David Alan Mamet (/ˈmæmɪt/; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, author, and filmmaker. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony nominations for his plays Glengarry Glen Ross(1984) and Speed-the-Plow (1988). He first gained critical acclaim for a trio of 1970s off-Broadway plays: The Duck Variations, Sexual Perversity in Chicago, and American Buffalo. His plays, Race and The Penitent, respectively, opened on Broadway in 2009 and premiered off-Broadway in 2017. Feature films that Mamet both wrote and directed include House of Games (1987), Homicide (1991), The Spanish Prisoner (1997), and his biggest commercial success, Heist (2001). His screenwriting credits include The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), The Verdict (1982), The Untouchables (1987), Hoffa (1992), Wag the Dog (1997), and Hannibal (2001). Mamet himself wrote the screenplay for the 1992 adaptation of Glengarry Glen Ross and wrote and directed the 1994 adaptation of his play Oleanna (1992). He created and produced the CBS series The Unit (2006–2009). Mamet's books include: On Directing Film (1991), a commentary and dialogue about film-making; The Old Religion (1997), a novel about the lynching of Leo Frank; Five Cities of Refuge: Weekly Reflections on Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy (2004), a Torah commentary with Rabbi Lawrence Kushner; The Wicked Son (2006), a study of Jewish self-hatred and antisemitism; Bambi vs. Godzilla, a commentary on the movie business; The Secret Knowledge: On the Dismantling of American Culture (2011), a commentary on cultural and political issues; Three War Stories (2013), a trio of novellas about the physical and psychological effects of war; and Everywhere an Oink Oink: An Embittered, Dyspeptic, and Accurate Report of Forty Years in Hollywood (2023), an autobiographical account of his experiences in Hollywood. Description above from the Wikipedia article David Mamet, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Filmography

• 2025Henry Johnson — Writer, Director
• 2025Marty Supreme — Director Glenn Nordmann
• 2023Beau Is Afraid — Rabbi
• 2023The Penitent: A Rational Man — Theatre Play, Script, Novel, Idea, Writer, Screenplay
• 2022Just a Scene — Original Story
• 2014About Last Night — Theatre Play
• 2013Phil Spector — Screenplay, Director, Executive Producer
• 2011Glengarry Glen Ross — Writer
• 2010Inside the Actor's Workshop — Writer, Director
• 2010Lost Masterpieces of Pornography — Director, Writer
• 2010Our Valley — Director, Writer
• 2010The Marquee — Writer, Director
• 2010Two Painters — Writer, Director
• 2008Redbelt — Writer, Director
• 2006Edmond — Writer, Theatre Play
• The Unit — Producer, Writer, Director, Creator
• 2004Spartan — Director, Screenplay
• The Shield — Director
• 2001Catastrophe — Director
• 2001Hannibal — Screenplay
• 2001Heist — Director, Writer
• 2000Lakeboat — Theatre Play, Writer
• 2000State and Main — Director, Screenplay
• 1999Lansky — Writer
• 1999The Winslow Boy — Writer, Director
• 1998Ronin — Screenplay
• 1997The Edge — Screenplay
• 1997The Spanish Prisoner — Writer, Director
• 1997Wag the Dog — Screenplay
• 1996American Buffalo — Screenplay, Theatre Play
• 1996Hustlers, Hoaxsters, Pranksters, Jokesters and Ricky Jay
• 1996Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants — Director
• Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist — David (voice), Additional Writing
• 1994Oleanna — Director, Screenplay, Lyricist, Theatre Play
• 1994Texan — Writer
• 1994Vanya on 42nd Street — Screenplay
• 1993A Life in the Theatre — Teleplay, Executive Producer, Theatre Play
• 1992Glengarry Glen Ross — Screenplay, Theatre Play
• 1992Hoffa — Screenplay, Associate Producer
• 1992The Water Engine — Brown Haired Man, Theatre Play, Writer
• 1991Homicide — Writer, Director
• 1991The Yiddish Cinema — Narrator
• 1991Uncle Vanya — Writer
• 1989The Shawl — Writer
• The Simpsons — David Mamet (voice)
• 1989We're No Angels — Writer
• 1988Lip Service — Executive Producer
• The Play on One — Writer
• 1988Things Change — Director, Writer
• 1987Black Widow — Herb
• 1987House of Games — Director, Screenplay, Story
• 1987The Untouchables — Writer
• 1986About Last Night... — Theatre Play
• 1982The Verdict — Screenplay
• Hill Street Blues — Writer
• 1981The Postman Always Rings Twice — Screenplay
• The South Bank Show
• Assassination — Screenplay
• House of Games — Original Film Writer
• Russian Poland — Director, Writer
• Speed the Plow — Director, Theatre Play, Screenplay
• The Prince — Writer, Executive Producer

Appearances as themselves (6)

• 2012Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay — Self
• 2007David Mamet on House of Games — Himself
• 2005David Mamet on 'House of Games' — Himself
• 2003Check the Gate: Putting Beckett on Film — Self - Director ("Catastrophe")
• Real Time with Bill Maher — Self
• 1990Sanford Meisner: The American Theatre's Best Kept Secret — Self