Jeremy "Jez" Butterworth (born March 1969) is an English playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He has written screenplays in collaboration with his brothers, John-Henry and Tom.

Life and career

In March 1969, Butterworth was born in London, England. He has three brothers: older brothers Tom (born 1966) and Steve (born 1968); and younger brother John-Henry (born 1976). He also has a sister, Joanna. He attended Verulam Comprehensive School,

St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major town on the old Roman ...

and

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corporation established by a charter dated 9 April 1511. The ...

. All the brothers have been active in film and theatre: Steve is a producer, while Tom and John-Henry are writers. Butterworth's play ''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: *Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * '' ...

'', which premiered at the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England ...

in 1995, won the 1996

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...

, ''Evening Standard'', The Writer's Guild, and the

George Devine George Alexander Cassady Devine (20 November 1910 – 20 January 1966) was an English theatrical manager, director, teacher, and actor based in London from the early 1930s until his death. He also worked in TV and film. Early life and education ...

awards, and the Critic's Circle Award. Butterworth also wrote and directed the film adaptation of ''Mojo'' (1997). The film featured

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that span ...

. Butterworth has said that

, 2005 Nobel Literature Laureate, has been a major influence on his work: "I know and admire Harold Pinter enormously. He has a ginormous influence on me. Conversations with him have inspired my work." In 1999 Butterworth was one of the recipients of the V Europe Prize Theatrical Realities awarded to the

(with

Sarah Kane Sarah Kane (3 February 1971 – 20 February 1999) was an English playwright, screenwriter and theatre director. She is known for her plays that deal with themes of redemptive love, sexual desire, pain, torture—both physical and psychological ...

, Mark Ravenhill, Conor McPherson,

Martin McDonagh Martin Faranan McDonagh (; born 26 March 1970) is a British-Irish playwright, screenwriter, producer, and director. Born and brought up in London, he is the son of Irish parents. He is known as one of the most acclaimed modern playwrights whose ...

). Butterworth co-wrote and directed the film ''

Birthday Girl ''Birthday Girl'' is a 2001 erotic comedy thriller film directed by Jez Butterworth. The plot focuses on English bank clerk John Buckingham, who orders a Russian mail-order bride, Nadia. It becomes clear upon her arrival that Nadia cannot spea ...

'' (2001), which was produced by his brother Steve and starred

Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an American and Australian actress and producer. Known for her work across various film and television productions from several genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid act ...

. Butterworth received positive reviews of his play ''The Night Heron'' (2002), which premiered in the West End at the

. ''The Guardian'' reviewer wrote: "Can a play be simultaneously very good and very bad? I believe so." ''The Winterling'' also ran at the Royal Court in 2006. The ''British Theatre Guide'' wrote: "''The Winterling'' can be a difficult play but contains rich veins of comedy." In May 2007 Butterworth received the

E. M. Forster Award The E. M. Forster Award is a $20,000 award given annually to an Irish or British writer to fund a period of travel in the United States. The award, named after the English novelist E. M. Forster, is administered by the American Academy of Arts and ...

from the

American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqu ...

. His play ''Parlour Song'' opened in New York to "rave reviews" at the Atlantic Theatre Company,

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

in March 2008. The Almeida Theatre presented its European première in March 2009. Butterworth's fourth play for the Royal Court Theatre was ''

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

'', which premiered in July 2009 to positive reviews. Described as a "contemporary vision of life in ngland'sgreen and pleasant land", ''Jerusalem'' was the second important Butterworth production in London in 2009. The production starred

Mark Rylance Sir David Mark Rylance Waters (born 18 January 1960) is a British actor, playwright and theatre director. He is known for his roles on stage and screen having received numerous awards including an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Laurence ...

as Johnny Byron, and featured Mackenzie Crook as Ginger in a supporting role. It was a sell-out at the Royal Court, won the Evening Standard Theatre Award and Critics' Circle Theatre Award for the best play of 2009 and, with the same cast, transferred to the

Apollo Theatre The Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, in central London.

on Shaftesbury Avenue in January 2010. ''Jerusalem'' opened on Broadway in April 2011, with many of the original UK cast." 'Jerusalem' Broadway"
Playbill, retrieved 9 February 2018 It returned to London later that year, again playing at the Apollo. In January 2014 ''Jerusalem'' opened at the San Francisco Playhouse, where it also received rave reviews. ''Jerusalem'' was nominated for the 2011

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

, Play. Mark Rylance won the 2011 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Play. Jez and John-Henry Butterworth were named recipients of the Writers Guild of America West's 2011 Paul Selvin Award for their screenplay for the film '' Fair Game'' (2010), directed by

Doug Liman Douglas Eric Liman (; born July 24, 1965) is an American film director and producer. He is known for directing the films '' Swingers'' (1996), '' Go'' (1999), '' The Bourne Identity'' (2002), '' Mr. & Mrs. Smith'' (2005), ''Jumper'' (2008), '' Ed ...

and starring Naomi Watts and

Sean Penn Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He has won two Academy Awards, for his roles in the mystery drama ''Mystic River'' (2003) and the biopic ''Milk'' (2008). Penn began his acting career in televisi ...

