William Broyles Jr.

Biography

William Broyles Jr. is an American screenwriter, journalist and former United States Marine Corps officer, born on October 8, 1944, in Houston, Texas. He graduated from Rice University in 1966 and earned a master's degree from the University of Oxford as a Marshall Scholar in 1968. He served as a Marine Corps lieutenant in the Vietnam War before beginning his journalism career.

He co-founded Texas Monthly magazine in 1972 and later served as editor-in-chief of Newsweek from 1982 to 1984. He entered the entertainment industry as a screenwriter and co-created the television series China Beach (1988–1991), which explored the experiences of people during the Vietnam War.

He is best known for writing Apollo 13 (1995), Entrapment (1999), Cast Away (2000), Planet of the Apes (2001), Unfaithful (2002), The Polar Express (2004), Jarhead (2005) and Flags of Our Fathers (2006). His work on Apollo 13, co-written with Al Reinert, earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Notable Filmography

Apollo 13 (1995) – Screenwriter

Entrapment (1999) – Screenwriter

Cast Away (2000) – Screenwriter

Planet of the Apes (2001) – Screenwriter

Unfaithful (2002) – Screenwriter

The Polar Express (2004) – Screenwriter

Jarhead (2005) – Screenwriter

Flags of Our Fathers (2006) – Screenwriter

Notable Television Work

China Beach (1988–1991) – Co-creator, Writer

Six (2017–2018) – Co-creator, Executive Producer

Known for

Cast Away

Writer

2000

Cast Away