As an award-winning filmmaker, Danny Strong is attracted to powerful and inspiring events that examine and expose the political, social, and cultural fabric of the world we live in. Strong's recent work with some of today's most influential creators further showcases his ability to bring complex characters to the fore with his writing.
Strong wrote and executive produced GAME CHANGE, the HBO film based on the bestselling book of the same name by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, which chronicles the historic events of the 2008 U.S. presidential election. The film reunited Strong with RECOUNT director Jay Roach, and stars Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson and Ed Harris. Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Jay Roach executive produced the film alongside Strong, which debuted in March 2012. The film went on to win five Emmys®, including two individual wins for Strong in the categories of Outstanding Miniseries or Movie and Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special categories. Strong and his fellow producers also shared the Golden Globe win for Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, The Producers Guild of America Award for Television Producer of the Year in Long Form, and the Peabody Award. Strong also won the Writers Guild of America Award for Television Long Form Adapted Screenplay.
Strong worked on the highly anticipated two-part finale to THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy, MOCKINGJAY Part 1 and MOCKINGJAY Part 2. Strong also adapted GARO for Disney, which tells the inspiring true story of Miami Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian who helped the 1972 Miami Dolphins become the only NFL team to have a "perfect season." In addition, Strong worked on adapting the best-seller A CONSPIRACY OF PAPER, a murder mystery set in 1719 London that ties into the financial crisis of that period.
Strong made his directorial debut with THE CRUSADERS. The project, about Thurgood Marshall and the historical 1954 Brown v. Board of Education case, is set up at HBO with Gary Ross, Allison Thomas and Bob Cooper producing. Strong produced the upcoming Sugar Ray Robinson biopic SWEET THUNDER starring David Oyelowo.
His first script, RECOUNT, starred Kevin Spacey, Laura Dern, Tom Wilkinson, John Hurt and Denis Leary and premiered to great acclaim on HBO in May 2008. Directed by JayRoach and produced by Sydney Pollack and Paula Weinstein, the film took an intimate and insightful look at the 2000 U.S. presidential election. Strong won his first WGA Award for RECOUNT, and received his first Emmy® nomination in the Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special category. The film earned a total of 11 Emmy® nominations, and won three, including Outstanding Made for Television Movie. Additionally, the film was nominated for the following awards: SAG, PGA, DGA, Broadcast Film Critics, as well as five Golden Globe Awards®, where it garnered one win.
In addition to his thriving career as a screenwriter, Strong is also an actor with extensive credits in film, television and theater, and has appeared in many of the most famous television shows of the last two decades. He was most recently seen in Season 4 and 6 of MAD MEN, as Danny Siegel, the first Jewish ad man at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Strong is best known for the five years he played 'Jonathan Levinson' on the landmark television series BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, for which he was named One of the Top Ten Scene Stealers on Television by the San Francisco Chronicle. He is also widely recognized for his four seasons as 'Doyle' on GILMORE GIRLS.
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