Richard LaGravenese
Richard LaGravenese (born October 30, 1959) is an American screenwriter and film director, known for The Fisher King, The Bridges of Madison County, and Behind the Candelabra.
Richard LaGravenese

Mark Neyman · Mark Neyman / Government Press Office of Israel · Spokesperson unit of the President of Israel · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- Richard LaGravenese
- Born
- 30 October 1959
- Birthplace
- New York City, U.S.
- Occupation
- * Screenwriter
- Spouse
- Ann Weiss
- Nationality
- United States
- Education
- New York University Tisch School of the Arts · Lafayette High School
- Languages
- English
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Richard LaGravenese (born October 30, 1959) is an American screenwriter and film director, known for The Fisher King, The Bridges of Madison County, and Behind the Candelabra.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Richard LaGravenese. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q269670 · wikipedia · Richard LaGravenese
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Richard LaGravenese • Born — 30 October 1959 • Birthplace — New York City, U.S. • Occupation — * Screenwriter • film director • Years Active — 1989–present • Spouse — Ann Weiss • Children — 1
Personal life
Personal life
LaGravenese was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of a taxi driver. He is of Italian descent. He graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 1980 with a bachelor of fine arts degree in acting.
Career
Career
LaGravenese wrote The Fisher King on spec in the late 1980s. It was acquired by Stacey Sher, Lynda Obst, Debra Hill's production company and subsequently directed by Terry Gilliam. For writing the film, LaGravenese received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. In New York City during the early 1980s, billed as "The Double R" comedy duo, in collaboration with playwright Richard O'Donnell, LaGravenese co-penned and consecutively performed in several Off-Off-Broadway productions including Spare Parts, Blood-Brothers at The 78th Street Theatre Lab, The Lion Theatre, and West Bank Cafe. LaGravenese wrote an adaptation for the famously on-and-off version of the musical Gypsy for Barbra Streisand. In 2015, he revealed that he'd spent several months working on the script with Streisand. "I had the best time with her. I can't even tell you. It was like a fantasy come true. I did my first draft and went to her house to do rewrites. She's so meticulous in the best possible way. We went through it page by page by page.
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Writer — Executive Producer — Creator — Notes • 2013 — Behind the Candelabra — Television film • 2014 — The Divide • 2026 — The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey
Identity
Identity
Richard LaGravenese is recorded with the occupation executive producer. Recorded with the occupation film director. Recorded as having studied at New York University Tisch School of the Arts and Lafayette High School.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1959
Richard LaGravenese was born on 30 October 1959.
Film
• Year — Title — Director — Writer — Producer — Notes • 1989 — Rude Awakening • 1991 — The Fisher King • 1994 — The Ref • 1995 — A Little Princess • The Bridges of Madison County • Unstrung Heroes • 1996 — The Mirror Has Two Faces • 1998 — The Horse Whisperer • Living Out Loud • Beloved • 2003 — A Decade Under the Influence — Documentary film • 2006 — Paris, je t'aime — Segment: "Pigalle" • 2007 — Freedom Writers • P.S. I Love You • 2010 — Conviction — Uncredited • 2011 — Water for Elephants • 2013 — Beautiful Creatures • 2014 — The Last Five Years • Unbroken • 2016 — The Comedian • 2022 — Disenchanted — Story • 2024 — A Family Affair
Primary material
Documents and archives
scholarly publication
- RACISM IN THE FREEDOM WRITERS MOVIE BY RICHARD LAGRAVENESE: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS PERSPECTIVE, English Language Teaching Journal, 2024
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 2024
- What’s the Structural Blueprint? Draft the Architectural Foundation Interview: Richard LaGravenese, The Screenwriter’s Roadmap, 2013
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 2013
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q269670: Richard LaGravenese
Reputable secondary · Wikimedia Foundation
- “Richard LaGravenese”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Say How: L.
- 2.FamilySearch.org. FamilySearch.
- 3.FilmReference.com. Richard Lagravenese Biography (1959?-).
- 4.Hornaday, Ann. Film; Still Speaking After Writing 'The Ref'. The New York Times. March 27, 1994.
- 5.Tisch School of the Arts. Primetime Emmy Nominees > And the Tisch nominees are. 2013.
- 6.Sawyer, June. New Variety A Cabaret For The 90s. Chicago Tribune. Tribune, Inc. Friday, Page 2 - Section 7. May 15, 1992.
- 7.Kinser, Jeremy. ‘The Last Five Years’ Director On His Heartbreaking New Musical And Working On ‘Gypsy’ With Barbra Streisand'. Queerty. February 13, 2015.
- 8.Fedak, Tanya. Netflix’s ‘The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey’ Sets Release Date, First Look at Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen. Variety. September 15, 2026.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
scholarly publication
RACISM IN THE FREEDOM WRITERS MOVIE BY RICHARD LAGRAVENESE: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS PERSPECTIVE, English Language Teaching Journal, 2024Crossref registry
Institutional witnessscholarly publication
What’s the Structural Blueprint? Draft the Architectural Foundation Interview: Richard LaGravenese, The Screenwriter’s Roadmap, 2013Crossref registry
Institutional witnessreference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q269670: Richard LaGraveneseWikimedia Foundation
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Film memorabilia
37,408 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Richard KlinePerson
- Richard KwietniowskiPerson
- Richard L. BarePerson
- Richard L. BreenPerson
- Richard LavoiePerson
- Richard LaxtonPerson
- Richard LeParmentierPerson
- Richard LesterPerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Richard LaGravenese?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.