Frank Pierson

An enormously gifted filmmaker, Frank Pierson wore many hats throughout his illustrious career, writing, directing and producing some of Hollywood's most iconic films and TV shows. After getting his start on the small screen with "Have Gun Will Travel" (CBS, 1957-63) and "Naked City" (ABC, 1958-63), Pierson segued to motion pictures with the acclaimed comic Western "Cat Ballou" (1965) and followed with the classic prison drama "Cool Hand Luke" (1967). After creating his own series, "Nichols" (NBC, 1971-72), Pierson joined forces with director Sidney Lumet for the high-paced heist thriller "The Anderson Tapes" (1971) and the unforgettable crime thriller "Dog Day Afternoon" (1975), which won him the Oscar for Best Screenplay. He went on to write and direct the Oscar-winning remake of "A Star Is Born" (1976), but made several enemies - and won a few friends - for writing a revealing magazine piece on his behind-the-scenes clashes with star Barbra Streisand. Meanwhile, after scripting the films "In Country" (1989) and "Presumed Innocent" (1990), Pierson focused his directing efforts toward the small screen with several classy, awards-magnet biopics like "Conspiracy" (HBO, 1992), "Citizen Cohn" (HBO, 1992) and "Truman" (HBO, 1995), and later wrote on high-profile series like "The Good Wife" (CBS, 2009-16) and "Mad Men" (AMC, 2007-15). A former president of the Writers Guild of America, as well as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Pierson was a vital voice in the history of filmed entertainment who left behind a glowing and important legacy.