Biography
Prior to that success, Ball penned off-Broadway productions, including "Five Women Wearing the Same Dress," before cutting his teeth on sitcoms like "Grace Under Fire" (ABC, 1993-98) and "Cybill" (CBS, 1994-98). Because of his fascination with dysfunctional families, he created "Six Feet Under" (HBO, 2001-05), a darkly comic drama about a family that runs a funeral home in Los Angeles after the untimely death of their patriarch (Richard …
Career Milestones
| After college, moved to NYC | ||
| Founding member of the Theater Company Alarm Dog Rep | ||
| Raised in Marietta, GA | ||
| Worked as an art director at Adweek and Inside PR | ||
1991 | Premiered "The M Word" at the inaugural Lucille Ball Festival of New American Comedy | |
1993 | Debuted breakthrough stage play "Five Women Wearing the Same Dress" at NYC's Manhattan Class Company | |
1994 | Moved to Los Angeles to join the writing staff of the ABC sitcom "Grace Under Fire"; also served as story editor | |
1995 | Wrote for the CBS sitcom "Cybill"; also produced | |
1999 | Feature film debut as screenwriter, "American Beauty"; also co-produced | |
1999 | Produced the ABC sitcom "Oh, Grow Up," based on his personal experiences as a gay man living with heterosexual male roommates | |
2001 | Created the award-winning HBO drama series "Six Feet Under," about a dysfunctional family that operates a funeral home | |
2008 | Created the HBO drama series "True Blood," based on Charlaine Harris' books about the co-existence of vampires and humans; announced he was stepping down as series showrunner in 2012 | |
2008 | Feature film directorial debut, "Towelhead"; also penned the adaptation from Alicia Erian's novel | |
2010 | Executive produced and directed the HBO movie "All Signs of Death" | |
Awards
1999 | Academy Award for Writing (Screenplay Written Directly For the Screen) in American Beauty |
1999 | BAFTA Award for Original Screenplay in American Beauty |
1999 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Original Screenplay in American Beauty |
1999 | Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture in American Beauty |
2001 | Directors Guild of America Award for Dramatic Series Night in Six Feet Under |
2002 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series in Six Feet Under |
2002 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in Six Feet Under |
2003 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in Six Feet Under |
2004 | Producers Guild of America Award for Television Series - Drama in Six Feet Under |
2005 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in Six Feet Under |
2006 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series in Six Feet Under |
2006 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series in Six Feet Under |
2010 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in True Blood |