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Ed Solomon
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Edward James Solomon (born September 15, 1960) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for creating the Bill & Ted franchise alongside Chris Matheson; together wrote the screenplays to Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989), Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991) and Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020). He also wrote the screenplay for Men in Black (1997), and Now You See Me (2013).
Key Information
Career
[edit]Solomon grew up in suburban Boston, until his family moved to California. He went to UCLA and majored in Economics while beginning his career as a joke writer, stand-up comedian, and playwright.[1] While still in college, he was a staff writer for Laverne & Shirley – making him (at the time) the youngest member of the Writers Guild of America. He then spent three years writing the cult Showtime TV series, It's Garry Shandling's Show, before venturing into feature films in the 1980s. He helped create and co-write the critically acclaimed comedies Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (with Chris Matheson). Solomon also worked on a number of hit franchise films, including Men in Black, Charlie's Angels, and the Now You See Me films.
Solomon worked on an early version of a Universal The Invisible Man remake,[2] with Johnny Depp. In March 2016 he completed production on Mosaic, a 12-hour long-form TV project for HBO in collaboration with director Steven Soderbergh.[3] This production was the first in a series of collaborations with Soderbergh, including the neo-noir film No Sudden Move in 2021, and the crime series Full Circle, which premiered July 13, 2023.[4]
Personal life
[edit]He was married from 1995 to 2011 to Cynthia Cleese, daughter of Connie Booth and John Cleese.[5][6] They have two children.
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Writer | Producer | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure | Yes | No | Stephen Herek |
| 1991 | Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey | Yes | Co-producer | Peter Hewitt |
| 1992 | Leaving Normal | Yes | Associate | Edward Zwick |
| Mom and Dad Save the World | Story | No | Greg Beeman | |
| 1993 | Super Mario Bros. | Yes | No | Rocky Morton Annabel Jankel |
| 1997 | Men in Black | Yes | No | Barry Sonnenfeld |
| 2000 | What Planet Are You From? | Yes | No | Mike Nichols |
| Charlie's Angels | Yes | No | McG | |
| 2003 | The In-Laws | Yes | No | Andrew Fleming |
| Levity | Yes | Yes | Himself | |
| 2009 | Imagine That | Yes | Yes | Karey Kirkpatrick |
| 2013 | Now You See Me | Yes | No | Louis Leterrier |
| Rapture-Palooza | No | Yes | Paul Middleditch | |
| 2016 | Now You See Me 2 | Yes | Executive | Jon M. Chu |
| 2020 | Bill & Ted Face the Music | Yes | Yes | Dean Parisot |
| 2021 | No Sudden Move | Yes | No | Steven Soderbergh |
| 2025 | The Christophers | Yes | TBA |
Acting credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure | Stupid Waiter | |
| 1991 | Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey | "Stupid" Seance Member | |
| 1992 | Leaving Normal | Jerk in Bar | As Edward Solomon |
| Mom and Dad Save the World | Destroyer #13 | ||
| 2010 | Barry Munday | Doctor #2 | |
| 2020 | Bill & Ted Face the Music | Stupid Demon |
Other credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise | Soundtrack | Lyrics: "No on Fifteen" |
| 2000 | The Prime Gig | Special thanks | |
| X-Men | Uncredited revision | ||
| 2005 | Paradise Now | Special thanks | |
| 2008 | Choke |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982–1983 | Laverne & Shirley | No | Yes | No | 3 episodes |
| 1986–1989 | It's Garry Shandling's Show | No | Yes | No | 8 episodes; Also script consultant |
| 1990 | The Dave Thomas Comedy Show | No | Yes | No | |
| 1992 | Arresting Behavior | Yes | No | No | |
| 1999 | The Unbelievables | Yes | Yes | Yes | Television pilot |
| 2017–2018 | Mosaic | No | Yes | No | |
| 2023 | Full Circle | No | Yes | Yes |
References
[edit]- ^ Siegel, Tatiana (August 27, 2020). "Ed Solomon's Excellent Hollywood Adventure". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Kit, Borys (February 9, 2016). "Johnny Depp to Star in Universal's "Invisible Man" Reboot". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
- ^ Jagernauth, Kevin (September 24, 2015). "Steven Soderbergh To Direct 'Mosaic' Film For HBO With Garrett Hedlund And Sharon Stone". Indiewire. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (June 17, 2021). "Steven Soderbergh, Ed Solomon Re-Team for HBO Max Limited Series 'Full Circle' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- ^ Cate, Hans ten (February 12, 1997). "NEWS 1997_02_12 – John Cleese Shoots Daughter Cynthia". Daily Llama. Archived from the original on September 24, 2018. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
- ^ "THE SOCIAL SCENE – A Cleese Wedding Held Away From the 'Fawlty' Line / British comedian's daughter marries in the Napa Valley". SFGate. September 18, 1995. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
- ^ "Screenwriter Ed Solomon's Excellent Adventure". Jewish Journal. March 14, 2018.
