Randall Wallace

RANDALL WALLACE

Date of Birth: July 28, 1949

Born in Tennessee, Wallace attended Duke University to study religion. After graduation, he moved to L.A. to write novels. Several months later he landed a job as a producer and writer at Stephen Cannell Productions. While working for the studio, he wrote a number of screenplays for such series as J.J. Starbuck, Sonny Spoon, and Broken Badges.

While on holiday in Edinburgh, Scotland, Wallace became inspired to write about a 13th-century freedom fighter called William Wallace. He wrote the script, Braveheart, and the work caught the notice of actor Mel Gibson who made it into an Oscar-winning film. Wallace himself earned a Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay for the film.

Deciding to stick with the big screen, Wallace directed his next screenplay, The Man in the Iron Mask. Along with directing, he also produced the popular film, which was released in 1998.

In 2000, Wallace took a step back from directing, allowing Michael Bay to take charge of his next screenplay, Pearl Harbor. He returned to the director's chair with his next script, We Were Soldiers (2002). He then took a break for several years before returning to the big screen to direct Secretariat (2010), starring Diane Lane and John Malkovich. When not working, Wallace focuses on his other passion, karate (he has a black belt) and enjoys reading, playing guitar and golf.