Biography
A veteran of World War II, the predominantly homosexual Vidal had lost the love of his life at the Battle of Iwo Jima and channeled his grief into the autobiographical novel, The City and the Pillar, which caused a scandal in the publishing world but was later canonized as a landmark of the American gay rights movement. An ally of Democratic President John F. Kennedy, Vidal tangled often with conservative writer William F. Buckley, with whom …
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Career Milestones
2011 | Books from 1950s written under pseudonym Edgar Box reissued, notably Death in the Fifth Position (1952), Death Before Bedtime (1953) and Death Likes It Hot (1954) | |
2009 | Published Gore Vidal: Snapshots in History's Glare | |
2007 | Wrote second memoir Point to Point Navigation: A Memoir | |
2006 | Voiced himself on the Fox animated series "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy" | |
2004 | Appeared on "Da Ali G Show" (HBO) where host Sascha Baron Cohen intentionally mistook him for Vidal Sassoon | |
2003 | Featured in the documentary "The Education of Gore Vidal" | |
2002 | Appeared in the indie film "Igby Goes Down" | |
1997 | Cast opposite Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman in sci-fi drama "Gattaca" | |
1997 | Played a congressman in "Shadow Conspiracy" | |
1995 | Published his first memoir Palimpsest | |
1994 | Appeared as a college professor in "With Honors" | |
1992 | Played major supporting role in "Bob Roberts" | |
1990 | Co-wrote the screenplay for "The Palermo Connection" | |
1989 | Scripted the TNT miniseries "Gore Vidal's 'Billy the Kid'"; also had small role as a minister | |
1988 | Wrote the novel for the NBC miniseries "Lincoln" | |
1986 | Wrote the NBC miniseries "Dress Gray" | |
1979 | Wrote the original screenplay for the controversial film "Caligula"; later asked his name be removed after director Tinto Brass and actor Malcolm McDowell rewrote the script | |
1972 | First film appearance, "Fellini's Roma" | |
1972 | Wrote the play "An Evening with Richard Nixon" | |
1970 | Adapted "Last of the Mobile Hot Shots" from a play by Tennessee Williams | |
1968 | Penned the play "Weekend" | |
1968 | Published controversial book Myra Breckinridge, a Hollywood satire | |
1966 | Co-wrote the script "Is Paris Burning?" | |
1964 | Wrote film adaptation of "The Best Man"; awarded Cannes Film Festival Critics' Prize | |
1960 | Ran unsuccessful bid for New York Congressional seat | |
1959 | Contributed to the screenplay for the Oscar-winning Best Picture "Ben-Hur" | |
1959 | Collaborated with Tennessee Williams in the feature adaptation of "Suddenly, Last Summer"; starred Elizabeth Taylor, Katharine Hepburn, and Montgomery Clift | |
1956 | Screenwriting debut, "The Catered Affair"; based on Paddy Chayefsky's play | |
1956 | Hired as a contract screenwriter by MGM | |
1955 | Enjoyed success with TV presentation "Visit to a Small Planet" (NBC); later adapted as a Broadway play (1957) and a film (1960) | |
1955 | TV writing debut, an adaptation of the George S. Kaufman-Edna Ferber Broadway play from the 1930s, "Stage Door" | |
| Adopted various pseudonyms in the 1950s after The New York Times banned reviews of his work | ||
1951 | Subject of a chapter in John W. Aldridge's book After a Lost Generation: A Critical Study of the Writers of Two Wars, which sharply criticized his work | |
1948 | Third novel The City and the Pillar caused controversy because its hero was a homosexual | |
1946 | Published first novel Williwaw based upon his Alaskan Harbor Detachment duty | |
1943 | Served in U.S. Army Reserve Corps in the Aleutian Islands | |
| As a teenager, began writing fiction and poetry | ||
Awards
1986 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing In a Miniseries or a Special in Dress Gray |