Wikipedia

Jeb Stuart (writer)

Jeb Stuart (born January 21, 1956) is an American screenwriter, film director, and producer[1] best known for writing blockbuster action films like Die Hard and The Fugitive, and creating the Netflix television series Vikings: Valhalla.

Jeb Stuart
Born (1956-01-21) January 21, 1956 (age 68)
Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
Occupation(s)Screenwriter
film director
film producer
Years active1988–present
Known forVikings: Valhalla
Die Hard
The Fugitive

Career

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Stuart grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Gastonia, North Carolina, and graduated from Ashbrook High School.[2] His father Dr. James Stuart was minister at First Presbyterian Church in Gastonia. He received Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as an Masters of Arts in Communications from Stanford University. He is a former member of the graduate faculty at Northwestern University, where he taught in the Writing for Stage and Screen Program.[3]

Stuart's first screenplay was that of the 1988 action film Die Hard,[4][5] which was later revised by veteran screenwriter Steven E. de Souza. Adapted from the Roderick Thorp novel Nothing Lasts Forever, the film was a massive financial and critical success, spawning four sequels and being considered one of the greatest and most influential action films of all time.[6][7][8][9] He helped pen the science-fiction horror movie Leviathan and the Sylvester Stallone prison thriller Lock Up.

Stuart was heavily involved in the writing of The Fugitive (1993),[10] reworking David Twohy's original draft while on set and working with director Andrew Davis and stars Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. He wrote an early draft of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, entitled Indiana Jones and the Saucer Men from Mars, in 1995.[11] In 1997, he made his directorial debut with Switchback, a thriller starring Dennis Quaid and Danny Glover. The film's negative critical reception led to Stuart semi-retiring from filmmaking for over a decade, before returning by writing, producing, and directing Blood Done Sign My Name, adapted from the autobiography of author and historian Timothy Tyson.[12]

He is the creator of Netflix's Vikings: Valhalla, a historical fiction drama television series and a sequel to History's Vikings. This spin-off series starts a century after the original series and tells the tales of some of the best known Northmen in history: Leif Erikson, Freydis and Harald Hardrada.[13]

Stuart is a WGA Award for Best Screenplay nominee as well as a two-time Edgar Allan Poe Award nominee for best movie screenplay. He has received recognition for his writing from the American Film Institute and is a recipient of the Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship, administered by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, of which he has been a member for over 25 years.[3]

Personal life

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He was married to his high school sweetheart Anne Bryant Stuart from March 1, 2001 until her death. They had two children, Alexandra "Lexi" Stuart and Baker Stuart.[citation needed]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Film Writer Producer Director Notes
1988 Die Hard Yes No No Co-written with Steven E. de Souza
Nominated for Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Motion Picture
1989 Leviathan Yes No No Co-written with David Webb Peoples
Next of Kin No Associate No
Lock Up Yes No No Co-written with Richard Smith and Henry Rosenbaum
1990 Vital Signs Yes No No Co-written with Larry Ketron
Another 48 Hrs. Yes No No Co-written with John Fasano and Larry Gross
1993 The Fugitive Yes No No Co-written with David Twohy
Nominated – Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Motion Picture and WGA Award for Best Screenplay
1995 Just Cause Yes No No Co-written with Peter Stone
1997 Fire Down Below Yes Executive No Co-written with Philip Morton
Switchback Yes Executive Yes
2010 Blood Done Sign My Name Yes Yes Yes
TBA Takeover Yes No No Co-written with Brandon M. Easton

Also uncredited wrote an earlier draft for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008).[11]

Television

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Year Title Writer Executive Producer Creator Notes
2020 The Liberator Yes Yes Yes
2022–2024 Vikings: Valhalla Yes Yes Yes Also showrunner

Awards and nominations

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Nominations

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References

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  1. ^ "Jeb Stuart". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2013. Archived from the original on January 22, 2013.
  2. ^ "'Die Hard' screenwriter planted roots in Gastonia".
  3. ^ a b https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-movies/the-liberator-jeb-stuart/>
  4. ^ Caryn James (1988). "Die Hard". The New York Times.
  5. ^ "Guest Blog: Jeb Stuart". Austin Film Festival. December 9, 2015. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  6. ^ "Ode to Joy: Why Die Hard Is Still the Best Action Movie of the Modern Era". Pajiba. July 16, 2013. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  7. ^ "10 Reasons Why Die Hard Is the Best Action Movie Ever Made". IFC. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  8. ^ Breihan, Tom. "Die Hard humanized (and perfected) the action movie". Film. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  9. ^ George, Kat. "15 Reasons 'Die Hard' Is The Greatest Movie Of All Time (No, Shut Up, It Actually Is)". Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  10. ^ "Exclusive Interview: Andrew Davis on The Fugitive 20th Anniversary". CraveOnline. September 3, 2013. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  11. ^ a b Scott Chitwood (February 29, 2000). "Indiana Jones and the Saucer Men from Mars". IGN.
  12. ^ "Episode 74: A Conversation With 'Die Hard' Scribe Jeb Stuart". Writer's Bone. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  13. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 19, 2019). "'Vikings: Valhalla': Netflix Orders 'Vikings' Sequel Series From Michael Hirst, Jeb Stuart & MGM TV".
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