Douglas McGrath was an actor, screenwriter, and filmmaker who directed movies including the 1996 adaptation of “Emma.”
- Died: November 3, 2022 (Who else died on November 3?)
- Details of death: Died at his office in New York City of a heart attack at the age of 64.
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Career in entertainment
McGrath was a writer for “Saturday Night Live” in 1981 and ’81 before beginning to work in movies and on Broadway. He co-wrote the 1994 movie “Bullets Over Broadway” with Woody Allen, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, then wrote and directed “Emma,” starring Gwyneth Paltrow. McGrath’s other films as writer and director include “Nicholas Nickleby” and “Infamous.” Also an actor, he had roles in movies including “Quiz Show,” “The Daytrippers,” and “Happiness.” McGrath had a recurring role on the HBO series “Girls” as Principal Toby Cook and played Edward Solomon in the miniseries “Godless.” He wrote the book for the Broadway show “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” for which he received a Tony Award nomination.
Notable quote
“A lot of the writer’s life is just being alone at the desk and you learn something new every time. So much of that is what not to do! But it’s always about going forward because rejection is very discouraging and you get a lot of rejection, or I did, in the early years and you have to think: What can I learn from it?” —from a 2016 interview for NewYork.com
Tributes to Douglas McGrath
Full obituary: The Hollywood Reporter
