Tony McNamara (writer)

Tony McNamara
McNamara at the 2023 BFI London Film Festival
Born1967 (age 56–57)
Kilmore, Victoria, Australia
Occupation(s)Playwright, screenwriter, television producer, film director, film producer
Years active1993–present
Known forThe Favourite
The Great
Cruella
Poor Things
Spouse(s)Unknown; Belinda Bromilow (m.2009)
Children3

Tony McNamara (born 1967) is an Australian playwright, screenwriter, and television producer. He is also an occasional film director and producer. He is known for his work on the scripts for The Favourite (2018) and Poor Things (2023), two films directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay with Deborah Davis for the former and the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the latter. On television, he created the comedy-drama series The Great (2020–2023).

Early life and education

Tony McNamara was born in 1967[1] in Kilmore, in the state of Victoria, Australia, and was educated at Assumption College, Kilmore. Following careers in catering and finance, McNamara settled on a career as a writer following a visit to Rome.[2] He studied writing at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and screenwriting at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.[3]

Career

After writing various television episodes and stage plays,[4] McNamara made his film debut in 2003 directing The Rage in Placid Lake, adapted from his stage play The Café Latte Kid.[5] Following this, he wrote for various television programmes in Australia, most notably The Secret Life of Us, Love My Way, Tangle and Puberty Blues.[3]

In 2015, McNamara directed his second feature film, comedy-drama Ashby, starring Mickey Rourke, Sarah Silverman and Emma Roberts.[6] A year later, he returned to television as creator of medical drama Doctor Doctor.[7]

In 2018, he received critical acclaim for his work in co-writing the historical comedy-drama film The Favourite with Yorgos Lanthimos, starring Emma Stone.[8] Originally a screenplay by Deborah Davis written 20 years prior to the film's release, Lanthimos and McNamara worked together to complete the final script.[9]

McNamara created The Great, a series revolving around the life of Catherine the Great, starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult, which premiered on Hulu on 15 May 2020.[10] It is based on his play about Catherine the Great, which premiered at the Sydney Theatre Company in 2008.[11] McNamara also wrote a film adaptation of the play.[12][13]

McNamara returned to work with Lanthimos as the writer for the 2023 film Poor Things, with Stone as the lead actress once again.[14]

Personal life

McNamara has a child by a first marriage, and married Australian actress Belinda Bromilow[15] in 2009.[16] They have two children.[17]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Director Writer Notes
1995 The Beat Manifesto No Yes Short film
2003 The Rage in Placid Lake Yes Yes
2015 Ashby Yes Yes
2018 The Favourite No Yes Also executive producer
2021 Cruella No Yes
2023 Poor Things No Yes
2025 The Roses No Yes

Television

Year Title Notes
1993 All Together Now 1 episode; 'Your Cheatin' Heart'
1997 Big Sky 3 episodes
2001–2005 The Secret Life of Us 12 episodes
2004–2007 Love My Way 7 episodes
2008 Echo Beach 2 episodes
Moving Wallpaper 1 episode
Rush
2009–2012 Tangle 7 episodes
2010–2011 Spirited 3 episodes
2011 Offspring 1 episode; 'Complications'
2012–2014 Puberty Blues 7 episodes
2016–2018 Doctor Doctor Creator, 15 episodes
2020–2023 The Great Creator, 30 episodes

Accolades

Year Award Category Nominated work Result
1995 Australian Film Institute Best Screenplay in a Short Film The Beat Manifesto Won
2003 Australian Comedy Awards Outstanding Comic Screenplay The Rage in Placid Lake Nominated
Australian Film Institute Best Adapted Screenplay Won
AWGIE Awards Major AWGIE Award Won
Best Screenplay Adaptation Won
Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated
Melbourne International Film Festival Most Popular Feature Film Won
2007 AWGIE Awards Best Writing for a Television Series Love My Way Won
Australian Film Institute Best Screenplay in Television Nominated
2013 AACTA Awards Best Screenplay in Television Puberty Blues Nominated
2014 AWGIE Awards Best Writing for a Television Series Nominated
2015 Best Screenplay Original Ashby Nominated
2018 Academy Award Best Original Screenplay The Favourite Nominated
Atlanta Film Critics Circle Best Screenplay Won
BAFTA Award Best Original Screenplay Won
British Independent Film Awards Best Screenplay Won
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards Best Original Screenplay Won
Golden Globe Award Best Screenplay Nominated
Indiana Film Journalists Association Best Original Screenplay Nominated
Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society Best Original Screenplay Runner-Up
Detroit Film Critics Society Best Original Screenplay Nominated
Gotham Independent Film Awards Best Screenplay Nominated
2020 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series The Great Nominated
2023 Capri Hollywood International Film Festival Best Adapted Screenplay Poor Things Won
2024 Academy Award Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated

References

  1. ^ "Catalogue". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Tony McNamara". Austlit. 27 September 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Tony McNamara". Australian Plays. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  4. ^ "Playwright takes stock". The Age. 9 July 2002. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  5. ^ "The Rage in Placid Lake". The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 August 2003. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  6. ^ "Comedy-drama film "Ashby" by Tony McNamara". 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  7. ^ Bizzaca, Caris (7 September 2016). "Claudia Karvan on Doctor Doctor and Producing". Screen Australia. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  8. ^ "Playing favourites - Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone, Olivia Colman, Nicholas Hoult, Joe Alwyn and Tony McNamara on The Favourite". 30 September 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  9. ^ Utichi, Joe (13 February 2019). "How Tony McNamara's Hulu-Bound 'The Great' Landed Him 'The Favourite' And An Oscar Nomination". Deadline. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  10. ^ Hipes, Patrick (17 January 2020). "Hulu Sets Premiere Dates For 'The Great', 'Ramy' And 'Solar Opposites' – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  11. ^ McHenry, Jackson (15 May 2020). "How The Great Very, Very Loosely Adapts Russian History". New York. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  12. ^ Utichi, Joe (13 February 2019). "How Tony McNamara's Hulu-Bound 'The Great' Landed Him 'The Favourite' And An Oscar Nomination". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  13. ^ Ryan, Patrick (15 May 2020). "Hulu's 'The Great': Elle Fanning on playing Catherine the Great, severed heads and 'fully clothed sex'". USA Today. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  14. ^ "'Poor Things' Screenwriter Tony McNamara Breaks Down One of Its Most Complex Scenes". Vanity Fair. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  15. ^ "Australian actress Oscars red carpet moment has a special meaning". Nine.com.au. 24 February 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  16. ^ Rocca, Jane (21 May 2023). "The Great's Belinda Bromilow on fighting cancer twice". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  17. ^ Moran, Robert (6 May 2020). "Belinda Bromilow's second stab at the story of Catherine the Great". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 January 2024.