.jewishtampa.com/jews-in-the-news/jews-in-the-newssarah-michelle-gellar-julianne-margulies-and-jake-gyllenhaal|access-date=2021-02-26|website=www.jewishtampa.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Arnold|first=Peter|date=2017-05-03|title=Jmore Exclusive with Baltimore Filmmaker Barry Levinson|url=https://jmoreliving.com/2017/05/03/jmore-exclusive-with-baltimore-filmmaker-barry-levinson/|access-date=2021-02-26|website=JMORE - Baltimore Jewish Living|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Barry Levinson: Baltimore, My Baltimore|url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/film/111499levinson-film.html|access-date=2021-02-26|website=archive.nytimes.com}}</ref> After growing up in [[Forest Park, Baltimore]] and graduating from [[Forest Park High School (Maryland)|Forest Park Senior High School]] in 1960, Levinson studied [[broadcast journalism]] at [[Baltimore City Community College#History|Baltimore Junior College]] and [[American University]] in Washington, D.C.<ref>Levinson, Barry; Kornbluth, Jesse (1990). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=bBHkAxxeqeYC&pg=PR12&dq=%22Barry+levinson%22+%22American+University%22 Avalon; Tin Men; Diner: Three Screenplays]''. New York: The Atlantic Monthly Press. pp.&nbsp;XI-XII. {{ISBN|0-87113-435-7}}. "As a young man, Levinson was 460th in a class of 460. 'I was a ''terrible'' student'. [...] Levinson wasn't indolent, merely busy elsewhere. His base of operations at Forest Park High School was the Hilltop Diner, with forays to Colts and Orioles games, and, on weekends, the movies. [...] After graduation, he enrolled at Baltimore Junior College. [...] He dropped out after five months, and, for a while, sold used cars. This was far from satisfying work, so he decided to do the right thing—that is, become a well-paid tax lawyer. Legal studies were also a disaster, and he re-enrolled at Baltimore Junior College, where broadcast journalism actually engaged him sufficiently to lure him on to American University in Washington."</ref> He later moved to Los Angeles to work as an actor and writer and performed comedy routines. Levinson at one time shared an apartment with would-be drug smuggler (and subject of the movie ''[[Blow (film)|Blow]]'') [[George Jung]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=O'Brien|first=Kyle|date=24 April 2017|title=Gilbert Gottfried and Barry Levinson talk storytelling during live podcast at Tribeca Film Festival|url=https://www.thedrum.com/news/2017/04/24/gilbert-gottfried-and-barry-levinson-talk-storytelling-during-live-podcast-tribeca|access-date=2021-02-26|website=The Drum|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Carr|first=Sandra|date=April 28, 2012|title=Barry Levinson Shares His Life and Career with Fans at the Florida Film Festival|url=https://savvyscribe.blog/2012/04/28/barry-levinson-shares-his-life-and-career-with-fans-at-the-florida-film-festival/|access-date=2021-02-26|website=Savvy Scribe's Blog|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Distinguished Alumni - Notable Alumni|url=https://www.bccc.edu/Page/4677|access-date=2021-02-26|website=http|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Barry Levinson|url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/barry-levinson/bio/3000383682/|access-date=2021-02-26|website=TVGuide.com|language=en}}</ref>

==Career==
Levinson's first writing work was for television variety shows such as ''The [[Marty Feldman]] Comedy Machine'', ''The Lohman and Barkley Show'', ''[[The Tim Conway Show (1970 TV series)|The Tim Conway Show]]'', and ''[[The Carol Burnett Show]]''. He moved on to success as a film screenwriter – notably the [[Mel Brooks]] comedies ''[[Silent Movie]]'' (1976) and ''[[High Anxiety]]'' (1977) (in which he played a bellboy) and the Oscar-nominated script (co-written by [[Valerie Curtin]]) for ''[[...And Justice for All (film)|...And Justice for All]]'' (1979). He was an uncredited co-writer on [[Dustin Hoffman]]'s 1982 hit comedy ''[[Tootsie]].''

