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Stephen Chbosky

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Stephen Chbosky
Chbosky on the Jericho panel at San Diego Comic-Con, 2006
Chbosky on the Jericho panel at San Diego Comic-Con, 2006
Born (1970-01-25) January 25, 1970 (age 54)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation
  • Screenwriter
  • director
  • author
Years active1995–present
RelativesJohn Erick Dowdle (brother-in law)

Stephen Chbosky (/ʃəˈbɒski/;[1] born January 25, 1970) is an American film director, screenwriter, and author. He is best-known for writing the bestselling coming-of-age novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower (1999), as well as for writing and directing the 2012 film adaptation of the book. Most recently, he directed the 2017 drama Wonder and the 2021 film adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen. His first psychological horror novel, Imaginary Friend, was published in October 2019.[2][3]

Early life

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Chbosky was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was raised the suburb of Upper St. Clair Township, Pennsylvania.[4] He is the son of Lea (née Meyer), a tax preparer, and Fred G. Chbosky, a steel company executive and consultant to CFOs.[4][5][6] Chbosky has a sister, Stacy, who is married to director John Erick Dowdle.[7][8] He was raised Catholic.[9][10] As a teenager, Chbosky "enjoyed a good blend of the classics, horror, and fantasy."[11] He was heavily influenced by J. D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye and the writing of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Tennessee Williams.[11] Chbosky graduated from Upper St. Clair High School in 1988, around which time he met Stewart Stern, screenwriter of the 1955 James Dean film Rebel Without a Cause. Stern became Chbosky's "good friend and mentor", and proved a major influence on Chbosky's career.[12]

Career

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In 1992, Chbosky graduated from the University of Southern California's Filmic Writing, screenwriting program.[13] He wrote, directed, and acted in the 1995 independent film The Four Corners of Nowhere, which gained Chbosky his first agent. It also was accepted by the Sundance Film Festival, and became one of the first films shown on the Sundance Channel.[6] In the late 1990s, Chbosky wrote several unproduced screenplays, including ones titled Audrey Hepburn's Neck and Schoolhouse Rock.[14]

In 1994, Chbosky was working on a "very different type of book" than The Perks of Being a Wallflower when he wrote the line, "I guess that's just one of the perks of being a wallflower."[11] Chbosky recalled that he "wrote that line. And stopped. And realized that somewhere in that [sentence] was the kid I was really trying to find."[11] After several years of gestation, Chbosky began researching and writing The Perks of Being a Wallflower, an epistolary novel that follows the intellectual and emotional maturation of a teenager who uses the alias Charlie over the course of his first year of high school. The book is semi-autobiographical; Chbosky has said that he "relate[s] to Charlie[...] But my life in high school was in many ways different."[11]

The book, Chbosky's first novel, was published by Pocket Books in 1999, and was an immediate popular success with teenage readers; by 2000, the novel was MTV Books' best-selling title,[14] and The New York Times noted in 2007 that it had sold more than 700,000 copies and "is passed from adolescent to adolescent like a hot potato".[15] As of May 2013, the number of copies in print reached over two million. Wallflower also stirred up controversy due to Chbosky's portrayal of teen sexuality and drug use.[16] The book has been removed from circulation in several schools and appeared on the American Library Association's 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2022[15][17][18] and 2023[19] lists of the 10 most frequently challenged books. In July 2013, The Perks of Being a Wallflower had spent over a year on the New York Times Bestseller list, and was published in 31 languages.

In 2000, Chbosky edited Pieces, an anthology of short stories. The same year, he worked with director Jon Sherman on a film adaptation of Michael Chabon's novel The Mysteries of Pittsburgh,[6] though the project fell apart by August 2000.[20] Chbosky wrote the screenplay for the 2005 film adaptation of the Broadway rock musical Rent, which received mixed reviews.[21] In late 2005, Chbosky said that he was writing a film adaptation of The Perks of Being a Wallflower.[6]

