Biography
Joe Eszterhas is a Hungarian-American screenwriter and author. Born in Csákánydoroszló, Hungary, he grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and began his career as a journalist and editor before entering film.
His first screenwriting credit was for F.I.S.T. (1978). He went on to write the screenplays for Flashdance (1983), Jagged Edge (1985), Music Box (1989), Basic Instinct (1992), Sliver (1993), Showgirls (1995) and Jade (1995). In the early 1990s he was reported to be the highest-paid screenwriter in Hollywood.
After a period of lower-profile work he largely withdrew from screenwriting and has since published several books, including the memoirs Hollywood Animal (2004) and Crossbearer (2008).
