Alexander Dinelaris

New York-based playwright Alexander Dinelaris parlayed his critical success with several Off-Broadway dramas and musicals into a screenwriting career that launched to considerable acclaim with the Oscar-nominated fantasy/drama "Birdman" (2014). Born Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. in 1968, he initially studied directing for theater, but was encouraged by his aunt, who taught acting, to write his own plays. In the late '90s, one of his efforts, a drama called "Folding the Monster," was optioned for a Broadway run after successful readings with actors Danny Aiello and Rosie O'Donnell. In 2003, he received two Drama Desk Award nominations for the satirical musical "Zanna, Don't!" which was followed in 2004 by "The Chaos Theories." Staged readings of the latter production featuring actors Kathleen Chalfont and Ally Sheedy played to sold-out crowds and positive response at the New York Fringe Festival. "Still Life" (2009) earned positive reviews during its Off-Broadway run, but more significantly, led to a working relationship with director Alejandro Iñárritu, who hired Dinelaris to contribute preliminary work on the script to his 2010 drama "Biutiful." Two years later, Dinelaris' drama "The Red Dog Howls," which addressed the Armenian Genocide, enjoyed a run at the New York Theatre Workshop in Manhattan before Iñárritu contacted about a new film project. "Birdman," about a down-on-his-luck movie star attempting to revive his career with a gritty play, was conceived as unfolding in a single shot - a factor that proved deeply challenging for Dinelaris and his co-writers, Argentinean filmmakers Armando Bo and Nicolas Giacobone. The trio collaborated from their respective work locations in New York and Buenos Aires via Skype, eventually completing the shooting script after a year and a half of work. "Birdman" went on to become one of the biggest critical hits of late 2014, while the script earned numerous accolades and nominations, including an Oscar nomination and Golden Globe for Best Screenplay. Dinelaris then reunited with his "Birdman" collaborators to develop a television series for the Starz Network called "The One Percent," with Ed Helms, Hilary Swank and Ed Harris as the leads.