Tony Spiridakis
Born1959 (age 64–65)
Queens, New York City, US
EducationYale University (BFA)
Occupation(s)Writer, producer, director, actor, playwright
Children2

Tony Spiridakis (born 1959 in Queens, New York City) is an American film director, writer, actor, producer and playwright best known for such films as Queens Logic, Tinseltown, The Last Word, If Lucy Fell and Ash Tuesday. He is the writer of Ezra, which he produced with director Tony Goldwyn, William Horberg, and Jon Kilik. The film, which stars Bobby Cannavale, Robert DeNiro, Rose Byrne, and Vera Farmiga, follows a struggling comedian and his autistic son on a cross-country road trip.[1][2][3][4]

Spiridakis has developed scripts for Dustin Hoffman, Richard Dreyfuss, and Diane Keaton as well as for iconic producers such as Laura Ziskin, Stacey Snider, Mary Parent, and Warren Littlefield. Other films include Tinseltown, based on his acclaimed play Self Storage, both starring Ron Perlman and Joe Pantoliano; Noise, which he directed and produced, starring Ally Sheedy and John Slattery; the documentary road trip film Driving to Ground Zero; and If Lucy Fell, starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Ben Stiller. Spiridakis’ play The Last Word had a successful run in Los Angeles before he adapted, produced, and directed the film starring Timothy Hutton. His post-9/11 drama, Beyond The Ashes, co-starred Spiridakis with Giancarlo Esposito, Janeane Garofalo, and Tony Goldwyn.

Spiridakis’ TV credits include co-creating and producing the Fox series The Heights with Academy Award-winning screenwriter Eric Roth, the CBS crime drama Falcone with Academy Award-winning screenwriter Robert Moresco, and the Netflix legal drama Justice with Emmy-winning writer William Finkelstein.[5] Spiridakis studied at the Yale School of Drama and has appeared in dozens of TV and films, including House, L.A. Law, The Equalizer, Bay City Blues, and Death Wish 3. Additionally, he produced and acted in Academy and Tony Award-winning writer Doug Wright’s play Callbacks and worked with Stanley Kubrick on the film Full Metal Jacket.

Currently, Spiridakis’ projects in pre-production include: Breath of Life, a true story about the mayor of an Italian village during WWII who makes the ultimate sacrifice to help the Allies drive the Nazis from Rome, which Spiridakis is set to direct; and Mike's Place, the true story of a blues bar in Tel Aviv during the Second Intifada that survives the devastation of a suicide bombing, with director Todd Komarnicki, who co-produces with Antoine Fuqua and Andrew Levitas.[6]

In 2012 Spiridakis co-founded the Manhattan Film Institute, an intensive workshop where twenty-five directors and twenty-five actors write, shoot, and edit twenty-five original short films with mentorship from world-renowned writers, actors, producers, and directors.[7]

In 2023 Spiridakis began working as a writer and consulting producer on Earth Abides, the MGM+ series based on the 1949 sci-fi novel by George R. Stewart.

Additionally, Spiridakis is the Founder and Board Chair of North Fork Arts Center (NFAC), a non-profit cinema and live performance venue located in Greenport, N.Y.[8]

Spiridakis is a father of two and a strong advocate for autism awareness.[9][10]

Partial filmography

Film

Year Title Role
1985 Death Wish 3 Angel
1990 Pacific Heights actor
1991 Queens Logic Vinny (also writer)
1995 The Last Word Director, writer
1996 If Lucy Fell Story
1997 Tinseltown Director, writer
2002 Driving to Ground Zero Director, writer
2003 Ash Tuesday Punch (also writer)
2004 Noise Director
2023 Ezra Producer, writer
TBA Mike's Place Writer
TBA Breath of Life Director, writer

Television

Year Title Role
1983 Bay City Blues Lee Jacoby
1986 Harem (miniseries) General Mustafa
1990 Hometown Boy Makes Good Chuck Frazier
1991 Monsters Hercules Valvalotus
1992 The Heights Co-creator
2000 Falcone Writer (episodes: "Lealta" and "... But Not Forgotten")
2007 House Actor (episode: "Resignation")
2017 Justice: Qalb Al Adala Writer
2018 Greenport Tom Wood (also co-creator)
2023 Earth Abides Writer, consulting producer

References

  1. ↑ "FILM; Yes, Tony Spiridakis, You Can Go Home Again (Published 1989)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 28, 2023.
  2. ↑ "New York Times". Movies & TV Dept. Baseline & All Movie Guide. 2012. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Los Angeles Times". Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved December 11, 2010.
  4. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (October 27, 2022). "First Look At Robert De Niro & Bobby Cannavale In Comedy 'Inappropriate Behavior'; Pic Pre-Sells To France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Lat Am, More". Deadline. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  5. ↑ "CLASS-CONSCIOUS PLOTS FILL NEW YOUNG ADULT TV SHOWS". Chicago Tribune. October 2, 1992. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  6. ↑ McNary, Dave (May 10, 2018). "Antoine Fuqua, Todd Komarnicki Developing Mike's Place Terrorist Attack Drama (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Founders - Manhattan Film Institute". November 15, 2019. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Home - North Fork Arts Center". nofoartscenter.org. January 12, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  9. ↑ Schroeder, Katharine (July 24, 2017). "A father's journey with his autistic son inspires 'Greenport,' a television pilot". SoutholdLOCAL. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  10. ↑ Spiridakis, Tony (October 17, 2017), Inappropriate Behavior: Fatherhood and Autism, retrieved November 4, 2022
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