Personal info
Known for
Writer
Gender
Male
Birthday
09 April
Location
North Carolina, United States
Edit pageTed Tally
Biography
Ted Tally is an American screenwriter and playwright best known for his work in film and theater. He was born on April 9, 1952, in San Diego, California.
Career
Tally began his career as a playwright and actor before establishing himself as a screenwriter. He became internationally recognized for writing the screenplay for The Silence of the Lambs (1991), directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins.
The film was a major critical and commercial success and became one of the few films to win all five major Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay for Tally. His screenplay was based on Thomas Harris's novel of the same name.
Tally also wrote the screenplay for All the Pretty Horses (2000), based on Cormac McCarthy's novel, and Red Dragon (2002), another adaptation of Thomas Harris's Hannibal Lecter series.
Work in Theater
Before and alongside his film career, Tally wrote several plays, including Terra Nova, Hooters, and Little Footsteps. His theatrical background influenced his ability to develop character-driven stories and tightly structured dialogue.
Other Film Work
Tally was also associated with films such as The Juror (1996), a thriller directed by Brian Gibson and starring Demi Moore and Alec Baldwin. The film follows a juror who is threatened into helping a mob boss escape conviction.
