Screenwriter
Academy Award winning Oliver Stone has written and directed over 20 full-length feature films, among them some of the most influential and iconic films of the last decades. Some have been at deep odds with conventional myth—films such as “Platoon” (1986), the first of three Vietnam films; “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989); “JFK” (1991); “Natural Born Killers” (1994); and “Nixon” (1995).
Stone’s films have often reached wide, international audiences and have had significant cultural impact. These include “Salvador” (1985), deeply critical of the U.S. Government’s involvement in Central America; “Wall Street” (1987), an exposé of America’s new capitalism; “World Trade Center” (2006), a true story of 2 (of only 20) 9/11 survivors; “The Doors” (1991), a poetic look at the 1960s and Jim Morrison’s ecstatic music; and “Snowden” (2016), the international story of a recent American whistleblower.
His other films include “Any Given Sunday” (1999), an unconventional view of the world of American sports; an epic historical drama “Alexander” (2004), and “Alexander—The Ultimate Cut” (2014); “W.” a satirical view of former U.S. President, George W. Bush; and “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” (2010) a realistic sequel about the 2008 financial crash and Gordon Gekko’s fate after prison.
In a series of crime-related films, Stone has, in addition to “Natural Born Killers,” made “U Turn” (1997) and “Savages” (2012), both dark in tone and humor.
His written screenplays, though not directed, gave him an early taste of the difficulty of his ideas. An uproar greeted “Midnight Express” (1979) and only grew with “Scarface” (1983). He also wrote “Year of the Dragon” (1985) and “Conan the Barbarian” (1982). He has produced or co-produced a dozen films, including “The People vs. Larry Flynt” (1996), “Joy Luck Club” (1993), and “Reversal of Fortune” (1990).
His documentaries include three on Fidel Castro -- “Comandante” (2003), “Looking for Fidel” (2004), and “Castro in Winter” (2012); one on South America, “South of the Border” (2009), prominently featuring Hugo Chavez and six other Presidents in a continent undergoing huge social changes; and “Persona Non Grata” (2003) on Israel-Palestine relations.
His later documentaries include “The Untold History of the United States” (Showtime, 2012), a monumental 12-hour interrogation of the conventional, triumphalist narrative of U.S. History, “The Putin Interviews” (Showtime, 2017), a four-part conversation with the Russian President, and the upcoming “JFK: Destiny Betrayed” (2021).
Stone was born September 15, 1946 in New York City. He served in the U.S. Army Infantry in Vietnam in 1967-68 and was decorated with the Bronze Star for Valor. After returning from Vietnam, he completed his undergraduate studies at New York University Film School in 1971. He worked as a taxi driver, merchant mariner, advertising salesman, and production assistant.
