Barry Levinson

For the AFI publication "Private Screenings" Levinson chose Karl Freund The Mummy (1932) as his favorite film.

Barry Levinson was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to Violet (Krichinsky) and Irvin Levinson, who worked in furniture and appliance. He is of Russian Jewish descent. Levinson graduated from high school in 1960, attended college at American University in Washington, DC. He did well, but decided he wanted to go to Los Angeles. In LA, Levinson worked for the Oxford Company, studying acting, improvisation, and production; worked in comedy clubs, where he learned how to write; and began dating Valerie Curtin.

In 1967, won a job writing for a local TV comedy show. He eventually performed his material on the show, winning a local Emmy.

In the 70s, Levinson wrote for The Carol Burnett Show (1967) -- and won two Emmys in three years.

Levinson and Curtin married in 1975. They co-wrote: _. . .

Mel Brooks hired him for Silent Movie (1976), then, High Anxiety (1977).

And Justice for All (1979)_, and other scripts.

Met and interviewed the late John Lennon in New York City, in 1980.

While Curtin performed in San Francisco, he wrote Diner (1982). MGM bought it and, with a budget of under $5 million, Levinson directed.

Curtin and Levinson divorced in 1982.

Levinson met Dianna Rhodes while he was filming Diner (1982). She lived in Baltimore, with her two children Patrick and Michelle Levinson. Levinson and Rhodes later married and had two more children, Sam Levinson and Jack Levinson.

Proving himself as a director with The Natural (1984), he tackled his most ambitious project to that time in Rain Man (1988).

Levinson went on to place his stamp on films like Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), and Bugsy (1991).

Directed 6 different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Glenn Close, Warren Beatty, Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley, Dustin Hoffman and Robin Williams. Hoffman won an Oscar for his performance in Levinson's Rain Man (1988).

Since 1991, has been working on a documentary about the friends he grew up with in Baltimore in the 1950s.

After his many successes, Toys (1992) did poorly.

Jason Croot was screen tested for Barry Levinson in 2008.

During an interview with comedian Gilbert Gottfried at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, Levinson recounted that he first became involved with show business in 1968, when he reluctantly accompanied his friend George to an acting class. As Levinson became more and more interested in the class, his friend's interest waned and the two eventually lost touch when Levinson relocated to be closer to the film and television industry. He had no idea what became of George until he saw the film, Blow (2001), in which he learned that his friend, portrayed by Johnny Depp, became the largest cocaine dealer in America. The two reconnected following Jung's 2015 release from prison, when Jung recounted watching Levinson at the Oscars during his incarceration.

Nominated for the 2018 Emmy Award in the Outstanding Directing For A Limited Series, Movie Or Dramatic Special category for Paterno (2018), but lost to Ryan Murphy for American Crime Story: The Man Who Would Be Vogue (2018).

As of 2019, he appeared as an actor in three films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Rain Man (1988), Bugsy (1991) and Quiz Show (1994). Of those, Rain Man (1988) is a winner in the category and Levinson won an Oscar as Best Director.