Sam Levinson

Samuel Abraham Levinson (born January 8, 1985) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and showrunner. He created the HBO teen drama series Euphoria which was adapted from the Israeli series of the same name. The series is popular with audiences and received positive reviews from critics.

The son of director Barry Levinson, Sam Levinson received his first writing credit for the action comedy film Operation: Endgame in 2010. The following year, he made his directorial film debut with Another Happy Day (2011), which premiered at Sundance Film Festival. He then received a writing credit on his father's HBO television film The Wizard of Lies (2017). He continued writing and directing for the feature films Assassination Nation (2018) and Malcolm & Marie (2021). In 2023, he created the HBO series The Idol, which was controversial and received negative reviews.

Early life Levinson was born on January 8, 1985, and is the son of Diana Rhodes, a production designer for TV commercials, and filmmaker Barry Levinson. His father is from a Russian-Jewish family. Levinson studied method acting for four years. He has a brother, Jack Levinson, who is also an actor, and two half-siblings, Michelle and Patrick, from his mother's first marriage.

Career Levinson made his film debut as an actor in his father's 1992 fantasy comedy Toys, alongside his brother Jack. He continued to appear in his father's films, such as the comedy-drama film Bandits (2001) and the satirical comedy film What Just Happened (2008). In 2009, he acted in the Uwe Boll film Stoic. In 2011, Levinson made his directorial film debut, Another Happy Day, at the Sundance Film Festival. Despite the film's negative reviews, it received the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award.

Levinson co-wrote the 2017 television film The Wizard of Lies, which was directed by his father. The film focuses on Bernie Madoff, who is played by Robert De Niro. Levinson wrote and directed the film Assassination Nation, which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival to mixed reviews from critics, who praised its "frenetic and visually stylish" action but criticized the thinly written characters. In June 2019, Levinson created the HBO television drama series Euphoria, based on the Israeli series of the same name. The series has received both praise and criticism for its direction, writing, and acting. It is infamous for its raw and graphic portrayal of teenagers wrestling with drug addiction and sexuality. It was poorly received by critics. Aisha Harris of NPR wrote, "All that's left are two characters rendered awkwardly as vessels for a director's odd hang-ups about his own identity and craft". Shirley Lee of The Atlantic wrote, "Malcolm & Marie isn't Art. It's a meltdown" and that it "seems to use the titular couple as mouthpieces for a litany of his own gripes". Levinson co-wrote the screenplay for the psychological erotic thriller Deep Water (2022), based on Patricia Highsmith's 1957 novel of the same name. The film debuted on Hulu and was poorly received. The Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw specifically panned the film's script, writing, "Deep Water looks like a huge amount of material has been shaped in the edit but there are odd gaps and elisions". Levinson has executive produced Pieces of a Woman (2020), Breaking (2022), X (2022), Pearl (2022), and MaXXXine (2024).

On June 29, 2021, Levinson announced that he was co-creating, writing, and executive producing another HBO television drama series, The Idol, alongside recording artist Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye and his producing partner Reza Fahim. The series garnered controversy following an exposé in Rolling Stone that featured allegations against Levinson and Tesfaye of creating a toxic work environment and crew members alleging the script involved explicit sexual content that amounted to "sexual torture porn". The first episode premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival to negative reviews. Time Magazine critic Stephanie Zacharek wrote, "The Idol pretends to expose exploitation while reveling in it". Variety critic Peter Debruge wrote, "The script seems calculated to fool audiences into thinking they're observing how Hollywood operates, when so much of it amounts to tawdry clichés", and that the series "plays like a sordid male fantasy". The Idol premiered on Max on June 4, 2023. Noting that the season had been cut short by an episode without explanation, The Telegraph critic Ed Power wrote that the finale "had deepened the suspicion that, as far back as teen drama Euphoria, [Levinson] was a voyeur without a soul." HBO announced the show's cancellation after one season on August 28, 2023.

Personal life From 2008 to 2011, Levinson dated actress Ellen Barkin. Levinson is married to Ashley Lent Levinson, with whom he has a son.

Filmography Film YearTitleDirectorWriterProducer Notes 2010 Operation: Endgame 2011 Another Happy Day 2018 Assassination Nation 2021 Malcolm & Marie 2022 Deep Water 2024 Borderlands Additional literary material

Executive producer Pieces of a Woman (2020) Breaking (2022) X (2022) Pearl (2022) MaXXXine (2024) Place to Be (TBA)

Acting roles Year Title Role 1992 Toys War Room Player 2001 Bandits Billy Saunders 2008 What Just Happened Carl 2009 Stoic Peter Thompson

Television Year Title Director Writer ExecutiveProducer Creator Notes 2017 The Wizard of Lies TV movie 2019–2026 Euphoria 3 seasons 2022 Irma Vep Miniseries 2023 The Idol 5 episodes

Critical reception

Accolades Year Award Category Work Result . 2011 Sundance Film Festival Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award Another Happy Day Grand Jury Prize Dramatic 2011 Deauville American Film Festival Grand Special Prize 2018 Writers Guild of America Awards Television: Long Form – Adapted The Wizard of Lies 2021 Television: Episodic Drama Euphoria 2018 Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award: Midnight Madness Assassination Nation 2018 Sitges Film Festival Grand Audience Award for Best Motion Picture (Official Fantastic Selection) Assassination Nation 2020 British Academy Television Awards Best International Programme Euphoria 2022 Black Reel TV Awards Outstanding Drama Series Euphoria ) Outstanding Original Song Euphoria ) 2022 Hollywood Critics Association Television Awards Best Directing in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Drama Euphoria Best Writing in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Drama 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Drama Series Euphoria 2022 Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics Euphoria 2023 Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series Euphoria 2023 Cannes Film Festival Queer Palm The Idol