John Byrum

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Byrum is an American film director and writer known for The Razor's Edge Heart Beat Duets and Inserts.

Raised in Winnetka,Illinois, on the North Shore of Chicago, Byrum studied at New York University in the late 1960's. His instructors included Haig P. Manoogian and graduate student Martin Scorsese,and classmates Oliver Stone and Eric Jenkins. At NYU he co-wrote "Item 72-D, The Adventures of Spa and Fon" with director Edward Summer.

As a student, Byrum interned with Jim Henson on early appearances of The Muppets and was eventually hired by Henson as one of the original writers of Sesame Street. Hollywood took notice of Byrum's original script Inserts and he was tapped to write scripts Harry & Walter Go To New York and the Diana Ross vehicle Mahogany. Byrum worked with his idol Tony Richardson on Mahogany. Byrum directed his first feature film Inserts with stars Richard Dreyfuss, Jessica Harper, Veronica Cartwright, Stephen Davies, and Bob Hoskins. Among Byrum's other produced films are Heart Beat starring Nick Nolte, John Heard, and Sissy Spacek, and The Razor's Edge starring Bill Murray, Catherine Hicks, Theresa Russell, and James Keach. After the box office failure of The Razor's Edge, financially-strapped Byrum directed the goofy comedy The Whoopee Boys starring Michael O'Keefe and Paul Rodriguez, as well as a cameo part by former wife Linda Fiorentino. Byrum created, wrote and produced television series included Middle Ages starring Peter Riegert, Michael O'Keefe, Amy Brenneman, and William Russ, and South of Sunset starring Glenn Frey of The Eagles fame, and Winnetka Road starring Ed Begley, Jr., Meg Tilly, and Josh Brolin. Byrum's television movie Out of Season starred Ted Levine as a Hunter Thompson-like character who is elected mayor of a Colorado ski resort. Co-stars included Jamey Sheridan, Judith Hoag, Adam Baldwin, and newcomerLisa Kudrow. John Byrum resides in both California and Connecticut with his wife Karin Reznack.