---
name: "David Hare"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/david-hare"
roles: ["Writer","Director"]
born: "5 June 1947"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 64
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-20T07:16:43.164847+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# David Hare

Writer and director. Born 5 June 1947 in St Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex, England, UK.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer, Director
- **Born:** 5 June 1947, St Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex, England, UK
- **Active:** 1970–2008
- **Frequently works with:** [Stephen Daldry](https://film.one/person/stephen-daldry.md)
- **Berlin International Film Festival:** 1 Berlin prize (1 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 64, as writer, over 2 titles
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hare_(playwright), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1174676, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002376/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8403

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*The Reader*](https://film.one/film/the-reader.md) (56)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Sir David Hare is an English playwright, screenwriter and director. Born on 5 June 1947 in St Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex, he was educated at Lancing College and Jesus College, Cambridge. He began his career in theatre with the Portable Theatre Company and wrote his first play, *Slag*, in 1970.

Hare is known for stage works including *Plenty* (1978) and for screenplays such as *The Hours* (2002), adapted from Michael Cunningham’s novel, and *The Reader* (2008). He has also written and directed for television, including episodes of *Play for Today* and the Worricker trilogy films *Page Eight* (2011), *Turks & Caicos* (2014) and *Salting the Battlefield* (2014).

He was knighted in 1998 and has received two Academy Award nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay, a BAFTA Award and two Laurence Olivier Awards.

*Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org, britannica.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *The Reader* (2008), Fi1m 56, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/the-reader.md)
- *The Hours* (2002), Fi1m 72, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/the-hours.md)

## Complete filmography (41)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Teeth 'N' Smiles* (2026), Writer
- *National Theatre Live: Straight Line Crazy* (2022), Writer
- *Beat the Devil* (2021), Writer, Director
- *Roadkill* (2020), series, Executive Producer, Writer, Creator
- *National Theatre Live: I'm Not Running* (2019), Writer
- *The White Crow* (2018), Writer
- *Collateral* (2018), series, Writer, Executive Producer, Creator
- *Brexit Shorts: Time to Leave* (2017), Writer
- *Ballyfin: Portrait of an Irish Country House* (2017), Director
- *National Theatre Live: The Seagull* (2016), Adaptation
- *Denial* (2016), Screenplay
- *National Theatre Live: Behind the Beautiful Forevers* (2015), Screenplay
- *National Theatre Live: Skylight* (2014), Theatre Play, Writer
- *Salting the Battlefield* (2014), Director, Writer
- *Turks & Caicos* (2014), Director, Writer
- *Getsemani* (2011), Theatre Play
- *Page Eight* (2011), Writer, Director
- *The Reader* (2008), Screenplay — Fi1m 56, [page](https://film.one/film/the-reader.md)
- *My Zinc Bed* (2008), Writer
- *The Hours* (2002), Screenplay — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/the-hours.md)
- *The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Winds of Change* (2000), Director
- *Via Dolorosa* (2000), Writer
- *The Designated Mourner* (1997), Director, Producer
- *The Absence of War* (1995), Writer
- *The Secret Rapture* (1993), Screenplay
- *Damage* (1992), Screenplay
- *Heading Home* (1991), Director
- *Strapless* (1989), Director, Writer
- *Paris by Night* (1989), Director, Writer
- *Plenty* (1985), Screenplay, Theatre Play
- *Theatre Night* (1985), series, Theatre Play
- *Wetherby* (1985), Writer, Director
- *Screen Two* (1985), series, Screenplay, Writer, Director
- *Saigon: Year of the Cat* (1983), Writer, Associate Producer
- *Dreams of Leaving* (1980), Director, Writer
- *Licking Hitler* (1978), Writer, Director
- *Knuckle* (1975), Theatre Play
- *Brassneck* (1975), Writer
- *Man Above Men* (1973), Writer
- *Play for Today* (1970), series, Director, Writer
- *The Heritage* (1962), as Lawrence Morell

## Gallery

- ![David Hare, playwright, at the 2025 Jaipur Literature Festival in Jaipur, India.](https://film.one/media/person/161637/gallery-e14c3566f011.jpg) David Hare, playwright, at the 2025 Jaipur Literature Festival in Jaipur, India. — Sriya Sarkar, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/David_Hare_at_the_2025_Jaipur_Literature_Festival.jpg/1280px-David_Hare_at_the_2025_Jaipur_Literature_Festival.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Сэр Дэвид Хэа (2018)](https://film.one/media/person/161637/gallery-36b8422aeb83.jpg) Сэр Дэвид Хэа (2018) — Наталия Корчагина, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/David-Hare.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Сэр Дэвид Хаэ (2018)](https://film.one/media/person/161637/gallery-dfed8f4150f8.jpg) Сэр Дэвид Хаэ (2018) — Наталия Корчагина, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/David-Hare-edinburgh-film-festival-2018_%28cropped%29-3.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Sir David Hare (born 5 June 1947) is an English playwright, screenwriter and theatre and film director. Best known for his stage work, Hare has also enjoyed gre (2018)](https://film.one/media/person/161637/gallery-bcf5a74db27d.jpg) Sir David Hare (born 5 June 1947) is an English playwright, screenwriter and theatre and film director. Best known for his stage work, Hare has also enjoyed gre (2018) — Peter Burnett, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/David-Hare-edinburgh-film-festival-2018.jpg/1280px-David-Hare-edinburgh-film-festival-2018.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![David Hare](https://film.one/media/person/161637/gallery-2fc9b9ae8d90.jpg) David Hare — Image via TMDB
- ![David Hare](https://film.one/media/person/161637/gallery-64a143f08b97.jpg) David Hare — Peter Burnett, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/86/David-Hare-edinburgh-film-festival-2018_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-David-Hare-edinburgh-film-festival-2018_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 2 nominated

- 2009: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated), for *The Reader*
- 2003: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated), for *The Hours*

### BAFTA Film Awards — 0 won, 2 nominated

- 2009: Best Adapted Screenplay (nominated), for *The Reader*
- 2003: Best Adapted Screenplay (nominated), for *The Hours*

### Golden Globes — 0 won, 2 nominated

- 2008: Best Screenplay (nominated), for *The Reader*
- 2002: Best Screenplay (nominated), for *The Hours*

### Berlin International Film Festival — 1 won

- 1985: Golden Bear (won), for *Wetherby*

### Other awards — 8 won, 13 nominated

- PEN Pinter Prize 2011: PEN Pinter Prize (won)
- European Film Award for Best Film 2009: European Film Award for Best Film (nominated), for *The Reader*
- Satellite Award for Best Adapted Screenplay 2008: Satellite Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (nominated), for *The Reader*
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play 2006: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play (nominated)
- Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay 2003: Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (won), for *The Hours*
- Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play 2001: Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play (nominated)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One-Person Show 1999: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One-Person Show (won)
- Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play 1999: Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play (nominated)
- Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play 1998: Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play (nominated)
- Tony Award for Best Play 1997: Tony Award for Best Play (nominated)
- Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play 1996: Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play (won)
- Tony Award for Best Play 1996: Tony Award for Best Play (nominated)
- Evening Standard Theatre Awards 1995: Evening Standard Theatre Awards (won)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play 1990: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play (nominated)
- Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play 1990: Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play (won)
- Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play 1988: Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play (nominated)
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature 1985: Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (won)
- Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy 1985: Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy (nominated)
- Tony Award for Best Play 1983: Tony Award for Best Play (nominated)
- British Academy Film Awards 1979: British Academy Film Awards (won)
- Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play 1978: Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play (nominated)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/david-hare