Known for movies
M. Butterfly (1993)
as Writer
Possession (2002)
as Writer
The Lost Empire (2001)
as Writer
Golden Gate (1993)
as Writer
Short Info
| Spouse | Kathryn Layng, Ophelia Chong |
| Fact | His play, "Yellow Face," was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2008. |
David Henry Hwang is an American playwright, screenwriter, and librettist. He is the author of M. Butterfly, which won the Tony Award for Best Play in 1988, and was later adapted into an Academy Award-winning film. He has also written for film and television, including the screenplay for the film version of M. Butterfly and the libretto for the Broadway musical Aida.
Hwang was born in Los Angeles, California, on August 11, 1957, to Chinese immigrant parents. His father was a Presbyterian minister and his mother was a schoolteacher. He has two older sisters. Hwang was educated at Stanford University, where he received his BA in English in 1979 and his MFA in playwriting in 1982.
Hwang’s first play, FOB, was produced Off-Broadway in 1980. His second play, The Dance and the Railroad, was produced on Broadway in 1981. His third play, M. Butterfly, was produced on Broadway in 1988 and won the Tony Award for Best Play. The play was later adapted into an Academy Award-winning film directed by David Cronenberg and starring Jeremy Irons and John Lone.
Hwang has also written for film and television, including the screenplay for the film version of M. Butterfly and the libretto for the Broadway musical Aida. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Hwang is married to actress Kathryn Layng. They have two children.
General Info
| Full Name | David Henry Hwang |
| Profession | Author, Playwright, Film producer, Screenwriter, Lyricist, Librettist |
| Education | Stanford University, Yale School of Drama |
| Nationality | American |
Family
| Spouse | Kathryn Layng, Ophelia Chong |
| Parents | Dorothy Hwang, Henry Yuan Hwang |
Accomplishments
| Awards | Tony Award for Best Play, Obie Award for Best New American Play, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, Outer Critics Circle Award for John Gassner Playwriting Award, Obie Award for Playwriting, Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts, US & Canada, Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Broadway... |
| Nominations | Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical, The Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play, New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play |
| Movies | M. Butterfly, Possession, White Frog, Golden Gate, Yellow Face, Sound of a Voice, Bondage |
Social profile links
Quotes
| # | Quote |
|---|---|
| 1 | The film world is very different now than it was 10 or 20 years ago. Big studios rarely invest nowadays in "artistic" pictures, which are likely to be made from plays. So a play will probably become an indie movie, which is more like doing an Off-Broadway show -- less money, but more artistic control. I'll see how my process with "Chinglish" works out before offering any advice. |
| 2 | [on his screen play for 'Chinglish'] There are just so many fundamental misunderstandings about our two cultures. About ideas that Americans tend to think of as intrinsic, like the role of love in long-term marriages. We don't have a term in English for 'qingyi' [a notably long marital partnership]. 'Love' is a clumsy word the way we use it. It can mean anything from altruistic love to brotherly love to lust. |
Facts
| # | Fact |
|---|---|
| 1 | He was awarded the 2006-2007 OBIE Award for Playwriting for "Yellow Face" at the Public Theater in New York City. |
| 2 | He was awarded the 2008 Back Stage Garland Award for Playwriting for "Yellow Face" at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles, California. |
| 3 | His play, "Yellow Face," was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2008. |
| 4 | He was awarded for a 2002 Back Stage Garland Award for Best Adaptation for "Flower Drum Song" at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles, California. |
| 5 | He was nominated for a 2003 Antoinette Perry (Tony) Award for Best Book of a Musical for "Flower Drum Song" on Broadway in New York City. |
| 6 | His version of the musical, "Flower Drum Song" at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles, California was awarded the 2002 Back Stage Garland Award for Production. |
| 7 | According to the AFI's "Private Screenings," "Apocalypse Now" is his favorite film. |
| 8 | His play, "Chinglish", at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois was nominated for the 2011 Equity Joseph Jefferson Award for Production of a Play (Large). |
| 9 | His play, "Chinglish", at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois was awarded the 2011 Equity Joseph Jefferson Award for New Work of a Play. |
| 10 | Nominated for the 1989 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the play "M. Butterfly" and for the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the play "Yellow Face". |
| 11 | Won Broadway's 1988 Tony Award as author of Best Play winner "M. Butterfly." He was also nominated two other times: in 1998 as author of Best Play nominee "Golden Child," and in 2003 as Best Book (Musical) for a revival and revision of "Flower Drum Song." |
Pictures
Movies
Writer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Vow | 2016 | Short | |
| The Affair | TV Series 1 episode, 2016 written by - 2 episodes, 2015 | ||
| Work/Life | 2016 | Short | |
| PSA | 2016 | Short | |
| Bondage | 2015 | based on play | |
| Yellow Face | 2013 | original story | |
| Icarus at the Edge of Time | 2010 | Short adaptation | |
| Unsuk Chin: Alice in Wonderland | 2007 | TV Movie libretto | |
| Sound of a Voice | 2003 | Short play "The Sound of a Voice" | |
| Possession | 2002 | screenplay | |
| The Lost Empire | 2001 | TV Mini-Series written by - 2 episodes | |
| Golden Gate | 1993 | written by | |
| M. Butterfly | 1993 | play / screenplay | |
| Alive from Off Center | 1991 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Forbidden Nights | 1990 | TV Movie story - as David Hwang | |
| Blind Alleys | 1985 | TV Movie as David Hwang | |
| Joseph Papp Presents: The Dance and the Railroad | 1982 | TV Movie |
Producer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Affair | 2015 | TV Series consulting producer - 10 episodes | |
| Yellow Face | 2013 | producer | |
| White Frog | 2012 | executive producer | |
| The Lost Empire | 2001 | TV Mini-Series co-producer - 2 episodes | |
| M. Butterfly | 1993 | executive producer |
Miscellaneous
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Frog | 2012 | script advisor | |
| DirecTV Movie Showcase | 2000 | TV Series creative director - as David Hwang, 2000 | |
| Picture Bride | 1994 | script advisor |
Actor
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Frog | 2012 | Pastor |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working in the Theatre | 1996-2012 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Invitation to World Literature | 2010 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Joe Papp in Five Acts | 2010 | Documentary | Himself |
| American Masters | 2009 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Long Story Short | 2008 | Video documentary | Himself |
| Hollywood Chinese | 2007 | Documentary | Himself |
| A Classic Evolves: From Print to Stage to Screen | 2006 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| An All-Access Pass to the Sets and Costumes of 'Flower Drum Song' | 2006 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| Faces of the East: Casting Flower Drum Song | 2006 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| Happy Birthday Oscar Wilde | 2004 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Charlie Rose | 2000 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| Asian Pride Porn | 2000 | Short | Himself |
| Literary Visions | 1992 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The 42nd Annual Tony Awards | 1988 | TV Special | Himself - Winner: Best Play |
Source: IMDb, Wikipedia
