James_L._White

James L. White

James L. White

American screenwriter

For other people named James L. White, see James L. White (disambiguation).

James L. White (November 15, 1947 – July 23, 2015) was an American screenwriter best known for his original screenplay for the 2004 film Ray, a biopic on Ray Charles.[1][2][3] For his work on Ray, White received the Satellite Award for Best Original Screenplay and a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.[4][5]

Quick Facts Born, Died ...

White was born on November 15, 1947, in Mount Sterling, Kentucky.[3] He was raised by his single mother in Mount Sterling, approximately 35 miles east of Lexington.[2][3] A love of reading led White to pursue a career as a writer.[2] He served in the U.S. Navy before enrolling at the University of Massachusetts.[2] He left the university after a year and worked a series of jobs in the Boston area.[3] He moved to Los Angeles during the 1970s to pursue screenwriting.[2]

White credited his friend, actor Sidney Poitier, with helping in get his first screenwriting job.[1] Poitier hired White in 1992 to write the screenplay for a thriller called Red Money.[3] The film was never made, but it marked White's breakthrough into screenwriting after decades of attempts.[3] In a 2005 award acceptance speech before the Friends of the Black Oscar Nominees group, White thanked Poitier: "I would like to publicly thank Mr. Poitier, who was the first person in Hollywood to take a chance on me as a screenwriter."[3]

White was working on two screenplays at the time of his death in 2015 – a biopic on Bessie Smith titled Empress of the Blues, and a film focusing on Dinah Washington, which is in pre-production.[1]

White died from complications of liver and pancreatic cancer at his home in Santa Monica, California, on July 23, 2015, at the age of 67.[1] He was survived by his wife, Elizabeth, two daughters and a son.[1]

References

  1. [1]
    Dagan, Carmel (July 23, 2015). "James L. White, Who Penned 'Ray' Screenplay, Dies at 67". Variety. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  2. [2]
    Copley, Rich (July 27, 2015). "James L. White, 'Ray' screenwriter and Kentuckian, dies at 67". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  3. [3]
    Colker, David (July 28, 2015). "James L. White, who wrote screenplay for Ray Charles film, dies at 67". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  4. [4]
    Morfoot, Addie (January 24, 2005). "Satellite kudos hover on 'Hotel'". Variety. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  5. [5]
    Hipes, Patrick (July 23, 2015). "James L. White Dies: 'Ray' Screenwriter Was 67". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
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