Sam Levinson

Samuel Levinson (born January 8, 1985) is an American actor and filmmaker.[1] He is best known as the creator of the HBO teen drama series Euphoria (2019–present), for which he earned a BAFTA TV Award nomination.

For the American humorist, see Sam Levenson.

Sam Levinson
Levinson at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	Samuel Levinson (1985-01-08) January 8, 1985
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actor filmmaker
Years active	1992–present
Spouse(s)	Ashley Lent Levinson
Children	1
Relatives	Barry Levinson (father)

He is also known for writing and directing the comedy drama film Another Happy Day (2011) and the black comedy thriller film Assassination Nation (2018). He co-wrote the screenplay for the action comedy Operation: Endgame (2010), the television biopic The Wizard of Lies (2017), and the erotic thriller Deep Water (2020).

Early life

Levinson is the son of Diana Rhodes and filmmaker Barry Levinson. He is of Jewish descent.[2] Levinson studied method acting for four years.[3]

Career

Levinson made his film debut as an actor in the 1992 fantasy comedy Toys, alongside his brother Jack. He later appeared in the comedy-drama film Bandits (2001) and the satirical comedy film What Just Happened (2008). In 2009, he co-starred as Peter Thompson in the arthouse drama film Stoic.

In 2011, Levinson won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival[4] for his directorial debut film, Another Happy Day, which starred Ellen Barkin.[2][5]

Levinson co-wrote the 2017 television film The Wizard of Lies, which was directed by his father Barry Levinson. The film focuses on Bernie Madoff, who is played by Robert De Niro.[6]

In 2018, Levinson wrote and directed the film Assassination Nation.[7] The film premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival to mixed reviews from critics, who praised its "frenetic and visually stylish" action but criticized the thinly-written characters.[8][9]

In June 2019, Levinson created the HBO television drama series Euphoria, based on the Israeli series of the same name.[10][11] The series received critical acclaim for its direction, writing, and acting. It was notable for its depiction of its raw and graphic portrayal of teenagers wrestling with drug addiction and sexuality.[3]

Levinson co-wrote the screenplay for the erotic thriller film Deep Water, which is set for release in November 2020.[12] He also executive produced the drama film Pieces of a Woman.[13]

Personal life

From 2008 to 2011, Levinson dated the actress Ellen Barkin.[14] Levinson is married to Ashley Lent Levinson. The couple have a son.[3]

Levinson has discussed his struggles with drugs as a teenager and young adult.[15]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title
		Director	Writer	Executive Producer	Notes
2010	Operation: Endgame	No	Yes	No	Co-wrote with Brian Watanabe
2011	Another Happy Day	Yes	Yes	No
2017	The Wizard of Lies	No	Yes	No	Co-wrote with Sam Baum and John Burnham Schwartz
2018	Assassination Nation	Yes	Yes	No
2020	Deep Water	No	Yes	No	Co-wrote with Zach Helm
TBA	Pieces of a Woman	No	No	Yes
TBA	Malcolm & Marie	Yes	Yes	Yes

Acting roles

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1992	Toys	War Room Player
2001	Bandits	Billy Saunders
2008	What Just Happened	Carl
2009	Stoic	Peter Thompson

Television

Year	Title
		Director	Writer	Executive Producer	Notes
2019–present	Euphoria	Yes	Yes	Yes	Creator; 8 episodes

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result	Ref.
2011	Sundance Film Festival	Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award	Another Happy Day	Won	[16]
		Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic		Nominated
2018	Writers Guild of America Awards	Television: Long Form – Adapted	The Wizard of Lies	Nominated
	Toronto International Film Festival	People's Choice Award: Midnight Madness	Assassination Nation	Nominated
2020	British Academy Television Awards	Best International Programme	Euphoria	Nominated

References

1. Brennan, Matt (June 30, 2019). "'Euphoria' creator Sam Levinson isn't interested in following the rules". Los Angeles Times.
2. Sragow, Michael (January 31, 2011). "Like father, like son: Sam Levinson wins at Sundance". The Baltimore Sun.
3. Sandberg, Bryn Elise (June 16, 2019). "'Euphoria' Creator on Boundary-Pushing HBO Drama: "We Didn't Want to Pull Any Punches"". The Hollywood Reporter.
4. "Meet the 2011 Sundance Filmmakers: "Another Happy Day" Director Sam Levinson". IndieWire. January 14, 2011.
5. Holden, Stephen (November 17, 2011). "Sam Levinson's 'Another Happy Day' - Review". The New York Times.
6. Fienberg, Daniel (May 9, 2017). "'The Wizard of Lies': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
7. Crump, Andy (September 22, 2018). "How 'Assassination Nation' Exploits Privacy Fears". The Hollywood Reporter.
8. Giles, Jeff (September 20, 2018). "The House with a Clock in Its Walls Ticks Along Tolerably". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
9. Felperin, Leslie (February 9, 2018). "Sundance 2018; 'Assassination Nation': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
10. Roxborough, Scott (March 13, 2018). "HBO Puts in Pilot Order for 'Euphoria,' Based on Israeli Format". The Hollywood Reporter.
11. Goodman, Tim (June 5, 2019). "'Euphoria': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
12. Fleming, Mike, Jr. (August 1, 2019). "New Regency Bringing Adrian Lyne Back To Directing With 'Deep Water;' Ben Affleck, Ana de Armas In Talks For Patricia Highsmith Adaptation". Deadline Hollywood. Los Angeles, California: Penske Media Corporation.
13. Galuppo, Mia (October 22, 2019). "Shia LaBeouf to Star in Drama 'Pieces of a Woman' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
14. Dyball, Rennie (June 2, 2011). "Ellen Barkin Is Dating Sam Levinson". People.
15. Chuba, Kirsten (June 5, 2019). "'Euphoria' Creator on Authentic Trans Portrayals, Mining "Deeply Personal" History to Tackle Teen Drug Abuse". The Hollywood Reporter.
16. "Sam Levinson – Awards – IMDb". Retrieved June 15, 2020.

External links

• Sam Levinson on IMDb