Brian Helgeland was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and raised in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He has had a diverse range of jobs, including snow shoveler, scrap newspaper collector, dishwasher, nursing home janitor, drug store clerk, and unreliable nightshift gas station attendant.
After receiving a degree in English, Helgeland took a job as a 'half-share man' on a fishing vessel, working the dredges of a deep sea scalloper over 100 miles offshore for two weeks at a time. After a year at sea, he discovered a book entitled "A Guide To Film School" and applied to several film schools, eventually being accepted by one.
Helgeland's big break came with several spec script sales, including "The Ticking Man" which he co-wrote with Manny Coto, and two other specs sales to Warner Bros, which landed him an exclusive writing deal. This deal resulted in seven produced films, including two for director Richard Donner and two for Clint Eastwood.
Helgeland won an Academy Award for his work on "LA Confidential". He began his directing career with an episode of "Tales From The Crypt" and later directed "Payback" and "A Knight's Tale". He also worked on several projects with director Tony Scott, including "Man On Fire".
Helgeland has directed and written several biopics, including "42" and "Legend", and his most recent film is "Finestkind". He is an admirer of John Huston, Richard Brooks, Walter Hill, Frank Pierson, Curtis Hanson, and other screenwriters who have directed their own films.
