Bruce McKenna | |
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| 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. 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.[4]
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.[5] McKenna "was the first Western journalist to write aboutPamyat, the Russian anti-Semitic movement that emerged after the breakup of the Soviet Union."[6] 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.[7][6]
The Pacific received eightEmmy Awards, including one for Outstanding Miniseries, at the 62nd annual Emmy Award ceremony held on August 29, 2010.[8][9]The Pacific had been nominated for 24 Emmy Awards,[10] 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."[11]
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.[12]
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