Jez Butterworth

Jez Butterworth
Butterworth in 2019
Butterworth in 2019
BornJeremy Butterworth
(1969-03-04) March 4, 1969 (age 55)
London, England
Occupation
  • Playwright
  • screenwriter
  • film director
Notable works
PartnerLaura Donnelly
RelativesJohn-Henry Butterworth (brother)

Jeremy "Jez" Butterworth is an English playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He has gained recognition for his unique voice in contemporary theater, often blending themes of myth, folklore, and realism. He has received a Tony Award and two Laurence Olivier Awards.

Butterworth started his career with his play, a comedic dark crime drama Mojo (1995) which earned the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy. He found acclaim with his play Jerusalem which has been described as "the greatest British play of the 21st century".[1] He wrote the play The Ferryman (2017) about the a former IRA volunteer set in The Troubles, which won both the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play and the Tony Award for Best Play. His latest play The Hills of California (2024) debuted in London and made its Broadway transfer in the same year.

He made his directorial film debut with Mojo (1997) based off his own play of the same name. He has since written the screenplays for films such as the erotic thriller Birthday Girl (2001), the political drama Fair Game (2010), the science fiction action film Edge of Tomorrow (2014), the James Brown biopic Get On Up (2014), the Whitey Bulger crime drama Black Mass (2015), and sports drama Ford v Ferrari (2019). He has also co-written screenplays for James Bond film Spectre (2015) and the Indiana Jones franchise film Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023).

  1. ^ "The greatest British play of the century: why Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem is a masterpiece". The Telegraph. Retrieved 15 September 2024.