Photo: David Shankbone (attribution required) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Curtis Hanson was a film director, comedian and screenwriter, born on March 24, 1945 in Reno, Nevada, United States. Curtis Hanson died on September 20, 2016 at the age of 71. Schooling on record includes Montclair College Preparatory School. Awards on record include Writers Guild of America Award (1998), Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (1998), Edgar Awards (1998) and 1 more.
My Take
I have always seen Curtis Hanson as one of the most quietly underrated craftsmen of his generation. The arc from a high-school dropout editing a film magazine to an Academy Award-winning screenwriter speaks to a self-made discipline I deeply admire. What fascinates me most is his range: a director who could swing from comedy to taut, morally complex storytelling without losing his footing. He never seemed to chase the spotlight, and that restraint is exactly why his best work endures. When he passed in 2016, cinema lost a genuine writer's director, the kind who understood that character, not spectacle, is what makes a story last.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Curtis Hanson
- Name (Japanese)
- カーティス・ハンソン
- Reading
- かーてぃす・はんそん
- Born
- March 24, 1945 – September 20, 2016
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Rooster
- Origin
- Reno, Nevada, United States
- Occupation
- film director / comedian / screenwriter / film producer / film actor
2. Background
- University
- Montclair College Preparatory School
Awards & achievements
- 1998 Writers Guild of America Award
- 1998 Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay
- 1998 Edgar Awards
- National Board of Review Award for Best Film
3. Links
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Curtis Hanson born?
Born March 24, 1945.
When did Curtis Hanson die?
Died September 20, 2016, aged 71.
Where was Curtis Hanson from?
Curtis Hanson was from Reno, Nevada, United States.
What did Curtis Hanson do?
Curtis Hanson worked as film director, comedian, screenwriter, film producer, film actor.
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