Etan Cohen | |
|---|---|
איתן כהן | |
| Born | (1974-03-14)March 14, 1974 (age 51) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Harvard College |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1995–present |
Etan Cohen (Hebrew:איתן כהן; born March 14, 1974) is anIsraeli-American screenwriter and film director who has written scripts for Hollywood movies, includingIdiocracy,Tropic Thunder,Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa,Men in Black 3, andThe Bad Guys.
Born in Israel to aJewish family, Cohen grew up inSharon, Massachusetts. He graduated from theMaimonides School andHarvard College, where he wrote for theHarvard Lampoon.[1][2]
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His first produced scripts, in 1995 and 1997, were forBeavis and Butthead, where he was credited as Etan Cohen.[citation needed] He has since written for otherMike Judge-directed projects, includingKing of the Hill from 2001 to 2005, and for the feature filmIdiocracy in 2006. In the late 1990s he worked on two other television series – the animatedRecess and the short livedIt's Like, You Know.... In 2007, he wrote the short film ‘My Wife is Retarded,’.[3] After scriptingIdiocracy, he worked on the animated series,American Dad! and wrote the episode, "Failure Is Not a Factory-Installed Option". TheAmerican Dad! minor character of the same name is named for him.
In 2008, Cohen co-wrote, along withBen Stiller andJustin Theroux, the action-comedy filmTropic Thunder. He also co-wrote, along withEric Darnell andTom McGrath,Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, which earned anAnnie Award nomination for bestWriting in a Feature Production.
Cohen penned the script for 2012'sMen in Black 3. In 2015, he made his directorial debut withGet Hard, which he also co-wrote.
Cohen wrote and directed the 2018 filmHolmes & Watson. The film was a critical and commercial flop and later earned him aGolden Raspberry Award for Worst Director.[4]
Cohen is an observant Jew.[5] He keeps kosher and does not work on the Jewish Sabbath. He and his wife send their children to a Jewish day school.[5]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Idiocracy | No | Yes | Co-wrote withMike Judge |
| 2008 | Tropic Thunder | No | Yes | Co-wrote withJustin Theroux andBen Stiller |
| 2008 | Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa | No | Yes | Co-wrote withEric Darnell andTom McGrath Nominated –Annie Award for Best Writing in an Animated Feature Production[6] |
| 2012 | Men in Black 3 | No | Yes | |
| 2015 | Get Hard | Yes | Yes | Directorial debut Co-wrote with Jay Martel andIan Roberts |
| 2018 | Holmes & Watson | Yes | Yes | Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director[7] |
| 2022 | The Bad Guys | No | Yes | Additional screenplay material by Yoni Brenner and Hilary Winston Also executive producer withAaron Blabey and Patrick Hughes |
| 2022 | Puss in Boots: The Last Wish | No | Partial | Additional screenplay material |
| 2024 | Brothers | No | Yes |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1995–1997 | Beavis and Butt-head | |
| 1999 | It's Like, You Know | |
| Recess | ||
| Timon & Pumbaa | ||
| 2001–2005 | King of the Hill | Annie Award for Best Writing in an Animated Television Production[8] |
| 2006 | American Dad! |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Annie Award | Writing in an Animated Television Production | King of the Hill | Won | [9] |
| 2007 | US Comedy Arts Festival | Comedy Festival Award for Best Short Film | My Wife Is Retarded | Won | [10] |
| 2009 | Annie Award | Best Writing in an Animated Feature Production | Madagascar 2 | Nominated | [9] |
| 2019 | 39th Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Director | Holmes & Watson | Won | [11] |
