Born David Friedman, he changed his name to David Benioff, his mother's maiden name. He worked as a club bouncer and high school English teacher until he won recognition for his book, The 25th Hour. He later adapted the book into a film, starring Edward Norton and directed by Spike Lee.
Benioff is a Dartmouth College alumnus. Additionally, he attended the University of California Irvine and received a Masters in the creative writing program.
Thus began his career as a Hollywood screenwriter. He adapted a screenplay of the mythological epic Troy (2004). He also penned the script for the psychological thriller Stay (2005). 20th Century Fox reportedly paid Benioff $2 million for the script. The film was released on October 21, 2005, and was directed by Marc Forster and starred Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts. His most recent screenplay, The Kite Runner, a film based on the book bearing the same name, marked his second collaboration with director Marc Forster.
He is currently working on a script for the X-Men spin-off Wolverine. He is also working with D.B. Weiss on an HBO adaptation of George R.R. Martin's acclaimed "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, which is due out in 2009.
Benioff's father, Stephen Friedman, is the former head of Goldman Sachs. On September 30, 2006 in New York City, Benioff married actress Amanda Peet, whom he met on a blind date. His first child, a daughter named Frances Pen, was born on February 20, 2007.
The 25th Hour
When the Nines Roll Over (and Other Stories)
City of Thieves, A Novel
