Tony McNamara (born 1967) is an Australian playwright, screenwriter, and television producer. He is also an occasional film director and producer. He is known for his work on the scripts for The Favourite (2018) and Poor Things (2023), two films directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay with Deborah Davis for the former and the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the latter. On television, he created the comedy-drama series The Great (2020–2023).
Tony McNamara | |
|---|---|
McNamara at the 2023 BFI London Film Festival | |
| Born | 1967 (age 56–57) Kilmore, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Playwright, screenwriter, television producer, film director, film producer |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Known for | The Favourite The Great Cruella Poor Things |
| Spouse(s) | Unknown; Belinda Bromilow (m.2009) |
| Children | 3 |
Early life and education
editTony McNamara was born in 1967[1] in Kilmore, in the state of Victoria, Australia, and was educated at Assumption College, Kilmore. Following careers in catering and finance, McNamara settled on a career as a writer following a visit to Rome.[2] He studied writing at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and screenwriting at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.[3]
Career
editAfter writing various television episodes and stage plays,[4] McNamara made his film debut in 2003 directing The Rage in Placid Lake, adapted from his stage play The Café Latte Kid.[5] Following this, he wrote for various television programmes in Australia, most notably The Secret Life of Us, Love My Way, Tangle and Puberty Blues.[3]
In 2015, McNamara directed his second feature film, comedy-drama Ashby, starring Mickey Rourke, Sarah Silverman and Emma Roberts.[6] A year later, he returned to television as creator of medical drama Doctor Doctor.[7]
In 2018, he received critical acclaim for his work in co-writing the historical comedy-drama film The Favourite with Yorgos Lanthimos, starring Emma Stone.[8] Originally a screenplay by Deborah Davis written 20 years prior to the film's release, Lanthimos and McNamara worked together to complete the final script.[9]
McNamara created The Great, a series revolving around the life of Catherine the Great, starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult, which premiered on Hulu on 15 May 2020.[10] It is based on his play about Catherine the Great, which premiered at the Sydney Theatre Company in 2008.[11] McNamara also wrote a film adaptation of the play.[12][13]
McNamara returned to work with Lanthimos as the writer for the 2023 film Poor Things, with Stone as the lead actress once again.[14]
Personal life
editMcNamara has a child by a first marriage, and married Australian actress Belinda Bromilow[15] in 2009.[16] They have two children.[17]
Filmography
editFilm
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | The Beat Manifesto | No | Yes | Short film |
| 2003 | The Rage in Placid Lake | Yes | Yes | |
| 2015 | Ashby | Yes | Yes | |
| 2018 | The Favourite | No | Yes | Also executive producer |
| 2021 | Cruella | No | Yes | |
| 2023 | Poor Things | No | Yes | |
| 2025 | The Roses | No | Yes |
Television
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | All Together Now | 1 episode; 'Your Cheatin' Heart' |
| 1997 | Big Sky | 3 episodes |
| 2001–2005 | The Secret Life of Us | 12 episodes |
| 2004–2007 | Love My Way | 7 episodes |
| 2008 | Echo Beach | 2 episodes |
| Moving Wallpaper | 1 episode | |
| Rush | ||
| 2009–2012 | Tangle | 7 episodes |
| 2010–2011 | Spirited | 3 episodes |
| 2011 | Offspring | 1 episode; 'Complications' |
| 2012–2014 | Puberty Blues | 7 episodes |
| 2016–2018 | Doctor Doctor | Creator, 15 episodes |
| 2020–2023 | The Great | Creator, 30 episodes |
Accolades
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Australian Film Institute | Best Screenplay in a Short Film | The Beat Manifesto | Won |
| 2003 | Australian Comedy Awards | Outstanding Comic Screenplay | The Rage in Placid Lake | Nominated |
| Australian Film Institute | Best Adapted Screenplay | Won | ||
| AWGIE Awards | Major AWGIE Award | Won | ||
| Best Screenplay Adaptation | Won | |||
| Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards | Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Melbourne International Film Festival | Most Popular Feature Film | Won | ||
| 2007 | AWGIE Awards | Best Writing for a Television Series | Love My Way | Won |
| Australian Film Institute | Best Screenplay in Television | Nominated | ||
| 2013 | AACTA Awards | Best Screenplay in Television | Puberty Blues | Nominated |
| 2014 | AWGIE Awards | Best Writing for a Television Series | Nominated | |
| 2015 | Best Screenplay Original | Ashby | Nominated | |
| 2018 | Academy Award | Best Original Screenplay | The Favourite | Nominated |
| Atlanta Film Critics Circle | Best Screenplay | Won | ||
| BAFTA Award | Best Original Screenplay | Won | ||
| British Independent Film Awards | Best Screenplay | Won | ||
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | Best Original Screenplay | Won | ||
| Golden Globe Award | Best Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Indiana Film Journalists Association | Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society | Best Original Screenplay | Runner-Up | ||
| Detroit Film Critics Society | Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Gotham Independent Film Awards | Best Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| 2020 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series | The Great | Nominated |
| 2023 | Capri Hollywood International Film Festival | Best Adapted Screenplay | Poor Things | Won |
| 2024 | Academy Award | Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ "Catalogue". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ "Tony McNamara". Austlit. 27 September 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
- ^ a b "Tony McNamara". Australian Plays. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
- ^ "Playwright takes stock". The Age. 9 July 2002. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
- ^ "The Rage in Placid Lake". The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 August 2003. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
- ^ "Comedy-drama film "Ashby" by Tony McNamara". 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
- ^ Bizzaca, Caris (7 September 2016). "Claudia Karvan on Doctor Doctor and Producing". Screen Australia. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
- ^ "Playing favourites - Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone, Olivia Colman, Nicholas Hoult, Joe Alwyn and Tony McNamara on The Favourite". 30 September 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
- ^ Utichi, Joe (13 February 2019). "How Tony McNamara's Hulu-Bound 'The Great' Landed Him 'The Favourite' And An Oscar Nomination". Deadline. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (17 January 2020). "Hulu Sets Premiere Dates For 'The Great', 'Ramy' And 'Solar Opposites' – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
- ^ McHenry, Jackson (15 May 2020). "How The Great Very, Very Loosely Adapts Russian History". New York. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
- ^ Utichi, Joe (13 February 2019). "How Tony McNamara's Hulu-Bound 'The Great' Landed Him 'The Favourite' And An Oscar Nomination". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
- ^ Ryan, Patrick (15 May 2020). "Hulu's 'The Great': Elle Fanning on playing Catherine the Great, severed heads and 'fully clothed sex'". USA Today. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- ^ "'Poor Things' Screenwriter Tony McNamara Breaks Down One of Its Most Complex Scenes". Vanity Fair. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
- ^ "Australian actress Oscars red carpet moment has a special meaning". Nine.com.au. 24 February 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ Rocca, Jane (21 May 2023). "The Great's Belinda Bromilow on fighting cancer twice". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ Moran, Robert (6 May 2020). "Belinda Bromilow's second stab at the story of Catherine the Great". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 January 2024.