Tom Stoppard

Tom Stoppard is an internationally renowned playwright, screenwriter, novelist and journalist who has contributed significantly to the realm of literature and media over the course of five decades. He is the recipient of numerous awards often related to his works focused on theatre, film, and television.

Tom Stoppard was born in Czechoslovakia on July 3, 1937 to a care-free family who moved to Singapore when he was four. When Stoppard’s parents divorced, he was sent to England to live with his mother and stepfather, Alfred Stoppard. It was here in England where his interest in literature, writing, and drama was nurtured and strengthened. He went on to attend the University of Cambridge to receive his undergraduate degree in Romance and Germanic languages.

Stoppard has had several successful careers throughout his lifespan. In 1962 he became a full-time freelance journalist, a profession which he maintained until 1965. During this time, he had published several of his own works, including a satirical novel, The Dog It Was That Died. His first work of professional theatrical achievement was The Real Inspector Hound, which was performed in 1968 at the Criterion Theatre. This was followed by works such as The Invention of Love, Arcadia and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.

Stoppard is known for many theatrical works, but his contributions to film are equally thought-provoking and comprehensive. Films such as Brazil and Empire of The Sun take space within the realm of uncanny, dystopian science fiction and drama. Stoppard won an Oscar for his adapted screenplay for the 1996 film, Shakespeare in Love. His other films include films adaptations such as Vantage Point and The Others, as well as original works such as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and Clockwise.

Stoppard’s works often explore themes of politics, fate, identity, and freedom. He often goes in-depth to analyze characters, the complex rules of reality, and is often acerbic in his commentary. He explores themes through his characters which creates a kind of personal reflection in the audience.

Throughout Stoppard’s career he has received many honors, including awards such as Knight Bachelor, Tony Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Academy Award. Stoppard has been honored as a Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French Government, and in 2011 an asteroid was named after him.

Tom’s impressive works set the standard for a wide range of playwrights and film-makers. While Stoppard has continued working throughout the decades, he has taken the time to mentor up-and-coming playwrights and to bring forth new works. He is now hard at work on a film adaptation of the novel To the End of the Land, and is developing a new play and television movie.