Claim: Jay Roach directed Bryan Cranston.

Trumbo is a 2015 American biographical drama film directed by Jay Roach and written by John McNamara . The film stars Bryan Cranston , Diane Lane , Helen Mirren , Louis C.K. , Elle Fanning , John Goodman and Michael Stuhlbarg . The film follows the life of Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo and is based on the biography Dalton Trumbo by Bruce Alexander Cook .   The film was shown in the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival on September 12 , 2015 , and was released on November 6 , 2015 , by Bleecker Street . The film received generally positive reviews , with lead actor Bryan Cranston nominated for several awards , including the Academy Award for Best Actor , but has also been criticized for historical inaccuracies and misportrayals of people and events .