Mark Steven Johnson

MARK STEVEN JOHNSON

Date of Birth: October 30, 1964

Born in Hastings, Minnesota, Mark Steven Johnson studied journalism at Winona State University before transferring to California State University Long Beach, where he went on to receive his Bachelor of Arts degree. His first job after graduating was as an assistant to a television attorney at Orion Pictures.

He first became known as a screenwriter in 1993, when his screenplay Grumpy Old Men was produced, starring screen legends Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. Johnson went on to write the sequel, Grumpier Old Men (1995) and the lesser-known Big Bully (1996), starring Rick Moranis and Tom Arnold (Arnold won a "Worst Actor" Razzie award for his performance).

In 1998, Johnson made his directing debut with his own screenplay, Simon Birch, a heart-warming story about a young boy whose physical growth has been stunted. His next screenplay, Jack Frost (1998), starred Michael Keaton but was directed by Troy Miller.

When growing up, Johnson wondered why more movies weren't made about comic book heroes, and remembers thinking when he was 10, "I want to see a Daredevil movie. Why aren't they making a Daredevil movie?" He finally made his childhood wish come true by writing his own Daredevil screenplay. He also directed the film, which starred Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner.

Filmography (director):

When in Rome (2010)
Ghost Rider (2007)
Daredevil (2003)
Simon Birch (1998)