Levinson began his career as a film director with ''[[Diner (1982 film)|Diner]]'' (1982), for which he also wrote the script, earned him an Oscar nomination for [[Academy Award For Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]]. ''Diner'' was the first of four films set in the [[Baltimore]] of Levinson's youth. The other three were ''[[Tin Men]]'' (1987), a story of aluminum-siding salesmen in the 1960s starring [[Richard Dreyfuss]] and [[Danny DeVito]]; the immigrant family saga ''[[Avalon (1990 film)|Avalon]]'' (1990) featuring [[Elijah Wood]] in one of his earliest screen appearances; and ''[[Liberty Heights]]'' (1999).

His biggest hit, both critically and financially, was ''[[Rain Man]]'' (1988), a sibling drama starring Dustin Hoffman and [[Tom Cruise]] in which Levinson appeared as a doctor in a cameo appearance. The film won four [[Academy Awards]], including [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]] and [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]]. It also won the [[Golden Bear]] at the [[39th Berlin International Film Festival]].<ref name="Berlinale 1989">{{cite web |url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1989/03_preistr_ger_1989/03_Preistraeger_1989.html |title=Berlinale: 1989 Prize Winners |access-date=2011-03-13 |work=berlinale.de}}</ref>

Levinson directed the popular period baseball drama ''[[The Natural (film)|The Natural]]'' (1984), starring [[Robert Redford]]. Redford later directed ''[[Quiz Show (film)|Quiz Show]]'' (1994), and he cast Levinson as television personality [[Dave Garroway]]. Levinson also directed the classic war comedy ''[[Good Morning, Vietnam]]'' (1987), starring [[Robin Williams]] (as [[Adrian Cronauer]]), and he later collaborated with Williams on the fantasy film ''[[Toys (film)|Toys]]'' (1992) and the political comedy ''[[Man of the Year (2006 film)|Man of the Year]]'' (2006). Levinson also directed the critically acclaimed historical crime drama ''[[Bugsy]]'' (1991), which starred [[Warren Beatty]] and which was nominated for ten Academy Awards.

He directed Dustin Hoffman again in ''[[Wag the Dog]]'' (1997), a political satire co-starring [[Robert De Niro]] about a Presidential election swayed by a phony war staged on a film studio. The film won the [[Jury Grand Prix|Silver Bear – Special Jury Prize]] at the [[48th Berlin International Film Festival]].<ref name="Berlinale 1998">{{cite web |url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1998/03_preistr_ger_1998/03_Preistraeger_1998.html |title=Berlinale: 1998 Prize Winners |access-date=2012-01-23 |work=berlinale.de}}</ref>

Levinson partnered with producer [[Mark Johnson (producer)|Mark Johnson]] to form the film production company Baltimore Pictures, with 1990's ''[[Avalon (1990 film)|Avalon]]'' as the company's first production. Johnson departed the firm in 1994. Levinson has been a producer or executive producer for such major productions as ''[[The Perfect Storm (film)|The Perfect Storm]]'' (2000), directed by [[Wolfgang Petersen]]; ''[[Analyze That]]'' (2002), starring De Niro as a neurotic mob boss and [[Billy Crystal]] as his therapist; and ''[[Possession (2002 film)|Possession]]'' (2002), based on the best-selling novel by [[A. S. Byatt]].

Levinson has a television production company with [[Tom Fontana]] (The Levinson/Fontana Company) and has served as executive producer for a number of series, including ''[[Homicide: Life on the Street]]'' (which ran on [[NBC]] from 1993 to 1999) and the [[Home Box Office|HBO]] prison drama ''[[Oz (TV series)|Oz]]''. Levinson also played an uncredited main role as a judge in the short-lived TV series ''[[The Jury (TV series)|The Jury]]''.

Levinson published his first novel, ''Sixty-Six'' ({{ISBN|0-7679-1533-X}}), in 2003, and like several of his films, it is semi-autobiographical and set in Baltimore in the 1960s. In 2004, he directed two [[webisode]]s of the [[American Express]] ads "[[The Adventures of Seinfeld & Superman]]." In 2004, he was also the recipient of the [[Austin Film Festival]]'s Distinguished Screenwriter Award. Levinson directed a documentary ''[[PoliWood]]'' about the 2008 Democratic and Republican National Conventions: the documentary—produced by [[Tim Daly]], Robin Bronk and Robert E. Baruc—had its premiere at the 2009 [[Tribeca Film Festival]].