External links
[edit]
Ed Solomon
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Edward James Solomon (born September 15, 1960), known professionally as Ed Solomon, is an American screenwriter, producer, and director renowned for his contributions to science fiction, comedy, and heist genres in film and television.[1] Born in Saratoga, California, to a Jewish family, Solomon graduated from Saratoga High School before attending the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he majored in economics.[2][3]
Solomon's career began during his college years, when he worked as a stand-up comedian, playwright, and joke writer, performing his first routine at the Comedy Store open-mic night during his time at UCLA.[4] At age 19, still a senior, he became a staff writer on the ABC sitcom Laverne & Shirley, making him one of the youngest members of the Writers Guild of America at the time, followed by writing for It's Garry Shandling's Show.[4][2] After graduating, with longtime collaborator Chris Matheson—whom he met at UCLA over a shared admiration for Monty Python—penned Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989), launching the iconic franchise about time-traveling teens.[5][4]
In the 1990s and 2000s, Solomon established himself as a major Hollywood screenwriter with high-concept blockbusters, including the original story for Men in Black (1997), which grossed over $589 million worldwide and spawned a franchise, as well as Charlie's Angels (2000).[4] His work often features clever premises blending humor, action, and speculative elements, such as the magic-heist thrillers Now You See Me (2013) and Now You See Me 2 (2016), the cyberpunk epic Alita: Battle Angel (2019), and the video game-inspired comedy Free Guy (2021).[5][6]
More recently, Solomon has expanded into prestige television through partnerships with director Steven Soderbergh, co-writing the interactive murder mystery miniseries Mosaic (2018) for HBO and the crime drama Full Circle (2023) for Max, both praised for their nonlinear storytelling and ensemble casts.[7][8] He continues to develop projects, including the Hulu limited series The Spot starring Claire Danes and Ewan McGregor, and the upcoming film The Christophers with Soderbergh, Michaela Coel, and Jessica Gunning, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025.[5][9][10][11]
Note: Co-writing credits with Chris Matheson appear in the Bill & Ted films, Mom and Dad Save the World, and Imagine That. The Christophers (2025, writer, dir. Steven Soderbergh) premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival but awaits wide release .
Early life and education
Early life
Edward James Solomon was born on September 15, 1960. He grew up in suburban Boston, Massachusetts, to a Jewish family—his father worked in electronics and his mother was a homemaker—providing a stable environment in a secular household during his early years.[12][1][2] In his childhood in suburban Boston, Solomon showed an early affinity for humor and writing. At age eight, he mailed a letter to the producers of the NBC sketch comedy series Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, enclosing original jokes and ideas for sketches; although the show invited him to share them on air, his parents declined the offer. This incident marked his initial foray into comedy, influenced by television programming that sparked his creative interests.[4] Solomon's family relocated to California during his youth, where he spent much of his formative years in Saratoga and graduated from Saratoga High School. The move introduced him to a new cultural landscape, further shaping his exposure to comedy through family dynamics and local media.[4][3]Education
Solomon attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he majored in economics.[13] Initially undeclared upon enrollment, he performed a stand-up comedy routine at the Comedy Store in Westwood on his first day as an undergraduate, marking an early foray into performance.[4] During his time at UCLA, Solomon immersed himself in extracurricular activities centered on writing, comedy, and theater, which honed his creative skills alongside his academic studies. He began writing jokes professionally at age 19, selling material to comedian Jimmie Walker for $100 per pair, and developed a portfolio that included seven plays by age 21.[13][14] Solomon joined the UCLA Comedy Club, where he met and later roomed with aspiring writer Shane Black, and participated in an improv group with Chris Matheson, originating the characters for Bill & Ted in a 1983 sketch.[4] In theater, he staged his play Stripjoint at UCLA, showcasing his playwriting abilities to campus audiences.[14] These pursuits, including his work as a playwright and joke writer, built a network of industry contacts that bridged his student life to professional opportunities.[5] Solomon's UCLA experiences directly facilitated his entry into the entertainment industry, as his campus productions and comedy involvement led to his first staff writing position while still a senior, allowing him to balance coursework with paid work and establishing a foundation for his television career.[4][14] This transition underscored how his academic environment nurtured practical skills and connections essential for breaking into Hollywood.[13]Career
Early career in television
