Samuel Levinson (born January 8, 1985) is an American actor and filmmaker.
He is the son of
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
-winning director
Barry Levinson
Barry Lee Levinson (born April 6, 1942) is an American filmmaker, comedian and actor. Levinson's best-known works are mid-budget comedy drama and drama films such as '' Diner'' (1982); ''The Natural'' (1984); ''Good Morning, Vietnam'' (1987); ' ...
. In 2010, he received his first writing credit as a co-writer for the action comedy film ''
Operation: Endgame''. The following year, he made his directorial film debut with ''
Another Happy Day
''Another Happy Day'' is a 2011 American drama film written and directed by Sam Levinson, in his feature directorial debut. The film stars an ensemble cast including Ellen Barkin, Kate Bosworth, Ellen Burstyn, Thomas Haden Church, Jeffrey DeMun ...
'' (2011), which premiered at
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
. He then received a writing credit on his father's
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
television film ''
The Wizard of Lies
''The Wizard of Lies'' is a 2017 American television biopic film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Sam Levinson, Sam Baum, and John Burnham Schwartz, based on the 2011 non-fiction book of the same name by Diana B. Henriques. The film sta ...
'' (2017). He continued writing and directing for the feature films ''
Assassination Nation
''Assassination Nation'' is a 2018 American satirical black comedy thriller film written and directed by Sam Levinson. It stars an ensemble cast led by Odessa Young, Suki Waterhouse, Hari Nef, and Abra. The film takes place in the fictional t ...
'' (2018) and ''
Malcolm & Marie
''Malcolm & Marie'' is a 2021 American black-and-white romantic drama film written, co-produced and directed by Sam Levinson. The film stars Zendaya and John David Washington (who both also served as producers, alongside American musician Kid ...
'' (2021).
In 2019, Levinson created the
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
teen drama series ''
Euphoria
Euphoria ( ) is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and da ...
'' which was adapted from the
Israeli series of the same name. The series has become popular with audiences, while gaining significant
criticism
Criticism is the construction of a judgement about the negative qualities of someone or something. Criticism can range from impromptu comments to a written detailed response. , ''"the act of giving your opinion or judgment about the good or bad q ...
for its explicit content involving teens, particularly its portrayal of
teenage sexuality. Levinson was nominated for a
BAFTA TV Award
The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the BAFTA. They have been awarded annually since 1955.
Background
The first-ever Awards, given in 1955, consisted of six categories. Until ...
and two
Primetime Emmy Awards
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
for the series.
Early life
Levinson was born on January 8, 1985, and is the son of Diana Rhodes, a production designer for TV commercials, and filmmaker
Barry Levinson
Barry Lee Levinson (born April 6, 1942) is an American filmmaker, comedian and actor. Levinson's best-known works are mid-budget comedy drama and drama films such as '' Diner'' (1982); ''The Natural'' (1984); ''Good Morning, Vietnam'' (1987); ' ...
.
His father is from a
Russian-Jewish family. Levinson studied
method acting
Method acting, informally known as The Method, is a range of training and rehearsal techniques, as formulated by a number of different theatre practitioners, that seeks to encourage sincere and expressive performances through identifying with, u ...
for four years.
He has a brother, Jack Levinson, who is also an actor, and two half-siblings, Michelle and Patrick, from his mother's first marriage.
Career
Levinson made his film debut as an actor in the 1992 fantasy comedy ''
Toys
A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and pet ...
'', alongside his brother Jack. He later appeared in the comedy-drama film ''
Bandits'' (2001) and the satirical comedy film ''
What Just Happened What Just Happened may refer to:
* ''What Just Happened'' (2008 film), an American comedy-drama film directed by Barry Levinson and starring Robert De Niro
* ''What Just Happened'' (2018 film), a Nigerian comedy film directed by Charles Uwagbai
* ...
'' (2008). In 2009, he co-starred as Peter Thompson in the arthouse drama film ''
Stoic
Stoic may refer to:
* An adherent of Stoicism; one whose moral quality is associated with that school of philosophy
* STOIC, a programming language
* ''Stoic'' (film), a 2009 film by Uwe Boll
* ''Stoic'' (mixtape), a 2012 mixtape by rapper T-Pain
* ...