In 2011 Levinson was developing a film based on [[Whitey Bulger]], the Boston crime boss.<ref name="EW">{{cite magazine |last=Rottenberg |first=Josh |title=Hollywood Insider: What's Going on Behind the Scenes: Boston's Bulger is Now Hollywood's "It" Gangster |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=February 22, 2013 |location=New York |page=27}}</ref> The resulting film, ''[[Black Mass (film)|Black Mass]]'' (script by [[Jim Sheridan]], [[Jez Butterworth]], and [[Russell Gewirtz]]), is based on the book by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill, and it is said to be the "true story of Billy Bulger, Whitey Bulger, FBI agent John Connelly and the FBI's witness protection program created by [[J. Edgar Hoover]]."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bostonmagazine.com/arts-entertainment/blog/2013/06/20/who-should-play-whitey-bulger-black-mass/|first=Bryanna|last=Cappadona|title=Who Should Play Whitey Bulger in Black Mass?|date=June 20, 2013|work=[[Boston (magazine)|Boston]]|access-date=September 1, 2013|archive-date=April 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417034511/http://www.bostonmagazine.com/arts-entertainment/blog/2013/06/20/who-should-play-whitey-bulger-black-mass/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Levinson later left the project.

Levinson finished production on ''[[The Humbling (film)|The Humbling]]'' (2014), starring [[Al Pacino]]. Levinson also directed ''[[Rock the Kasbah (film)|Rock the Kasbah]]'' (2015), starring [[Bill Murray]].<ref name=QED-Bill>{{cite news|last=Fleming|first=Mike Jr.|title=QED Sets Bill Murray For Barry Levinson-Directed 'Rock The Kasbah'|url=https://deadline.com/2013/09/qed-sets-bill-murray-for-barry-levinson-directed-rock-the-kasbah-577012/|access-date=6 February 2014|newspaper=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=3 September 2013}}</ref>

In 2010, Levinson received the [[Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement]], which is the lifetime achievement award from the [[Writers Guild of America]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Acclaimed Screenwriter Barry Levinson to Receive WGAW's 2010 Screen Laurel Award |publisher=Writers Guild Awards |date=February 20, 2010 |url=https://awards.wga.org/awards/awards-recipients/laurel-awards/screen-laurel-award/barry-levinson |access-date=July 3, 2023}}</ref>

In 2021, he co-executive produced the [[Hulu]] miniseries ''[[Dopesick (miniseries)|Dopesick]]'' and directed the first two episodes.

===Unrealized projects===
{{Main|Barry Levinson's unrealized projects}}

==Filmography==
{{main|Barry Levinson filmography}}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Directed features
|-
! Year
! Title
! Distribution
|-
|1982
|''[[Diner (1982 film)|Diner]]''
| [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]
|-
|1984
|''[[The Natural (film)|The Natural]]''
| [[Tri-Star Pictures]]
|-
|1985
|''[[Young Sherlock Holmes]]''
| [[Paramount Pictures]]
|-
|rowspan=2|1987
|''[[Tin Men]]''
|rowspan=2|[[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Buena Vista Distribution]]
|-
|''[[Good Morning, Vietnam]]''
|-
|1988
|''[[Rain Man]]''
|[[United Artists]]
|-
|1990
|''[[Avalon (1990 film)|Avalon]]''
|rowspan=2|Tri-Star Pictures
|-
|1991
|''[[Bugsy]]''
|-
|1992
|''[[Toys (film)|Toys]]''
|[[20th Century Studios|20th Century Fox]]
|-
|rowspan=2|1994
|''[[Jimmy Hollywood]]''
|Paramount Pictures
|-
|''[[Disclosure (1994 film)|Disclosure]]''
|[[Warner Bros.]]
|-
|1996
|''[[Sleepers (film)|Sleepers]]''
|Warner Bros. / [[PolyGram Filmed Entertainment]]
|-
|1997
|''[[Wag the Dog]]''
| [[New Line Cinema]]
|-
|1998
|''[[Sphere (1998 film)|Sphere]]''
|rowspan=2|Warner Bros.
|-
|1999
|''[[Liberty Heights]]''
|-
|2000
|''[[An Everlasting Piece]]''
|[[DreamWorks Pictures]] / [[Sony Pictures Releasing]]
|-
|2001
|''[[Bandits (2001 film)|Bandits]]''
|Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / 20th Century Fox
|-
|2004
|''[[Envy (2004 film)|Envy]]''
|DreamWorks Pictures / Sony Pictures Releasing
|-
|2006
|''[[Man of the Year (2006 film)|Man of the Year]]''
|[[Universal Pictures]]
|-
|2008
|''[[What Just Happened (2008 film)|What Just Happened]]''
|[[Magnolia Pictures]]
|-
|2012
|''[[The Bay (film)|The Bay]]''
|[[Lionsgate Films|Lionsgate]] / [[Roadside Attractions]]
|-
|2014
|''[[The Humbling (film)|The Humbling]]''
|[[Millennium Films]]
|-
|2015
|''[[Rock the Kasbah (film)|Rock the Kasbah]]''
|[[Open Road Films]]
|-
|2025
|''[[The Alto Knights]]'' 
|Warner Bros. Pictures 
|}