Solomon began his professional writing career during his time at UCLA, where he worked as a joke writer and performed as a stand-up comedian, including open-mic sets at the Comedy Store.[5][15] His early efforts included submitting jokes to comedian Jimmie Walker, earning payment for a batch that marked his initial paid writing gig.[4] Building on his college playwriting background, these experiences honed his comedic skills and facilitated connections in the industry, such as meeting Garry Shandling after a stand-up performance.[4] As a senior at UCLA, Solomon was hired as a staff writer for the ABC sitcom Laverne & Shirley during its 1982–1983 season, commuting daily between campus and the Paramount lot.[2] At age 21, this role made him the youngest member of the Writers Guild of America at the time.[2] He contributed to the show's scripts but later reflected that his performance was adequate yet not exceptional, leading to no renewal for the following season—a turn he viewed as beneficial for broadening his opportunities beyond sitcom writing.[4][16] Following Laverne & Shirley, Solomon joined It's Garry Shandling's Show on Showtime as a staff writer and producer from 1986 to 1989.[15][2] This experimental cable series, known for its meta-humor and boundary-pushing format, allowed him to collaborate with innovative talents like Shandling, Al Jean, and Mike Reiss, deepening his understanding of layered comedy.[16] The experience reinforced the value of versatile writing approaches in television.[16] In parallel with his television roles, Solomon co-founded the production company Infinite Monkeys with producer Edward Lynn, which supported his early producing efforts in comedy projects.[12][17]Breakthrough in film
Solomon's breakthrough in feature films came through his collaboration with Chris Matheson on the Bill & Ted franchise, which they co-created during their time at the University of California, Los Angeles.[18] The duo wrote the screenplay for Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989), a time-travel comedy that introduced the characters of slackers Bill Preston and Ted Logan, who assemble a band using historical figures brought forward by a phone booth.[4] The film's success led to a sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991), which they also penned, expanding the story into a battle against evil robot versions of themselves in the afterlife.[18] This franchise marked Solomon's transition from television writing to establishing a reputation for blending humor with science fiction elements in theatrical releases.[4] Building on this foundation, Solomon achieved major commercial success with the screenplay for Men in Black (1997), directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. In 1992, producers Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald optioned the rights to Lowell Cunningham's The Men in Black comic book series, hiring Solomon in 1993 to adapt it into a script that lightened the source material's darker tone while retaining the core concept of a secret agency policing extraterrestrials on Earth.[19] Solomon's version centered on a veteran agent (Tommy Lee Jones) recruiting a streetwise cop (Will Smith) to join the organization, incorporating satirical takes on government secrecy and alien integration.[4] The film grossed $589.4 million worldwide against a $90 million budget, becoming one of the highest-grossing releases of 1997 and launching a successful franchise.[20] For Men in Black, Solomon received early awards recognition, including a nomination for the Saturn Award for Best Writing in 1998 from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films.[21] The film was also nominated for the 1998 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, acknowledging its contributions to science fiction cinema through Solomon's screenplay, Sonnenfeld's direction, and the production teams from Amblin Entertainment, Columbia Pictures, and MacDonald/Parkes Productions.[22] These accolades solidified Solomon's standing as a key screenwriter in the genre during the 1990s.[23]Later projects and collaborations
Solomon continued his success in the 2000s with the screenplay for Charlie's Angels (2000), directed by Joseph McGinty Nichol, which adapted the 1970s television series into an action-comedy featuring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu as crime-fighting operatives using high-tech gadgets and martial arts, grossing $264.2 million worldwide.[24] In the 2010s, Ed Solomon contributed to the screenplays for the heist thriller franchise Now You See Me, beginning with the 2013 film directed by Louis Leterrier, where he collaborated with Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt on the script, drawing from a story by Yakin and Ricourt that followed a group of illusionists pulling off elaborate robberies.[25] The film blended magic tricks with financial cons, establishing a franchise centered on the Four Horsemen's high-stakes deceptions against corrupt elites, and received mixed critical reception with a 51% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, praised for its energetic ensemble including Jesse Eisenberg and Mark Ruffalo but critiqued for plot inconsistencies.[26] Solomon returned as the sole screenwriter for Now You See Me 2 in 2016, expanding the narrative to include international escapades and new antagonists while maintaining the series' focus on misdirection and teamwork, though it garnered a lower 34% critics' score for its formulaic sequel elements.[27][28] Solomon co-wrote Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020) with Matheson, reuniting the franchise after nearly 30 years with Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter returning as the duo on a quest to save reality by writing the ultimate song.[18] He also penned the screenplay for the cyberpunk action film Alita: Battle Angel (2019), directed by Robert Rodriguez and produced by James Cameron, adapting the manga series about a cyborg amnesiac (Rosa Salazar) uncovering her past in a dystopian future, which grossed $405 million worldwide despite mixed reviews.