Terence Winter | |
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 Winter in 2015 | |
| Born | Terence Patrick Winter (1960-10-02)October 2, 1960 (age 65) New York City, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1995–present |
Terence Patrick Winter (born October 2, 1960)[1] is an American writer and producer of television and film. He was the creator, writer, and executive producer of theHBO television seriesBoardwalk Empire (2010–2014). Before creatingBoardwalk Empire, Winter was a writer and executive producer for the HBO television seriesThe Sopranos, from the show's second to sixth and final season (2000–2007).[2]
In 2013, Winter wrote the screenplay toMartin Scorsese'sThe Wolf of Wall Street for which he was nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He was also the co-creator, writer and executive producer of another HBO television drama series,Vinyl (2016), which ran for one season. He is an executive producer and writer on theParamount+ crime seriesTulsa King withTaylor Sheridan.[3]
Winter was born in New York City. He grew up in a working-class family inMarine Park, Brooklyn.[4][5] He went to a vocational high school in Brooklyn, studying to be an auto mechanic.[6]He studied at theNew York University, where, in 1984,[7] he received abachelor's degree in political science with a minor in journalism. He went on to study atSt. John's University School of Law, and received a J.D. in 1988,[7], and became a member of the bars ofNew York State andConnecticut. He practiced law for two years in New York City before moving to Los Angeles in 1991 to pursue a screenwriting career. During that time, he also performed as a stand-up comedian.[8] He eventually won a spot in theWarner Bros. Television Writers' Workshop,[9] and later joined the writing staff of theFox seriesThe Great Defender, starringMichael Rispoli, later aSopranos cast member.
Prior toThe Sopranos, Winter wrote for the seriesSister, Sister,Xena: Warrior Princess,The Cosby Mysteries,Flipper,Diagnosis: Murder,Charlie Grace,DiResta, andThe PJs.[2]
Winter joined theHBO seriesThe Sopranos as a writer in its second season and ultimately wrote or co-wrote 25 episodes.
In 2001, together withTim Van Patten, Winter won both theWriters Guild Award and theEdgar Award for the episode "Pine Barrens", directed bySteve Buscemi. In 2004, Winter won twoEmmy Awards, one as Executive Producer forThe Sopranos for Outstanding Drama Series, and one for Best Writing in a Drama Series for the episode "Long Term Parking".[2] He won another writing Emmy in 2006 for the episode "Members Only". Also in 2006, Winter wrote and directed the episode "Walk Like a Man" for the show's final season. Winter won his second Writers Guild Award and his fourth Emmy in 2007 whenThe Sopranos won Outstanding Drama Series. He won his third Writers Guild Award and the Pen USA award for his episode "The Second Coming".[10][11][12]The Sopranos also won The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television Drama in 2004 and 2007.
Winter wrote the screenplay for the 2005 filmGet Rich or Die Tryin' and its accompanying video game50 Cent: Bulletproof. In 2007, he wrote and produced the filmBrooklyn Rules, directed byMichael Corrente.
Winter created the HBO seriesBoardwalk Empire and also served as showrunner and head writer, with fifteen episodes credited to him, including: "Boardwalk Empire",[13] "The Ivory Tower",[14] "A Return to Normalcy",[15] "21", "Two Boats and a Lifeguard", "To the Lost",[16] "Resolution", "The Pony", "Margate Sands", "Acres of Diamonds", "William Wilson", "Farewell Daddy Blues", "The Good Listener", "Cuanto", and "Eldorado".
Winter andBoardwalk Empire won aWriters Guild of America Award for Best Writing in a New Series and he was nominated for Best Writing in a Dramatic Series 2011–2013.[17]Boardwalk Empire won theGolden Globe Award for Best Television Series Drama in 2011 and was nominated in 2012 and 2013. In addition,Steve Buscemi won for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series andKelly Macdonald was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television.[18]Boardwalk Empire was in theAmerican Film Institute's Top Ten List for TV in 2010 and 2011. The cast ofBoardwalk Empire won theScreen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble in a Drama Series, while Steve Buscemi won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series andMartin Scorsese won theDirectors Guild Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series.Boardwalk Empire was nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series in both 2011 and 2012. In addition,Boardwalk Empire won The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television Drama in 2012 and was nominated forBAFTA Best International Television in 2011.
In 2007, Winter began working on the screenplay forThe Wolf of Wall Street, based on thememoir byJordan Belfort, following a conversation withMartin Scorsese.[19] After several years of development, studio transitions and changes in financiers,Red Granite Pictures greenlit the project for preproduction. Winter, in collaboration withLeonardo DiCaprio and Scorsese, completed the finalized shooting script in 2012, with principal photography commencing later that year.[20] The film, directed by Scorsese, released in December 2013 to both critical and commercial success, earning Winter his firstAcademy Award nomination forBest Adapted Screenplay.
Winter served as the co-creator, writer, executive producer, and showrunner of the HBO period musical drama seriesVinyl, which reunited him withBoardwalk Empire actorBobby Cannavale and director Martin Scorsese.[21] Despite being picked up for a second season, Winter left his position as showrunner due to "creative differences" in April 2016 and was replaced by executive producerScott Z. Burns.[22][23] In June 2016, HBO canceled the series.[24]
Winter was the showrunner of the first season of the 2022Paramount+ seriesTulsa King. After departing the showrunner position, he later returned to the series as a writer and executive producer.[25]
| Year | Title | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Get Rich or Die Tryin' | Yes | No | |
| 2007 | Brooklyn Rules | Yes | Yes | |
| 2013 | The Wolf of Wall Street | Yes | No | Nominated –Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated –Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay |
| 2015 | The Audition | Yes | Yes | Short film |
| 2023 | Shooting Stars | No | Yes | [26] |
| 2024 | Bob Marley: One Love | Yes | No |
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