# Grant Heslov

Grant Heslov (born May 15, 1963) is an American actor and filmmaker known for his producing and writing collaborations with George Clooney, which have earned him four Oscar nominations. As a co-producer of Argo (2012), he received the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2013. As an actor, he has appeared in films including True Lies (1994), Black Sheep (1996), Enemy of the State (1998), and The Scorpion King (2002), as well as performing supporting roles in several films made with Clooney.

## Personal life

Heslov was born in Los Angeles, California, and was raised in its Palos Verdes area. His father, Arthur Heslov, was a dentist, and his mother, Jerrie (née Rosen), a businesswoman. He has two older brothers, Steven and Michael. Heslov is Jewish.
He attended Palos Verdes High School, then the University of Southern California . He is a member of Phi Kappa Psi.
Heslov is married to Lysa Hayland-Heslov, a producer.

## Career

Heslov's acting credits include the films True Lies, Dante's Peak, Enemy of the State, The Scorpion King, Good Night and Good Luck, Congo, Black Sheep, and Catch Me If You Can. He has also appeared in such TV series as Murder, She Wrote, Happy Days, Family Ties, Spencer, Mama's Family, L.A. Law, Matlock, Sleeper Cell and The X-Files.
In August 2006, Heslov and George Clooney started Smokehouse Pictures and began writing screenplays for production. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay (with Clooney) and as producer for Best Film for Good Night, and Good Luck. Heslov also appears in the film as Don Hewitt, the director of the TV series See It Now, around which the movie is centered. He directed a screen adaptation of The Men Who Stare at Goats, starring Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, and Kevin Spacey and co-produced The American starring Clooney in 2012. He also worked on 2011's The Ides of March. In June 2012, he was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
In 2013, Heslov, alongside Clooney and Ben Affleck, won the Academy Award for Best Picture for Argo (2012). The three also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama and the BAFTA Award for Best Film.
Heslov directed the first and fifth episodes of the 2019 miniseries Catch-22, on which he was also executive producer.
In 2024, it was announced Heslov and George Clooney will co-write and Clooney will star in Good Night, and Good Luck, a Broadway adaptation of the film Good Night, and Good Luck.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Producer | Writer | Director |
| 1998 | Waiting for Woody | | Yes | Himself (featurette) |
| 2003 | Intolerable Cruelty | Co-producer | | Joel Coen |
| 2005 | Good Night, and Good Luck | Yes | Yes | George Clooney |
| 2008 | Leatherheads | Yes | | George Clooney |
| 2009 | The Men Who Stare at Goats | Yes | | Himself |
| 2010 | The American | Yes | | Anton Corbijn |
| 2011 | The Ides of March | Yes | Yes | George Clooney |
| 2012 | Argo | Yes | | Ben Affleck |
| 2013 | August: Osage County | Yes | | John Wells |
| 2014 | The Monuments Men | Yes | Yes | George Clooney |
| 2015 | Our Brand Is Crisis | Yes | | David Gordon Green |
| 2016 | Money Monster | Yes | | Jodie Foster |
| 2017 | Suburbicon | Yes | Yes | George Clooney |
| 2020 | The Midnight Sky | Yes | | George Clooney |
| 2023 | The Boys in the Boat | Yes | | George Clooney |
| 2024 | Wolfs | Yes | | Jon Watts |
| TBA | Red Platoon | Yes | | Daniel Espinosa |
Executive producer
* Playground (2009) (Documentary)
* The Art of Political Murder (2020) (Documentary)
* Ticket to Paradise (2022)
* How to Build a Truth Engine (2023) (Documentary)
* Untitled Ohio State Scandal Project (Documentary)
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1985 | The Journey of Natty Gann | Parker's Gang | |
| 1985 | The Boys Next Door | Joe Gonzales | |
| 1986 | Legal Eagles | Usher | |
| 1988 | Sunset | Car Attendant | |
| 1988 | License to Drive | Karl | |
| 1989 | Dangerous Curves | Wally Wilder | |
| 1989 | Catch Me if You Can | Nevil | |
| 1990 | Vital Signs | Rick | |
| 1994 | True Lies | Faisal | |
| 1995 | Congo | Richard | |
| 1996 | Black Sheep | Robbie Mieghem | |
| 1996 | The Birdcage | National Enquirer Photographer | |
| 1997 | Dante's Peak | Greg | |
| 1998 | Enemy of the State | Lenny | |
| 1998 | Waiting for Woody | Josh Silver | |
| 2002 | Bug | Gordon - Guy in Bug Suit | |
| 2002 | The Scorpion King | Arpid | |
| 2002 | Justice League | Doctor (voice) | Episode: "Injustice for All" |
| 2005 | Good Night, and Good Luck | Don Hewitt | |
| 2008 | Leatherheads | Saul Keller | |
| 2012 | Lost Angeles | Film Producer | |
| 2014 | The Monuments Men | Battlefield Doctor | |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Title | Award/Nomination |
| 2005 | Good Night, and Good Luck | Nominated- Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay Nominated- Academy Award for Best Picture Nominated- Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay Nominated- Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama |
| 2011 | The Ides of March | Nominated- Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated- AACTA International Award for Best Screenplay Nominated- Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay |
| 2012 | Argo | Academy Award for Best Picture BAFTA Award for Best Film Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Film César Award for Best Foreign Film Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama Producers Guild of America Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture Nominated- AACTA International Award for Best Film Nominated- Satellite Award for Best Film |