Grant Heslov Biography| Grant Heslov Actor And Writer | Grant Heslov News

Grant Heslov Bio

Grant Heslov

Grant Heslov is an award winning screenwriter who made his name as an actor and has since worked as a director and producer. He is probably best known for Good Night and Good Luck, which he co-wrote with George Clooney.

Grant Heslov was born on May 15, 1963, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He began acting at an early age and appeared in Joanie Loves Chachi, with Scott Baio and Erin Moran, when he was still in his teens, going on to take roles in Family Ties, with Meredith Baxter and Michael J Fox; Happy Days, with Henry Winkler and Ron Howard; and Spencer, with Beverly Archer and Amy Locane.

After this, Heslov landed a role in his first film role alongside John Cusack and Ray Wise in 1985's The Journey of Natty Gran. This launched a solid acting career which spanned three decades and included appearances in hit shows including The Twilight Zone; L.A. Law, with Richard A Dysart and Jimmy Smits; thirtysomething, with Ken Olin and Mel Harris; 21 Jump Street, with Johnny Depp and Richard Grieco; Baywatch, with David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson; and CSI, with William L Peterson and Marg Helgenberger. It was on The Facts of Life that Heslov met George Clooney, who was to become his close friend and future collaborator.

Though the backbone of his career was in television work, Heslov continued to take small roles in films such as James Cameron's True Lies, with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Bill Paxton; Michael Crichton’s adaptation Congo, with Laura Linney and Tim Curry; Mike Nichols' remake The Birdcage, with Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Calista Flockhart, and Dianne Wiest; and the Pierce Brosnan vehicle Dante's Peak.

In 1998, Heslov directed his first short film, Waiting for Woody, in which he also starred, opposite Samantha Mathis. The story of an unfortunate actor hoping to meet his idol Woody Allen, it won critical acclaim and the funding Heslov needed to develop independent projects such as Par 6, featuring Rusty Burns and Misha Collins, the story of a family coming together to build a gold course in rural Texas. He went on to direct the popular TV series Unscripted, about three young hopefuls struggling to make it in Hollywood.

Waiting for Woody was Heslov's first success as a screenwriter, but his most famous thus far is Good Night and Good Luck, co-written with George Clooney and starring Jeff Daniels and David Strathairn. The story focused on the McCarthy investigations in Hollywood and Heslov's script was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe. Heslov also produced the film for Section Eight, the production company which he formed with Stephen Soderbergh.

Throughout his time as a producer, Heslov has continued to work as an actor. In recent years he has appeared in Enemy of the State, with Will Smith and Jon Voight; The Scorpion King, with Kelly Hu and wrestler The Rock; Nobody's Perfect, with Hank Azaria and Ellen Pompeo; and The Big Empty, with Selma Blair and Elias Koteas. Heslov asserts that his preference for supporting roles has allowed him to take on more varied characters.

Heslov has been married twice. He now lives in Los Angeles with his second wife, producer Candice Levenson.

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