In the mid-2000s, Chbosky decided, on the advice of his agent, to begin looking for work in television in addition to film.[13] Finding he "enjoyed the people [he met who were working] in television",[13] Chbosky agreed to serve as co-creator, executive producer, and writer of the CBS serial television drama Jericho, which premiered in September 2006. The series revolves around the inhabitants of the fictional small town of Jericho, Kansas in the aftermath of several nuclear attacks. Chbosky has said the relationship between Jake Green, the main character, and his mother, reflected "me and my mother in a lot of ways".[13] The first season of Jericho had lackluster ratings, and CBS canceled the show in May 2007.[22][23] A grassroots campaign to revive the series convinced CBS to renew the series for a second season, which premiered on February 12, 2008, before being canceled once more in March 2008.[24][25]

Chbosky wrote the screenplay of and directed the film The Perks of Being a Wallflower, based on his novel. Production took place in mid-2011, and the film was released in fall 2012. The film starred Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller. Chbosky was nominated in the Best Adapted Screenplay category for the 2013 Writers Guild Awards,[26] and the film won the 2013 Independent Spirit Awards for Best First Feature, as well as the 2013 People's Choice Award for Best Dramatic Movie.

Chbosky re-wrote Evan Spiliotopoulos original script for the 2017 live action reboot of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, directed by Bill Condon and starring Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast. Chbosky and Watson developed a close relationship during the production of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The adaptation was faithful to the original 1991 animated film Beauty and the Beast, with all the original musical numbers included.[27] The film was released on March 17, 2017.

Chbosky directed the 2017 film Wonder, co-written by Chbosky, Jack Thorne, and Steve Conrad and based on the 2012 novel of the same name by R. J. Palacio. The film starred Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, and Jacob Tremblay,[28] and was released on November 17, 2017.

On November 29, 2018, Universal Pictures announced that Chbosky was in talks to direct the film adaptation of Steven Levenson and Pasek & Paul's Tony Award-winning musical, Dear Evan Hansen.[29] On June 11, 2020, he was officially confirmed to direct the film.[30][31] It stars Ben Platt in the title role, which he originated on Broadway, along with Kaitlyn Dever, Amandla Stenberg, Nik Dodani, Colton Ryan, Amy Adams, Danny Pino and Julianne Moore.[32] The film had its world premiere at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2021 as its Opening Night Gala Presentation,[33] and was released in theaters on September 24, 2021.

In October 2019, Chbosky's second novel, Imaginary Friend, debuted as a Top 10 New York Times Best Seller.[34][35]

Personal life

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Chbosky currently resides in Los Angeles, California.[36]

Filmography

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Film

Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
1995 The Four Corners of Nowhere Yes Yes Associate Also actor
Role: Finneas
2005 Rent No Yes No Adapted for the screen
2007 The Poughkeepsie Tapes No No Executive
2012 The Perks of Being a Wallflower Yes Yes Executive Also based on his novel
2016 Leaving Vogue Moran No No Executive
2017 Beauty and the Beast No Yes No
Wonder Yes Yes No
2021 Dear Evan Hansen Yes No No
2025 Nonnas Yes No No

Television

Year Title Writer Executive
Producer 		Creator Notes
2000 Brutally Normal Yes No No 2 episodes
2006–08 Jericho Yes Yes Yes

Bibliography

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Year Title Publisher Pages Notes
1999 The Perks of Being a Wallflower MTV Books 224
  • American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults (2000)
  • American Library Association Best Book for Reluctant Readers (2000)
  • Was made into a film version of the same name in 2012
2019 Imaginary Friend Grand Central Publishing 720

