John C. Richards

John C. Richards began his writing career with a focus on short stories, which he continued to pursue during his years as a rock guitarist in Canada and New Orleans. One of these, "Heart Too Big," was included in "Stubborn Light," an anthology of the best published work of "The Sun." Another was the genesis of the screenplay for the film, "Nurse Betty", which captured the Best Screenplay Award at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. The only American film to win an award that year, "Nurse Betty" was also nominated for an Edgar. Richards wrote the voiceover narration (uncredited) in "American History 'X,'" directed by Tony Kaye, and the screenplay adaptation of Clive Cussler's novel, "Sahara" which starred Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz, directed by Breck Eisner. Richards' one-act play, "The Picnic Basket," was produced by the West Coast Ensemble in 2001. His feature-length adaptations also include "Vivo," from Louis de Berniere's novel "Señor Vivo and the Coca Lord," and Elmore Leonard's "Tishomingo Blues." In 2017 he wrote "Paterno" for HBO, the story of the fall of Penn State coaching legend Joe Paterno, which aired in April 2018, with Al Pacino in the lead role. John Richards lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three children.