[29] Additionally, Solomon wrote the original story and screenplay for Free Guy (2021), directed by Shawn Levy, starring Ryan Reynolds as a non-player character in a video game who gains sentience and fights to save his world, blending comedy and action to earn $331.5 million globally and an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects.[30] Solomon's collaborations with director Steven Soderbergh marked a significant evolution in his career toward intricate, character-driven narratives in television and film. Their partnership began with the 2017–2018 HBO anthology series Mosaic, co-created by Solomon as writer alongside Soderbergh and producer Casey Silver, featuring an innovative interactive app format before a linear miniseries release that explored a murder mystery through nonlinear storytelling and received a 79% Rotten Tomatoes rating for its ambitious structure and performances by Sharon Stone and Garrett Hedlund.[31][32] This led to Solomon penning the screenplay for Soderbergh's 2021 crime film No Sudden Move, set in 1950s Detroit and starring Don Cheadle and Benicio del Toro in a tale of interlocking betrayals over a stolen document, which earned strong acclaim with a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score for its sharp dialogue and period authenticity.[33][34] The duo continued their work with Full Circle, a 2023 HBO Max limited series where Solomon served as creator, writer, and executive producer, delivering a conspiracy-laden thriller about a botched kidnapping in New York involving Zazie Beetz and Timothy Olyphant, directed entirely by Soderbergh in a streamlined six-episode format after initial branching narrative plans.[35] Their most recent joint project, The Christophers, features Solomon's screenplay for Soderbergh's direction in a dark comedy about art forgery and family inheritance starring Ian McKellen, Michaela Coel, and James Corden; it premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival to positive early buzz with a 97% Rotten Tomatoes rating and was acquired by Neon for a planned 2026 theatrical release.[36][37] Solomon is currently developing The Spot, a psychological thriller limited series for Hulu created and written by him, produced by A24 and 20th Television. Originally set to star Kate Winslet, who exited in June 2025 due to creative differences, the series now features Claire Danes and Ewan McGregor in lead roles, with production targeted for late 2025.[9] In December 2024, Solomon signed with the London- and Los Angeles-based management and production company 42, signaling a new phase in his career oversight amid ongoing script development.[38]Personal life
Marriage and family
Ed Solomon married Cynthia Cleese, the daughter of actors John Cleese and Connie Booth, on September 16, 1995, in a ceremony held at Beaulieu Gardens in Napa Valley, California.[39] The couple had two children together: a son named Evan and a daughter named Olivia.[40] Solomon and Cleese divorced in 2011 after 16 years of marriage.[1] The family has maintained a degree of privacy regarding personal details, though John Cleese has publicly expressed closeness to his grandchildren Evan and Olivia.[41] The divorce influenced Solomon's professional life, as he later reflected on seeking fresh creative opportunities in the years immediately following the split.[4] During the divorce proceedings, support from longtime colleague Al Jean helped Solomon navigate personal challenges while continuing work on television projects.[16]Religious background
Ed Solomon was raised Jewish, as he has stated in multiple interviews discussing his personal background.[42][43] In a 2018 interview with the Jewish Journal, Solomon publicly acknowledged his Jewish identity, explaining that "the combination of our Jewish shared history of sadness and loss, displacement, cultural identification no matter where you are geographically, and sense of humor has deeply informed my work, life and sense of empathy, along with a willingness to find joy in life, joy in pain."[2] This reflection highlights how elements of Jewish cultural heritage shape his worldview and emotional outlook. Solomon has described himself as born Jewish but not a practicing Jew, identifying instead as a struggling agnostic who maintains a daily meditation practice without affiliating with any specific religion.[43][42] He has also referenced Jewish concepts, such as the biblical definition of Israel as "people who wrestle with God," in discussions of personal and thematic struggles.[43]Filmography
Film
Solomon's feature film credits are presented below in chronological order, categorized by his primary roles. This list focuses on major contributions as writer, producer, or director in theatrical and streaming releases.| Year | Title | Role | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure | Writer | Stephen Herek |
| 1991 | Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey | Writer | Peter Hewitt |
| 1992 | Leaving Normal | Writer | Edward Zwick |
| 1992 | Mom and Dad Save the World | Writer | Greg Beeman |
| 1997 | Men in Black | Writer | Barry Sonnenfeld |
| 2000 | What Planet Are You From? | Writer | Mike Nichols |
| 2000 | Charlie's Angels | Writer | McG |
| 2003 | The In-Laws | Screenplay | Andrew Fleming |
| 2003 | Levity | Writer, Director, Producer | Ed Solomon |
| 2009 | Imagine That | Writer, Producer | Karey Kirkpatrick |
| 2013 | Rapture-Palooza | Producer | Paul Middleditch |
| 2013 | Now You See Me | Writer | Louis Leterrier |
| 2016 | Now You See Me 2 | Writer, Executive Producer | Jon M. Chu |
| 2020 | Bill & Ted Face the Music | Writer, Producer | Dean Parisot |
| 2021 | No Sudden Move | Writer | Steven Soderbergh |