References

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  1. ^ "Stephen Chbosky Audio Name Pronunciation". TeachingBooks.net. Retrieved September 11, 2012.
  2. ^ Chbosky, Stephen (May 20, 2019). "Dear Friends, Twenty years ago I published my first novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I have spent the last nine years working on my second. It's called Imaginary Friend. It comes out October 1st". @StephenChbosky. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  3. ^ "IMAGINARY FRIEND | Kirkus Reviews". Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Thompson, Elizabeth (2007). "Chbosky, Stephen". Archived from the original on June 12, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2010 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Who's Who in Finance and Industry. Marquis Who's Who. December 1, 1989. ISBN 978-0-8379-0326-2. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  6. ^ a b c d Blank, Ed (November 22, 2005). "Movie musical brings dream to life for screenwriter". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Archived from the original on February 27, 2007. Retrieved January 4, 2008.
  7. ^ Vancheri, Barbara (June 1, 2011). "The perks of a Pittsburgher: Back home, Stephen Chbosky directs a film version of his novel". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  8. ^ Hanley, Ken W. (October 2, 2013). "Talking Terror: Stacy Chbosky". Diabolique Magazine. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
  9. ^ [1] [dead link]
  10. ^ "Screenwriter and Novelist Stephen Chbosky: Rebel with a Cause". Script Magazine. Scriptmag.com. September 21, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  11. ^ a b c d e Beisch, Ann (November–December 2001). "Interview with Stephen Chbosky, author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower". LA Youth. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
  12. ^ Stax (December 1, 2005). "10 Questions: Stephen Chbosky". IGN Film Force. Retrieved January 4, 2008.
  13. ^ a b c d Owen, Rob (September 10, 2006). "Upper St. Clair graduate writes for CBS's 'Jericho'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved January 4, 2007.
  14. ^ a b Bing, Jonathan (October 4, 2000). "'Perks' guy in pics; Nerve racking up deals". Variety. Retrieved January 4, 2008.
  15. ^ a b "THE ISLAND; Reluctant Readers? Try Resistant Parents". The New York Times. July 8, 2007. Retrieved January 4, 2008.
  16. ^ "An Interview with Stephen Chbosky by Marty Beckerman". Word Riot. December 9, 2004. Archived from the original on January 13, 2005. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  17. ^ [2] Archived October 19, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ "Top 10 Most Challenged Books and Frequently Challenged Books Archive | Banned Books". www.ala.org. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  19. ^ "Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023 | Banned Books". www.ala.org. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  20. ^ "In the Works". Michael Chabon's Web Site: Rattling Around. August 14, 2000. Archived from the original on September 26, 2000. Retrieved February 4, 2007.
  21. ^ "Rent". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  22. ^ Fitzgerald, Toni (April 5, 2007). "Flop sweat: 'Jericho' dips to new low". Media Life Magazine. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2008.
  23. ^ Adalian, Josef (May 15, 2007). "CBS cancels 'Jericho,' two others". Variety. Retrieved January 4, 2008.
  24. ^ Nina Tassler (June 6, 2007). "A Message From CBS Entertainment". CBS. Archived from the original on March 27, 2008. Retrieved June 6, 2007.
  25. ^ "Season Premieres of Two Returning Scripted Programs, and the Debut of a New Comedy Join CBS's Primetime Schedule in January and February". TheFutonCritic.com. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  26. ^ "WGA Announces Nominations Ranging from 'Lincoln' to 'Looper'". The Hollywood Reporter. January 4, 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  27. ^ "Beauty and the Beast (2017)". IMDb. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
  28. ^ Kit, Borys; Ford, Rebecca (May 5, 2016). "Julia Roberts to Play Jacob Tremblay's Mother in 'Wonder'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  29. ^ "Tony Award-Winning Musical 'Dear Evan Hansen' Will be Universal Pictures, Marc Platt Film; 'Wonder's Stephen Chbosky May Direct". November 29, 2018.
  30. ^ "Booksmart & Unbelievable Star Kaitlyn Dever Eyes Role in Dear Evan Hansen Movie".
  31. ^ "Kaitlyn Dever in Talks for 'Dear Evan Hansen' Film Adaptation at Universal". The Hollywood Reporter. June 11, 2020.
  32. ^ Nepales, Ruben V. (June 18, 2020). [3] Inquirer Entertainment.
  33. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (July 20, 2021). "Toronto Festival Unveils 'Dear Evan Hansen' As Opening-Night Premiere, Zhang Yimou's 'One Second' As Closer; Check Out First Slated Films". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  34. ^ "Hardcover Fiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - Oct. 20, 2019". The New York Times.
  35. ^ "'Perks of Being a Wallflower' author Stephen Chbosky ventures to dark place with 'Imaginary Friend'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  36. ^ "Pennsylvania Center for the Book". pabook.libraries.psu.edu. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
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