Bruce McKenna | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1962-03-14)March 14, 1962 (age 63) |
| Occupation(s) | Screenwriter,television writer,television producer |
| Years active | 2001–present |
Bruce C. McKenna (born March 14, 1962) is an American writer for television and film. He was the co-executive producer, creator, principal writer and researcher on the 2010HBO 10 part mini-series,The Pacific, which was co-produced bySteven Spielberg andTom Hanks.
McKenna, a native ofEnglewood, New Jersey, is the youngest son of paleontologistMalcolm McKenna and Priscilla McKenna, who had served as Englewood's City Council President.[1] He attendedElisabeth Morrow School and graduated fromDwight-Englewood School in 1980[2] andWesleyan University in 1984,[3]Phi Beta Kappa, where he majored in European history and received the Dutcher History Prize. At Wesleyan, Bruce holds an All-Time Men's Lacrosse Individual Scoring Leaders Record for most goals in one game (8) and is listed as a Career 100 Point Scorer.[4] After graduation, he attended the Ph.D. program in Russian and Soviet intellectual history atStanford University for one year. McKenna left Stanford to become a freelance writer focusing in politics and foreign affairs.[5]
Before his work in television and film, McKenna worked as a journalist and freelance writer. He has written many articles on the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and Pakistan, and has interviewed Prime MinisterBenazir Bhutto.[6] McKenna "was the first Western journalist to write aboutPamyat, the Russian anti-Semitic movement that emerged after the breakup of the Soviet Union."[7] His work has appeared inArete, the arts magazine,The National Review,The New York Times, and other publications.
In 2001, he wrote three episodes of the television seriesBand of Brothers, entitled: "The Last Patrol" (co-writer; eighth episode), "Bastogne" (sole writer; sixth episode), and "Replacements" (co-writer; fourth episode). McKenna's "Bastogne" episode won aWriters Guild Award, garnered anEmmy nomination, and was a finalist for theHumanitas Prize.[8][7]
The Pacific received eightEmmy Awards, including one for Outstanding Miniseries, at the 62nd annual Emmy Award ceremony held on August 29, 2010.[9][10]The Pacific had been nominated for 24 Emmy Awards,[11] including McKenna's nomination for "Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special" for his writing (with co-writerRobert Schenkkan) of the episode "The Pacific" - "Part Ten."[12]
He is currently adaptingArthur C. Clarke's novelRendezvous with Rama for the screen. He also is writing the screenplay forThe Hands of Shang-Chi. In 2002, McKenna sold a pitch for an "Untitled Western" that he went on to write for a high-seven figure deal. Ridley Scott is currently attached to direct.[13]
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