Photo: David Shankbone / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
David Mamet writes the way real people argue, in overlapping fragments and profanity that somehow reveal the soul, and that distinctive rhythm is why Glengarry Glen Ross won the Pulitzer. To me he is fundamentally a craftsman of the spoken word, a Chicago native who weaponized everyday speech. He has ranged across plays, screenplays, directing and prose, but the obsession with language is the spine of all of it. His politics make him divisive, and his recent commentary draws sharp reactions, yet I separate the polemicist from the dramatist. As a builder of dialogue, few in American theater are his equal.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- David Mamet
- Name (Japanese)
- デヴィッド・マメット
- Reading
- でゔぃっど・まめっと
- Born
- November 30, 1947 (age 78)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Boar
- Origin
- Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- screenwriter / film director / playwright / film producer / writer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Goddard College
Awards & achievements
- 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
- 2006 Carl Sandburg Literary Award
- Hull-Warriner Award
- PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award
- star on Playwrights' Sidewalk
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Sexual Perversity in Chicago | — | |
| Notable work | American Buffalo | — | |
| Notable work | Glengarry Glen Ross | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was David Mamet born?
Born November 30, 1947 (age 78).
Where is David Mamet from?
David Mamet is from Chicago, Illinois, United States.
What does David Mamet do?
David Mamet works as screenwriter, film director, playwright, film producer, writer.
What is David Mamet known for?
Notable works include Sexual Perversity in Chicago, American Buffalo, Glengarry Glen Ross.
Screenwriter — see all → · Film director — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.