''. In 2011, Levinson won the
Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
for his directorial debut film, ''
Another Happy Day
''Another Happy Day'' is a 2011 American drama film written and directed by Sam Levinson, in his feature directorial debut. The film stars an ensemble cast including Ellen Barkin, Kate Bosworth, Ellen Burstyn, Thomas Haden Church, Jeffrey DeMun ...
'', which starred
Ellen Barkin.
Levinson co-wrote the 2017 television film ''
The Wizard of Lies
''The Wizard of Lies'' is a 2017 American television biopic film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Sam Levinson, Sam Baum, and John Burnham Schwartz, based on the 2011 non-fiction book of the same name by Diana B. Henriques. The film sta ...
'', which was directed by his father Barry Levinson. The film focuses on
Bernie Madoff, who is played by
Robert De Niro
Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...
.
Levinson wrote and directed the film ''
Assassination Nation
''Assassination Nation'' is a 2018 American satirical black comedy thriller film written and directed by Sam Levinson. It stars an ensemble cast led by Odessa Young, Suki Waterhouse, Hari Nef, and Abra. The film takes place in the fictional t ...
''
which premiered at the 2018
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
to mixed reviews from critics, who praised its "frenetic and visually stylish" action but criticized the thinly-written characters.
In June 2019, Levinson created the
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
television drama series ''
Euphoria
Euphoria ( ) is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and da ...
'', based on the
Israeli series of the same name ''(Hebrew: אופוריה)''.
The series has received both praise and criticism for its direction, writing, and acting. It is infamous for its raw and graphic portrayal of teenagers wrestling with drug addiction and sexuality.
In 2020, Levinson wrote and directed the film ''
Malcolm & Marie
''Malcolm & Marie'' is a 2021 American black-and-white romantic drama film written, co-produced and directed by Sam Levinson. The film stars Zendaya and John David Washington (who both also served as producers, alongside American musician Kid ...
'', reuniting him with ''Euphoria'' star
Zendaya
Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman ( ; born September 1, 1996) is an American actress and singer. She has received various accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards. ''Time'' magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the ...
. The film was distributed by
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
in February 2021. He also executive produced the drama film ''
Pieces of a Woman
''Pieces of a Woman'' is a 2020 drama film directed by Kornél Mundruczó, from a screenplay by Kata Wéber. The film stars Vanessa Kirby, Shia LaBeouf, Molly Parker, Sarah Snook, Iliza Shlesinger, Benny Safdie, Jimmie Fails, and Ellen Bursty ...
''. Levinson co-wrote the screenplay for the psychological erotic thriller ''
Deep Water'' (2022), based on the 1957
novel of the same name by
Patricia Highsmith
Patricia Highsmith (January 19, 1921 – February 4, 1995) was an American novelist and short story writer widely known for her psychological thrillers, including her series of five novels featuring the character Tom Ripley.
She wrote 22 novel ...
. On June 29, 2021, Levinson announced that he will be co-creating, writing and executive producing another HBO television drama series ''
The Idol'', alongside recording artist
Abel 'The Weeknd' Tesfaye and his producing partner Reza Fahim.
Personal life
From 2008 to 2011, Levinson dated actress
Ellen Barkin.
Levinson is married to Ashley Lent Levinson. The couple has a son.
Levinson has discussed his struggles with drugs as a teenager and young adult.
Filmography
Film
Executive producer
* ''
Pieces of a Woman
''Pieces of a Woman'' is a 2020 drama film directed by Kornél Mundruczó, from a screenplay by Kata Wéber. The film stars Vanessa Kirby, Shia LaBeouf, Molly Parker, Sarah Snook, Iliza Shlesinger, Benny Safdie, Jimmie Fails, and Ellen Bursty ...
'' (2020)
* ''
X'' (2022)
* ''
Pearl
A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...
'' (2022)
Acting roles
Television
Accolades
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Levinson, Sam
1985 births
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
American film directors
American male film actors
American male screenwriters
American people of Russian-Jewish descent
Jewish American male actors
Living people
Showrunners