Antwone Fisher
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Antwone Fisher | |
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Fisher in May 2010
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Born | Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
August 3, 1959
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Director, producer, screenwriter |
Spouse(s) | LaNette Fisher |
Children | Azure and Indigo Fisher |
Website | www.AntwoneFisher.net |
Antwone Quenton Fisher (born August 3, 1959) is an American director, screenwriter, author and film producer. His 2001 autobiographical book Finding Fish was a New York Times Best Seller. The 2002 film Antwone Fisher was written by Fisher and directed by Denzel Washington.
Contents
Early life and education
Fisher was born in prison to a single mother. His father Eddie Elkins had been shot dead by a jealous girlfriend two months earlier. Antwone was placed in a foster home weeks after he was born and remained in foster care through most of his childhood. After living with a foster mother for two years, Fisher was taken away from her. He was then placed into another foster home with a family named the Picketts. He spent 14 years of his childhood with the Picketts and was abused physically, verbally and sexually. He was then removed from the Pickett home after having a fight with his foster mother. Antwone was sent to George Junior Republic School, a discipline school for boys, from which he graduated prior to joining the United States Navy.[1]
Career
Government work
Fisher joined the U.S. Navy to escape homelessness. Fisher spent 11 years in the Navy. Here, he met Lt. Commander Williams, a psychiatrist who helped him work through his emotional traumas. After the discharge from the Navy, Fisher joined the Federal Bureau of Prisons as a federal correctional officer.[2]
Writer and filmmaker
After three years with the Bureau of Prisons, he began work as a security guard for Sony Pictures. It was there Fisher decided to find his true family members. He contacted Annette Elkins, who turned out to be his aunt. Within months of this contact, Fisher met all of his family, including his mother Eva Mae. He learned that she had given birth to four other children who were all taken away as wards of the state. Fisher said after their meeting: "In the place inside me where the hurt of abandonment had been, now only compassion lived."[citation needed]
Fisher penned his screenplay. Stories about Fisher's life began spreading around the Sony lot, and many people from Hollywood lined up to develop the project. He initially declined all offers. After writing over 40 drafts, he sold the rights to his story to 20th Century Fox.[citation needed] The feature film Antwone Fisher was directed by Denzel Washington, and starred Derek Luke in the title role. Fisher was credited as both writer and co-producer.
Fisher is still working as a director, author, poet, lecturer, college professor, movie producer and screenwriter.[citation needed] His latest book, A Boy Should Know How to Tie a Tie: And Other Lessons for Succeeding in Life, was published by Simon & Schuster in April 2010.
Fisher has written and directed other films, including a documentary, This Life of Mine: The Story of Leon T. Garr, a short film, "My Summer Friend", starring Michael T. Williams,[3][4] and was a co-writer of the 2006 American drama ATL (film).
Personal life
Fisher and his wife, LaNette Canister, married December 1, 1996. They have two children, Azure and Indigo.
Awards
- two NAACP Awards
- Screenwriter of the Year
- Humanatos Prize
- Ohiowana
- Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Cleveland State University
Notes
- ↑ "Antwone Fisher" The History Makers
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- ↑ Lua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 28: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). This Life of Mine: The Leon T. Garr Story at IMDb
- ↑ Lua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 28: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). My Summer Friend at IMDb
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Antwone Fisher. |
- Official website
- Antwone Fisher (film) at Fox Searchlight Pictures
- Antwone Fisher at the Internet Movie Database
- The Antwone Fisher Story as a Case Study for Child Welfare: Hearing Before the Committee on Finance, United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session, April 23, 2013
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- Use mdy dates from October 2013
- Articles with hCards
- Articles with unsourced statements from March 2011
- Commons category link is defined as the pagename
- American film producers
- American male screenwriters
- African-American screenwriters
- People from Cleveland, Ohio
- 1959 births
- Living people
- American adoptees
- United States Navy sailors
- African-American military personnel