. On 26 October 2012, Butterworth's play ''The River'' opened at the Royal Court Theatre, starring Dominic West, Laura Donnelly and Miranda Raison, with an appearance by Gillian Saker. ''The River'' had its US premiere on Broadway at the

Circle in the Square Theatre The Circle in the Square Theatre is a Broadway theater at 235 West 50th Street, in the basement of Paramount Plaza, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It is one of two Broadway theaters that use a thrust stage that extends ...

in a limited engagement in October 2014, starring

Hugh Jackman Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October 1968) is an Australian actor. Beginning in theatre and television, he landed his breakthrough role as James "Logan" Howlett / Wolverine in the 20th Century Fox ''X-Men'' film series (2000–2017), a role ...

and directed by

Ian Rickson Ian David Rickson (born 1963) is a British theatre director. He was the artistic director at the Royal Court Theatre in London from 1998 to 2006.

. Reception was positive, with London critics finding the work "lyrical", "beautifully written" and "suffuse with wonder and beauty".

''The Ferryman''

Butterworth's play '' The Ferryman'' opened at the

in April 2017. Directed by

Sam Mendes Sir Samuel Alexander Mendes (born 1 August 1965) is a British film and stage director, producer, and screenwriter. In 2000, Mendes was appointed a CBE for his services to drama, and he was knighted in the 2020 New Years Honours List. That s ...

, it became the fastest selling play in the Royal Court Theatre's history. Set in rural Derry in 1981 and focusing on the events surrounding the deaths of the IRA hunger strikers, it received 15 five-star reviews, including all the major UK papers. ''

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

'' said, "Although Butterworth is English, ''The Ferryman'' feels like a thoroughly Irish play, not only because there is not a single false note in the dialogue." The ''

Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'' said that it was "one of the two or three greatest plays of the decade". But, ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

''s Sean O'Hagan wrote, "I'm from Northern Ireland and it doesn't ring true", and it was "so close to a cultural stereotype as to be offensive". Two weeks later ''The Irish Times'' printed an opinion piece by actor Gerard Lee (of ''

Father Ted ''Father Ted'' is a sitcom created by Irish writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews and produced by British production company Hat Trick Productions for Channel 4. It aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May 1998, includin ...

'') entitled "In defence of ''The Ferryman''". He challenged negative comments, calling the play "layered and powerful". ''The Ferryman'' won the 2017 ''Evening Standard'' Award for Best Play, the 2018

Critics' Circle Award The Critics' Circle Theatre Awards, originally called ''Drama'' Theatre Awards up to 1990, are British theatrical awards presented annually for the closing year's theatrical achievements. The winners, from theatre throughout the United Kingdom, ar ...

for Best New Play, the 2018 WhatsOnStage Award for Best New Play, and the 2018 Olivier Award for Best New Play. It has played for over 350 performances at the Gielgud Theatre and transferred to Broadway in October 2018. The play won the 2019

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. F ...

for Outstanding Play and Tony Award for Best Play.

Work

Plays *''

'' (1995) Royal Court Theatre *''The Night Heron'' (2002) *''The Winterling'' (2006) *''Parlour Song'' (2008) *''

'' (2009) Royal Court Theatre *''The River'' (2012) *'' The Ferryman'' (2017) Royal Court Theatre Television *''Night of the Golden Brain'' (1993) *''Christmas'' (1996) *''

Britannia Britannia () is the national personification of Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used in classical antiquity, the Latin ''Britannia'' was the name variously applied to the British Isles, Grea ...

'' (2018) *''

Mammals Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur o ...

'' (2022) Film *''Mojo'' (1997) (also directed) *''

'' (2001) co-wrote with Tom Butterworth (also directed) *'' The Last Legion'' (2007), co-wrote with Tom Butterworth *'' Fair Game'' (2010), co-wrote with John-Henry Butterworth *'' Edge of Tomorrow'' (2014), co-wrote with

Christopher McQuarrie Christopher McQuarrie is an American filmmaker. He received the BAFTA Award, Independent Spirit Award, and Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the neo-noir mystery film ''The Usual Suspects'' (1995). He made his directorial debut wit ...

and John-Henry Butterworth *'' Get on Up'' (2014), co-wrote with John-Henry Butterworth *'' Black Mass'' (2015) co-wrote with Mark Mallouk *''

Spectre Spectre, specter or the spectre may refer to: Religion and spirituality * Vision (spirituality) * Apparitional experience * Ghost Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Spectre'' (1977 film), a made-for-television film produced and wri ...

'' (2015) co-wrote with John Logan, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade *''

Ford v Ferrari ''Ford v Ferrari'' (titled ''Le Mans '66'' in some European countries) is a 2019 American sports drama film directed by James Mangold and written by Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and Jason Keller. It stars Matt Damon and Christi ...

'' (2019), co-wrote with John-Henry Butterworth and Jason Keller *'' Cruella'' (2021) (uncredited

script doctor A script doctor is a writer or playwright hired by a film, television, or theatre production company to rewrite an existing script or improve specific aspects of it, including structure, characterization, dialogue, pacing, themes, and other eleme ...

ing) *'' Flag Day'' (2021), co-wrote with John-Henry Butterworth *'' Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny'' (2023), co-writing with John-Henry Butterworth and

James Mangold James Allen Mangold (born December 16, 1963) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for the films ''Cop Land'' (1997), '' Girl, Interrupted'' (1999), '' Walk the Line'' (2005), '' 3:10 to Yuma'' (2007), '' The Wolverine'' (2013) and '' Logan' ...

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Butterworth, Jez 1969 births Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge Critics' Circle Theatre Award winners English screenwriters English male screenwriters Laurence Olivier Award winners Living people Writers from London Film directors from London Tony Award winners English male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century English dramatists and playwrights 21st-century English dramatists and playwrights 20th-century English male writers 21st-century English male writers