Callie Khouri

CALLIE KHOURI

Date of Birth: 1958

Though writer-director Callie Khouri was born in Texas, she was raised in Kentucky by her father, a doctor, and mother. While attending Purdue University to study landscape architecture, she switched her major to drama. After college, Khouri moved to Nashville to be with her family before heading to Los Angeles in 1982 to study at the Strasburg Institute, and later with Peggy Fuery.

In 1985, she began working in film production as a receptionist before taking a position with them as a commercial and music video production assistant. While holding down her office job, she began work on what would eventually become Thelma & Louise (1991), writing the script in longhand at home and then retyping it on the job.

Her script was produced and released in 1991 sparking nationwide debate over the characters and events in the film, as well as earning her an Academy Award for Best Screenplay. Thelma & Louise also garnered Khouri honours from the Writers Guild of America for Best Original Screenplay, a Golden Globe Award, a PEN Literary Award and she was nominated for Best Original Screenplay by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).

Khouri's second picture was Something to Talk About (1995), starring Julia Roberts, Dennis Quaid, Gena Rowlands and Robert Duvall. A slight disappointment, the film had mediocre reviews from critics looking for another Thelma & Louise-calibre film and viewers gave little notice. In 2001 she decided to take the reins for the first time and made her directing debut with her script, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002).

Khouri currently serves on Board of Directors of the Writers Guild and resides in the Los Angeles area with her writer/producer husband, David Warfield.

Filmography (director):

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002)

Filmography (writer):

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002)
Something to Talk About (1995)
Thelma & Louise (1991)