==Awards and nominations==
{{main|List of awards and nominations received by Barry Levinson}}

<!--Table is for nominations & wins received only by films directed by Levinson. DO NOT INCLUDE FILMS THAT WEREN'T DIRECTED BY HIM-->
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Year
! rowspan="2" | Title
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" width=160| Academy Awards
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" width=160| BAFTA Awards
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" width=160| Golden Globe Awards
|-
! Nominations
! Wins
! Nominations
! Wins
! Nominations
! Wins
|-
|1982
|''[[Diner (1982 film)|Diner]]''
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|align=center|1
|
|-
|1984
|''[[The Natural (film)|The Natural]]''
|align=center|4
|
|
|
|align=center|1
|
|-
|1985
|''[[Young Sherlock Holmes]]''
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|1987
|''[[Good Morning, Vietnam]]''
|align=center|1
|
|align=center|2
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1
|-
|1988
|''[[Rain Man]]''
|align=center|8
|align=center|4
|align=center|3
|
|align=center|4
|align=center|2
|-
|1990
|''[[Avalon (1990 film)|Avalon]]''
|align=center|4
|
|
|
|align=center|3
|
|-
|1991
|''[[Bugsy]]''
|align=center|10
|align=center|2
|
|
|align=center|8
|align=center|1
|-
|1992
|''[[Toys (film)|Toys]]''
|align=center|2
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|1996
|''[[Sleepers (film)|Sleepers]]''
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|1997
|''[[Wag the Dog]]''
|align=center|2
|
|align=center|1
|
|align=center|3
|
|-
|2001
|''[[Bandits (2001 film)|Bandits]]''
|
|
|
|
|align=center|2
|
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!align=center|34
!align=center|6
!align=center|6
!align=center|0
!align=center|23
!align=center|4
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*{{IMDb name|0001469}}
*{{emmytvlegends name|barry-levinson}}
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEoZIozXEIo Barry Levinson on Charlie Rose] (March 24, 1994)
*{{C-SPAN|52953}}

{{Barry Levinson}}
{{Navboxes
|title = [[List of awards and nominations received by Barry Levinson|Awards for Barry Levinson]]
|list =
{{Academy Award Best Director}}
{{Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay}}
{{DirectorsGuildofAmericaAwardFeatureFilm 1980-1999}}
{{EmmyAward DirectingDrama 1976-2000}}
{{EmmyAward ComedyVarietyMusicWriting 1970s}}
{{Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement}}
{{Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Director}}
{{Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Levinson, Barry}}
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:Actors from Maryland]]
[[Category:Jews from Maryland]]
[[Category:Film producers from Maryland]]
[[Category:American male comedians]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male screenwriters]]
[[Category:American people of Russian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American television directors]]
[[Category:Television producers from Maryland]]
[[Category:American male television writers]]
[[Category:American University School of Communication alumni]]
[[Category:Baltimore City Community College alumni]]
[[Category:Best Directing Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Baltimore]]
[[Category:Comedians from Baltimore]]
[[Category:Directors Guild of America Award winners]]
[[Category:Directors of Golden Bear winners]]
[[Category:English-language film directors]]
[[Category:Film directors from Maryland]]
[[Category:Golden Globe Award–winning producers]]
[[Category:Jewish American screenwriters]]
[[Category:Jewish American television writers]]
[[Category:American television writers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Maryland]]
[[Category:Writers from Baltimore]]
[[Category:Writers Guild of America Award winners]]
[[Category:American comedy film directors]]
[[Category:21st-century American Jews]]
[[Category:Directors of Best Picture Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Jewish American comedians]]