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Photo of Joe Eszterhas

Joe Eszterhas

Writer, Producer, Actor, Additional CreditsBorn November 23, 1944 (81 years)
József Antal Eszterhás (Hungarian: [ˈjoːʒɛf ɒntɒl ˈɛstɛrhaːʃ]; born November 23, 1944), credited as Joe Eszterhas, is a Hungarian-American writer. Born in Hungary, he grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States. After an early career as a journalist and editor, he entered the film industry. His first screenwriting credit was for the film F.I.S.T. (1978). He co-wrote the script for Flashdance, which became one of the highest-grossing films of 1983, and set off a lucrative and prolific run for his career. By the early 1990s, he was known as the highest-paid writer in Hollywood, and noted for his work in the erotic thriller genre. He was paid a then-record $3 million for his script Love Hurts, which was produced as Basic Instinct (1992), and following its success, news outlets reported he earned seven-figure payouts solely on the basis of two-to-four page outlines.

Eszterhas' screenwriting career experienced a decline over the rest of the decade, with films such as Showgirls (1995), Jade (1995), and An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997), the latter receiving negative reviews and performing poorly at the box office. He mostly withdrew from Hollywood afterward, though he has since authored several books. His publications include American Rhapsody (2000), and two volumes of memoirs: Hollywood Animal (2004), an autobiography, and Crossbearer (2008), which detailed his adulthood return to the Catholic faith he was raised in.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Joe Eszterhas, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

Known For

  • Basic Instinct
  • Showgirls
  • Basic Instinct 2
  • Sliver
  • Flashdance
  • Jagged Edge
  • Jade
  • Nowhere to Run
  • Music Box
  • F.I.S.T.
  • Betrayed
  • An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn
  • Telling Lies in America
  • Children of Glory
  • Big Shots
  • Showgirls 2: Penny's from Heaven
  • Hearts of Fire
  • Checking Out
  • The Impact
  • Prüdes Hollywood - Laster, Lust und Leidenschaft im Film

Filmography

2022
2006
Children of Glory · as Screenplay
1997
1997
Telling Lies in America · as Screenplay
1995
1995
1993
Sliver · as Screenplay
1993
Nowhere to Run · as Screenplay
1992
Basic Instinct · as Screenplay
1989
Music Box · as Screenplay
1988
1988
1987
1987
1985
Jagged Edge · as Screenplay
1983
Flashdance · as Screenplay
1978

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