Doug Ellin

Doug Ellin
Ellin in 2009
Born
Douglas Reed Ellin

(1968-04-06) April 6, 1968 (age 55)
Brooklyn, New York, United States
Occupation(s)Screenwriter, producer, director
SpouseMelissa Dana Hecht (1996–2009)[1]
Children2

Douglas Reed Ellin (born April 6, 1968) is an American podcaster, screenwriter and film and TV director, known best for creating the HBO television series Entourage. Ellin also served as executive producer, director, head writer and supporting actor for the series, and wrote, directed and produced its 2015 film adaptation. He attended Tulane University.

Life and career

Ellin was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of June and Marvin Ellin.[1][2] He grew up in Merrick, New York and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School (Bellmore, New York).[3]

Ellin is of Jewish descent.

Before producing and writing for Entourage, Ellin served as a staff writer for Life with Bonnie, which starred Bonnie Hunt. The series ran from 2003-2004. Ellin has also written screenplays for two films, Kissing a Fool and Phat Beach. He moved to Los Angeles in the early 1990s to be a stand-up comedian and soon got a job in the mail room at New Line Cinema. It was there where he befriended film producer Mike DeLuca who funded Ellin's first short film The Pitch, starring then unknown actor David Schwimmer. That short film got Ellin accepted to the American Film Institute, where he graduated from in 1994. In 1996, he directed the independent comedy film Phat Beach. The film was made on a very low budget, and Ellin has called it "Probably the worst movie ever made". Two years later, Ellin made another independent comedy film Kissing a Fool, starring David Schwimmer, who was now known due to his role on Friends which was in its fourth season.

Kissing a Fool was sold for distribution and Ellin subsequently sold a few screenplays to Miramax. One, The Pledge was never produced although Ellin was paid seven figures for the script and was set to direct. He sold another unproduced screenplay for mid-six figures.

Ellin's real success came in 2004 with Entourage. The HBO show ran for eight seasons and Ellin made an eight-figure pact with HBO to continue producing television.

Additionally, Ellin serves on the board of the Greenwich International Film Festival.[4]

Ellin wrote and directed the 2015 film adaptation of Entourage.

Ellin is currently one of the co-hosts to the “Victory!” podcast, which was created and produced by Action Park media.

Awards and nominations

Ellin has been nominated for three Emmy Awards, four Writers Guild of America Awards, three PGA Awards and a BAFTA, and has won a BAFTA and a PGA award.[5]

Personal life

Ellin graduated from Tulane University in the liberal arts. Ellin married Melissa Dana Hecht in 1996 and together have two children.[6][7] The two divorced in 2009. Ellin has said the character of Ari Gold's wife in Entourage was based on Hecht.[8][9]

Ellin dated Maddie Diehl and proposed to her in 2014, but the couple broke up in March 2016.[10]

Ellin married Andrea Adler in September 2017 and filed for divorce shortly thereafter in April 2018.[11]

Filmography

Writer
Year Title Role Notes
1993 The Waiter Writer Independent film
1993 The Pitch Writer Credited as Douglas Ellin
1996 Phat Beach Screenwriter
1998 Kissing a Fool Screenwriter
2002–2004 Life with Bonnie Staff Writer Number of written episodes unknown
2004–2011 Entourage Head Writer Also Creator
2015 Entourage Screenwriter
Producer
Year Title Role Notes
2004–2011 Entourage Executive Producer 96 Episodes
2022 Discussion Materials (film) Producer
Actor
Year Title Role Notes
1993 The Pitch Unknown Credited as Douglas Ellin
1998 Kissing a Fool Bartender/Springer guest
2004–2011 Entourage Doug/Director 3 Episodes guest star
Director
Year Title Notes
1993 The Waiter Independent (Indie) film
1993 The Pitch Credited as Douglas Ellin
1996 Phat Beach
1998 Kissing a Fool
2015 Entourage

References

  1. ^ a b "Melissa D. Hecht, Douglas R. Ellin". New York Times. August 25, 1996.
  2. ^ He is Jewish. Doug Ellin (I)
  3. ^ Collins, Lauren. "Rollin' With Dad". No. April 16, 2007. New Yorker Magazine. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  4. ^ Heins, Barbara (20 April 2014). "Actors Michael Imperioli, Deborah Royce Join Greenwich International Film Festival Board". Greenwich Patch.
  5. ^ IMDb: Awards for Doug Ellin
  6. ^ "Rollin' with Dad". The New Yorker. 9 April 2007.
  7. ^ "Melissa D. Hecht, Douglas R. Ellin". The New York Times. 25 August 1996.
  8. ^ "Archives". Los Angeles Times. 10 June 2006.
  9. ^ "'Entourage' Creator/Producer Doug Ellin Gives the New Definition of Success". 27 May 2015.
  10. ^ "'Entourage' creator Doug Ellin, fiancée Maddie Diehl split over baby plan, not Instagram spat". New York Daily News. March 2, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  11. ^ "TMZ". Archived from the original on 2016-06-13. Retrieved 2018-04-26.

External links