Rick Cleveland
Encyclopedia
Rick Cleveland is an American television writer, playwright and monologist, best known for writing on the HBO original series, Six Feet Under and NBC
's The West Wing.
Cleveland, a graduate of the Playwrights Workshop at the University of Iowa
, is also a founding member of Chicago's American Blues Theater
.
In 2000, Cleveland and The West Wing creator, Aaron Sorkin
won an Emmy and Writers Guild Award for their episode "In Excelsis Deo
" an episode which originally aired during the 1999–2000 season. Cleveland and Sorkin also won the Writers Guild of America Award for best episodic drama at the February 2001
ceremony for "In Excelsis Deo".
Cleveland worked on the HBO original series Six Feet Under throughout the show's five season run. Cleveland joined the crew as a writer and producer for the show's first season in 2001. He wrote the episode "The Trip". He was promoted to supervising producer for the second season in 2002. He wrote two further episodes – "Driving Mr. Mossback" and "The Liar and the Whore". He remained a supervising producer for the third season in 2003. He scripted two more episodes – "Nobody Sleeps" and "Death Works Overtime". He was promoted to co-executive producer for the fourth season in 2004. He wrote two more episodes – "In Case Of Rapture" and "Grinding the Corn". He was promoted again to executive producer for the fifth and final season in 2005 and wrote his last episode, "Eat a Peach". He wrote eight episodes in total for the series.
Cleveland won the Jury Award for Best One Person Show at the 2006 US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado
for his performance in "My Buddy Bill", about his fictional friendship with President Bill Clinton
, a monologue play filmed on June 15, 2007 for a Comedy Central Special and DVD.
Cleveland, Brian Koppelman
, David Levien
, Matthew Chapman
all co-wrote the 2003 film Runaway Jury
based on the book by John Grisham
. He also wrote a 1998 screenplay for the independent film, Jerry and Tom
.
In 2005, Cleveland inked a two-year deal with NBC
Universal Television in which he will produce and develop drama projects for the network. Also, he is writing a "Frankenstein" movie for Will Ferrell.
He served as writer for the AMC television drama Mad Men
for the show's second season in 2008. He was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award award for Best Dramatic Series at the February 2009 ceremony
for his work on the second season.
Cleveland currently serves as a consulting producer and writer on the Showtime series, Nurse Jackie
.
The West Wing
Nurse Jackie
Scoundrels
Other
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's The West Wing.
Cleveland, a graduate of the Playwrights Workshop at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
, is also a founding member of Chicago's American Blues Theater
American Blues Theater
American Blues Theater is a Jefferson Award-winning Chicago theatre company founded in 1985 by Ed Blatchford, Rick Cleveland, Jim Leaming, and William Payne...
.
In 2000, Cleveland and The West Wing creator, Aaron Sorkin
Aaron Sorkin
Aaron Benjamin Sorkin is an Academy and Emmy award winning American screenwriter, producer, and playwright, whose works include A Few Good Men, The American President, The West Wing, Sports Night, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The Social Network, and Moneyball.After graduating from Syracuse...
won an Emmy and Writers Guild Award for their episode "In Excelsis Deo
In Excelsis Deo
"In Excelsis Deo" is the 10th episode of the first season of The West Wing. It originally aired on NBC December 15, 1999, as the show's Christmas special. Events circle around Toby getting involved in the fate of a deceased Korean War veteran, reactions to a severe hate crime, and the ongoing...
" an episode which originally aired during the 1999–2000 season. Cleveland and Sorkin also won the Writers Guild of America Award for best episodic drama at the February 2001
Writers Guild of America Awards 2000
The 53rd Writers Guild of America Awards, given in 2001, honored the film and television best writers of 2000.-Best Adapted Screenplay: Traffic - Stephen Gaghan*Chocolat - Robert Nelson Jacobs...
ceremony for "In Excelsis Deo".
Cleveland worked on the HBO original series Six Feet Under throughout the show's five season run. Cleveland joined the crew as a writer and producer for the show's first season in 2001. He wrote the episode "The Trip". He was promoted to supervising producer for the second season in 2002. He wrote two further episodes – "Driving Mr. Mossback" and "The Liar and the Whore". He remained a supervising producer for the third season in 2003. He scripted two more episodes – "Nobody Sleeps" and "Death Works Overtime". He was promoted to co-executive producer for the fourth season in 2004. He wrote two more episodes – "In Case Of Rapture" and "Grinding the Corn". He was promoted again to executive producer for the fifth and final season in 2005 and wrote his last episode, "Eat a Peach". He wrote eight episodes in total for the series.
