Stephen Tolkin is a renowned American screenwriter, with the majority of his credits being television films. His impressive body of work includes crime dramas based on real events, such as "Cleveland Abduction" and "The Craigslist Killer", which have garnered significant attention and acclaim.
Born into a family of writers, Tolkin's father, Mel Tolkin, was a celebrated comedy writer, and his mother, Edith Tolkin, served as the senior vice president of legal affairs at Paramount Pictures. He also has a brother, Michael Tolkin, a talented novelist.
Tolkin's educational background is marked by his attendance at Yale College and Yale School of Architecture. During his college years, he began his writing career, which would eventually lead to his notable work in print. His short story, "Notes for a Biography of Lelia Reiszman", published in 1975, earned him the prestigious Peter J. Wallace Prize for Fiction.
Tolkin's professional journey in screenwriting began in the late 1970s, with his work on episodes for the sitcom "Delta House", a spin-off of the popular film "National Lampoon's Animal House". Since then, he has been involved in numerous projects, including serving as the head writer for the fantasy series "Legend of the Seeker", which was adapted from Terry Goodkind's novel series "The Sword of Truth".
