Audrey Wells

AUDREY WELLS

Date of Birth: April 29, 1960

Born and raised in San Francisco, Audrey Wells earned her bachelor's degree at UC Berkeley and her master's in film from UCLA. She set out to write documentary films, but ended up writing scripts instead. Studio deals involving two of her first screenplays eventually fell through, but she finally struck it big with The Truth About Cats and Dogs (1996), starring Janeane Garofalo and Uma Thurman. The comedy, inspired by Audrey's three-year stint as a disc jockey at a jazz radio station, was a hit both at the box office and with critics.

Her next screenplay was George of the Jungle (1997), starring Brendan Fraser, but with her next script, Guinevere (1999), Audrey decided to make her feature film directorial debut.

Although it wasn't given a wide release, Guinevere, starring Sarah Polley, earned rave reviews on the independent film circuit, and Audrey won Jury Special Prize at the Deauville Film Festival as well as the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival.

She next wrote Disney's The Kid (2000), starring Bruce Willis, then wrote and directed Under the Tuscan Sun (2003), starring Diane Lane, which received a wide release. Her next screenplay, Shall We Dance? (2004) starring Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere, was directed by Peter Chelsom.

It was another 10 years before audiences were able to enjoy another film written by Audrey. The dog-themed comedy/drama A Dog's Purpose (2017) ended her long absence from the big screen. Shortly after, the crime drama The Hate U Give (2018)—based on the novel of the same title—was released, which starred Amandla Stenberg.

Audrey died of cancer at the age of 58 on October 4, 2018 in Santa Monica. She was survived by her fourth husband and two children from previous marriages

Filmography (director):

Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
Guinevere (1999)