Eric Roth | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1945-03-22)March 22, 1945 (age 80) New York City, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of California, Santa Barbara UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television |
| Occupation | Screenwriter |
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Notable work | Full list |
| Spouse | Anne L. Peters[1] |
| Children | 5, includingVanessa |
| Awards | Full list |
Eric R. Roth (born March 22, 1945) is an American screenwriter. He has been nominated six times for theAcademy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay:Forrest Gump (1994),The Insider (1999),Munich (2005),The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008),A Star Is Born (2018), andDune (2021) — winning forForrest Gump; he also earned aBest Picture nomination for producingMank (2020). Roth also worked on the screenplays for theOscar-nominated filmsAli (2001),Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011), andKillers of the Flower Moon (2023). In 2026 Roth made his playwriting debut on London's West End with his stage adaptation ofHigh Noon starring Tony and Emmy Award-winner Billy Crudup and Olivier Award-winner Denise Gough.[2]
Roth was born in New York City, New York, into a Jewish family, the son of Miriam "Mimi", a teacher, studio executive, and radio writer, and Leon Roth, a university teacher and film producer.[3][4] He grew up inBedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn in New York.[5] He grew up boxing and would credit some of his later successes to habits learned from the sport.[5]
Roth went to college at theUniversity of California, Santa Barbara and graduated in 1966.[6] He later attendedUCLA Film School as part of the class of 1973.[citation needed]
Roth won theAcademy Award forBest Adapted Screenplay forForrest Gump. He is known for writing his scripts in an obsolete MS-DOS application called Movie Master without Internet access and distributing the scripts only in hard copy formats.[4][7][8] He followed his Academy Award win by co-writing screenplays for several Oscar-nominated films, includingThe Insider,Munich,The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, andA Star Is Born. While writingThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button, he lost both of his parents, and as a result views the film as "my most personal movie."[5][9][10]
Roth lives inSanta Monica, California.[11] He has five children, including documentary filmmakerVanessa Roth, and filmmakers Geoffrey Roth and Alec Roth; and six grandchildren.[citation needed]
Roth was one of the investors defrauded byBernard Madoff in aPonzi scheme viaStanley Chais.[12][13] He stated that his losses were heavy and he has lost his retirement money, although the full extent is unknown. As a result of the fraud and the associated losses, Roth sued the estate of Chais, who died on September 26, 2010.[citation needed]
As writer
| Year | Title | Writer | Executive Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | The Strangers in 7A | Yes | No | TV movie |
| 1992 | The Heights | Yes | No | Co-creator |
| 1994 | Jane's House | Yes | No | TV movie |
| 2011–2012 | Luck | Yes | Yes | |
| 2013–2017 | House of Cards | No | Yes | |
| 2016–2018 | Berlin Station | No | Yes | |
| 2018 | The Alienist | No | Yes | |
| 2020 | The Alienist: Angel of Darkness | No | Yes | |
| 2024 | Before | No | Yes |
