John Buffalo Mailer (born April 16, 1978) is an American
author
An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states:
"''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...
,
playwright
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays.
Etymology
The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
,
actor
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...
,
producer, and
journalist
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
.
Life and career
Mailer was born in Brooklyn, the youngest child of novelist
Norman Mailer
Nachem Malech Mailer (January 31, 1923 – November 10, 2007), known by his pen name Norman Kingsley Mailer, was an American novelist, journalist, essayist, playwright, activist, filmmaker and actor. In a career spanning over six decades, Mailer ...
and author
Norris Church Mailer
Norris Church Mailer (born Barbara Jean Davis; January 31, 1949 – November 21, 2010) was an American novelist, actress, artist, and model. Norris published two novels, ''Windchill Summer'' and ''Cheap Diamonds'', and a memoir, ''A Ticket to ...
. Mailer is a graduate of
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Epis ...
. He has written several screenplays and is a freelance journalist. In 2006 he co-wrote ''The Big Empty'' (Nation Books, February '06) with his father.
Mailer founded Back House Productions in New York City with three other Wesleyan grads in October 2000. The following year, Back House became the resident theater company of The Drama Bookshop's Arthur Seelan Theater, and developed, among many plays, the 2008 Tony winner for Best Musical, ''
In The Heights
''In the Heights'' is a musical theatre, musical with concept, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a Book (musical theatre), book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story is set over the course of three days, involving characters in the larg ...
''. On being involved in theatre, Mailer says: "I think theater will always be a powerful force because we need that human touch, particularly as we spend more and more time with machines, cell phones, computers we start to lose our humanity."
In 2001, Mailer's first play, ''Hello Herman'', had its New York Premiere at the
Grove Street Playhouse
The Grove Street Playhouse, also known during its existence as the Courtyard Playhouse, was an off-Broadway theatre located on Grove Street in the West Village
The West Village is a neighborhood in the western section of the larger Greenw ...
and nine years later, its West Coast Premiere at the Edgemar Center for the Arts in Los Angeles with Mailer in the lead role. The result was Dramatists Play Services publishing the play in the Spring of 2010. Mailer's second play, ''Crazy Eyes'', premiered in Athens, Greece in 2005.
Mailer portrays the character Robby Mancins, an Options trader and the best friend of
Shia LaBeouf
Shia Saide LaBeouf (; born June 11, 1986) is an American actor, performance artist, and filmmaker. He played Louis Stevens in the Disney Channel series ''Even Stevens'', a role for which he received Young Artist Award nominations in 2001 and ...
's character Jake Moore, in
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone (born September 15, 1946) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Stone won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay as writer of '' Midnight Express'' (1978), and wrote the gangster film remake '' Sc ...
's ''
Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps''. He is a member of The Dramatists' Guild, Actor's Equity Association, SAG and The Actors Studio, has lectured at the
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...
, Wesleyan, the
University of Athens
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA; el, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών, ''Ethnikó ke Kapodistriakó Panepistímio Athinón''), usually referred to simply as the Univers ...
,
Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
, The New York Society for Ethical Culture, The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles,
Long Island University
Long Island University (LIU) is a private university with two main campuses, LIU Post and LIU Brooklyn, in the U.S. state of New York. It offers more than 500 academic programs at its main campuses, online, and at multiple non-residential. LIU ...
, and has appeared on ''Hannity and Combs'', Air America, ''Democracy Now'', WNYC, CSPAN's ''Book TV'', and thebigthink.com. He has freelanced for ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother.
K ...
'', ''
New York Magazine
''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, and with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'', ...
'', Provincetown Arts, Lid, Stop Smiling, Corriera De La Sera, ''The Norman Mailer Review'',
ESPN Books
ESPN Books is a publishing company operated by ESPN Started in 2004, ESPN Books has published almost 20 books. ESPN Books also is in charge of producing ESPN's yearly sports encyclopedia. It also controls its own book club and in addition it ranks ...
and ''
The American Conservative
''The American Conservative'' (''TAC'') is a magazine published by the American Ideas Institute which was founded in 2002. Originally published twice a month, it was reduced to monthly publication in August 2009, and since February 2013, it has ...
''.
Mailer's work can be seen on screen in the film ''
Hello Herman
''Hello, Herman'' is a 2012 American drama film directed by Michelle Danner, written by John Buffalo Mailer, and starring Norman Reedus, Garrett Backstrom, Rob Estes and Martha Higareda. It premiered at the 16th Annual Hollywood Film Festival ...
'' directed by Michelle Danner, which opened nationwide and
on-demand on June 7, 2013.
Mailer was included as one of ''People Magazine'' men "On the Verge" in 2002.
He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Claudia Maree Mailer.
Plays
* ''Hello Herman'' (2001)
* ''Crazy Eyes''
* ''Dracula on Stage''
Filmography, as an actor
* 1999: ''
Black and White (1999 TV film)
''Black and White'' is a 1999 television thriller film directed by Yuri Zeltser which stars Gina Gershon and Rory Cochrane.
Plot
A rookie Los Angeles police officer, Chris O'Brien (Cochrane), is partnered with a hard-edged officer, Nora Hugosia ...
''
* 2002: ''Up to the Roof''
* 2006: ''
Kettle of Fish (film)
''Kettle of Fish'' is a 2006 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Claudia Myers and starring Matthew Modine and Gina Gershon.
Plot
Mel is a saxophonist in his forties who lives alone with a goldfish named Daphne and has not yet d ...
''
* 2008: ''
W.''
* 2010: ''
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps''
* 2016: ''
Blind''
As producer
* 2008:
''The End of America''
* 2002: ''Up to the Roof''
As writer
* 2002: ''Up to the Roof''
* 2011: ''Hello, Herman'' Film Adaptation
References
External links
*
John Mailer on Film, Theatre & Writing: Big Think Interview''nthWORD'' Magazine Shorts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mailer, John Buffalo
1978 births
American male dramatists and playwrights
American dramatists and playwrights
American male journalists
American male screenwriters
American people of South African-Jewish descent
Jewish American dramatists and playwrights
Living people
Wesleyan University alumni
21st-century American Jews