Cleveland won the Jury Award for Best One Person Show at the 2006 US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado
Aspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
for his performance in "My Buddy Bill", about his fictional friendship with President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, a monologue play filmed on June 15, 2007 for a Comedy Central Special and DVD.
Cleveland, Brian Koppelman
Brian Koppelman
Brian Koppelman is an American screenwriter, novelist, director, and producer. Best known as the co-writer of Ocean's Thirteen, and Rounders, Koppelman has also produced films such as The Illusionist and The Lucky Ones as well as directed films such as Solitary Man.His writing partner is David Levien...
, David Levien
David Levien
David Levien is an American screenwriter, novelist, director, and producer. Best known as the co-writer of Ocean's Thirteen, and Rounders Levien has also produced films such as The Illusionist and The Lucky Ones....
, Matthew Chapman
Matthew Chapman
Matthew Chapman may refer to:*Matthew Chapman , author, screenwriter, director, journalist and great-great-grandson of Charles Darwin*Matthew Chapman , one half of The Brothers Chaps who created the Homestar Runner animated cartoons...
all co-wrote the 2003 film Runaway Jury
Runaway Jury
Runaway Jury is a 2003 American drama/thriller film directed by Gary Fleder and starring John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, and Rachel Weisz...
based on the book by John Grisham
John Grisham
John Ray Grisham, Jr. is an American lawyer and author, best known for his popular legal thrillers.John Grisham graduated from Mississippi State University before attending the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1981 and practiced criminal law for about a decade...
. He also wrote a 1998 screenplay for the independent film, Jerry and Tom
Jerry and Tom
Jerry and Tom is a 1998 American comedy film released on December 4, 1998. The film was the directorial debut of Saul Rubinek, and the screenplay was adapted by Rick Cleveland from his own 1994 one-act play. The film stars Joe Mantegna, Sam Rockwell, Maury Chaykin, Ted Danson, Charles Durning,...
.
In 2005, Cleveland inked a two-year deal with NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
Universal Television in which he will produce and develop drama projects for the network. Also, he is writing a "Frankenstein" movie for Will Ferrell.
He served as writer for the AMC television drama Mad Men
Mad Men
Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
for the show's second season in 2008. He was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award award for Best Dramatic Series at the February 2009 ceremony
Writers Guild of America Awards 2008
The 61st Writers Guild of America Awards honored the best film, television, and videogame writers of 2008. Winners were announced on February 7, 2009.-Best Adapted Screenplay:...
for his work on the second season.
Cleveland currently serves as a consulting producer and writer on the Showtime series, Nurse Jackie
Nurse Jackie
Nurse Jackie is an American series that premiered on June 8, 2009, on Showtime, Movie Central and The Movie Network.The series stars Edie Falco as the title character Jackie Peyton, an emergency room nurse at All Saints' Hospital in New York City...
.
Filmography
Six Feet Under- "The Trip", (2001)
- "Driving Mr. Mossback", (2002)
- "The Liar and the Whore", (2002)
- "Nobody Sleeps", with Alan BallAlan Ball (screenwriter)Alan E. Ball is an American writer, director, actor and producer for film, theatre and television.-Early life:Ball was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to Frank and Mary Ball, an aircraft inspector and a homemaker...
(2003) - "Death Works Overtime", (2003)
- "In Case of Rapture", (2004)
- "Grinding The Corn", (2004)
- "Eat a Peach", (2005)
The West Wing
- "In Excelsis DeoIn Excelsis Deo"In Excelsis Deo" is the 10th episode of the first season of The West Wing. It originally aired on NBC December 15, 1999, as the show's Christmas special. Events circle around Toby getting involved in the fate of a deceased Korean War veteran, reactions to a severe hate crime, and the ongoing...
", with Aaron SorkinAaron SorkinAaron Benjamin Sorkin is an Academy and Emmy award winning American screenwriter, producer, and playwright, whose works include A Few Good Men, The American President, The West Wing, Sports Night, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The Social Network, and Moneyball.After graduating from Syracuse...
(1999) - "Enemies" (1999) (story) with Patrick CaddellPatrick CaddellPatrick Hayward "Pat" Caddell is an American public opinion pollster and a political film consultant.-Biography:...
and Lawrence O'Donnell
Nurse Jackie
- "Tiny Bubbles" (2009)
- "Pill-O-Mattix" (2009)
- "Candyland" (2010)
- "What the Day Brings" (2010)
Scoundrels
- "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire" (2010)
Other
- "Rick Cleveland's My Buddy Bill", (2008)