# Gary Ross

Gary Ross (born November 3, 1956) is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. He is best known for writing and directing the fantasy comedy-drama film Pleasantville (1998), the sports drama film Seabiscuit (2003), the dystopian action film The Hunger Games (2012), and the heist comedy film Ocean's 8 (2018). Ross has been nominated for four Academy Awards.

## Early life and education

Gary Ross was born on November 3, 1956, in Los Angeles, California, the son of Gail and Arthur A. Ross, an Oscar-nominated screenwriter (Brubaker). His family is Jewish.
He attended (though did not graduate from) the University of Pennsylvania.

## Career

Ross worked as a fisherman, worked on Ted Kennedy's 1980 Presidential campaign, consulted on both Michael Dukakis 1988 presidential campaign's and Bill Clinton's presidential campaigns, and wrote a novel before being hired to write screenplays for Paramount Pictures.
Big was his first produced screenplay. Co-written with Anne Spielberg (sister of Steven), it led to an Academy Award nomination and a Writers Guild of America Award. He went on to write several other successful films, including Dave in 1993. In 1998, he wrote and directed Pleasantville, and in 2003, he wrote, directed and produced Seabiscuit, based on Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand. The film earned seven Academy Award nominations.
Ross took on the high-profile project of co-adapting and directing the film adaptation of the first book in Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games trilogy. The film was released on March 23, 2012, and earned $672.8 million worldwide. Although the film was financially and critically successful, Ross opted to not adapt or direct the sequels, citing the rushed production schedule (particularly for both writing and directing) as his main reason.
Ross also wrote and produced the animated feature The Tale of Despereaux, based on the Newbery Medal-winning children's book by Kate DiCamillo. His first book, Bartholomew Biddle and the Very Big Wind, was published by Candlewick Press in 2012. A children's book, it is written completely in verse.
His next two films as a director and writer were the period drama Free State of Jones (2016) and the heist film Ocean's 8 (2018).

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
| 1986 | The Hitchhiker | No | Yes | No | Television series (episode: "Man of Her Dreams") |
| 1988 | Big | No | Yes | Co-producer | |
| 1992 | Mr. Baseball | No | Yes | No | |
| 1993 | Dave | No | Yes | No | |
| 1994 | Lassie | No | Yes | No | |
| 1995 | The Misery Brothers | No | No | No | Actor - Redwood Stump |
| 1997 | Trial and Error | No | No | Yes | |
| 1998 | Pleasantville | Yes | Yes | Yes | Directorial Debut |
| 2003 | Seabiscuit | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2008 | The Tale of Despereaux | No | Yes | Yes | |
| 2012 | The Hunger Games | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2016 | Free State of Jones | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2018 | Ocean's 8 | Yes | Yes | No | |
| TBA | Desert Warrior | No | Yes | No | |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Title | Award |
| 1988 | Big | Saturn Award for Best Writing Nominated- Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay Nominated- Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay |
| 1993 | Dave | Paul Selvin Award Nominated- Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay Nominated- Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay |
| 1998 | Pleasantville | Satellite Award for Best Original Screenplay Producers Guild of America for Most Promising Producer Nominated- Satellite Award for Best Film – Musical or Comedy Nominated- Satellite Award for Best Director Nominated- Saturn Award for Best Writing |
| 2003 | Seabiscuit | USC Scripter Award Nominated- Academy Award for Best Picture Nominated- Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated- Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay Nominated- Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing Nominated- Producers Guild of America Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture Nominated- Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated- Satellite Award for Best Adapted Screenplay |