---
name: "Kenneth Lonergan"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/kenneth-lonergan"
fi1m_id: "kenneth-lonergan"
imdb_id: "nm0518836"
tmdb_id: 30711
wikidata_id: "Q968840"
roles: ["Writer","Director"]
born: "16 October 1962"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 6
average_fi1m_score: 77
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-10-07T18:04:16.488079+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."
---

# Kenneth Lonergan

## Identity

Kenneth Lonergan

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/kenneth-lonergan
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** kenneth-lonergan
- **IMDb ID:** nm0518836
- **TMDB ID:** 30711
- **Wikidata ID:** Q968840
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Lonergan, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q968840, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0518836/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/30711

Writer and director. Born 16 October 1962 in New York City, New York, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer, Director
- **Born:** 16 October 1962, New York City, New York, USA
- **Active:** 2002–present
- **Also known as:** 肯尼思·洛纳根
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 6: 1 acting, 2 directing, 2 writing, 1 other
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 3 nominated)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 77, as writer, over 2 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 74 (1), 2010s 77 (4), 2020s 80 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Lonergan, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q968840, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0518836/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/30711

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*Howards End*](https://film.one/tv/howards-end-2017.md) (80), [*Gangs of New York*](https://film.one/film/gangs-of-new-york.md) (74)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Manchester by the Sea*](https://film.one/film/manchester-by-the-sea.md) (89)
- **Netflix:** [*RIPLEY*](https://film.one/tv/ripley.md) (80)
- **Disney+:** [*Margaret*](https://film.one/film/margaret.md) (78)

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

## Fi1m on Kenneth Lonergan

> Kenneth Lonergan writes people who cannot say what they mean and will not stop talking. His best films, *Manchester by the Sea* and *Margaret*, put grief and irritation in the same conversation, and we rate him highly for it, with one caveat about length.

Kenneth Lonergan's scenes tend to go on a little longer than the people in them would like. Someone needs something, someone else cannot supply it, and instead of stopping they keep talking about anything but the thing. In *Manchester by the Sea* (2016) Lee and his nephew Patrick spend most of the film failing to comfort each other, and the failures are where the writing lives. He has said he writes about situations that are too big for the characters, and that is what it looks like on screen: small talk under a weight nobody can lift.

He was a playwright first, with *This Is Our Youth* (1996) among the plays that made his name, and the plays explain the films. Nobody in a Lonergan film is short of words; what they lack is the right ones. He wrote and directed *You Can Count on Me* (2000), then shared the screenplay of Martin Scorsese's *Gangs of New York* (2002) with Jay Cocks and Steven Zaillian, and it is the least like him of his credits. The streets and Daniel Day-Lewis carry that film; the romance between Amsterdam and Jenny asks for feeling the writing has not earned.

*Margaret* was shot in 2005 and not released until 2011, after long disputes over the edit, and it shows: 150 minutes in which everyone gets a turn to argue, and some of the arguments repeat rather than advance. It is still a good film, and Anna Paquin makes Lisa Cohen's certainty keep slipping into hurt without ever asking us to like her. Jeannie Berlin's Emily is the other half of the method, a second person whose feelings are strong enough to interrupt the lead's. Lonergan is good with actors because he writes them things worth disagreeing about.

*Manchester by the Sea* is the tidier film and the better one. Casey Affleck and Lucas Hedges are exact together, and Hedges is allowed to be a nuisance, which is what keeps the grief from turning solemn. We laughed at their testy exchanges and were grateful for the relief, and then noticed that the jokes and the grief were coming from the same place, which is the point of him. He has said he has never seen much of a dividing line between comedy and tragedy; in this film there is none.

The caveat is length. Both films we admire most could lose fifteen minutes, and the second half of *Manchester* drifts when it should tighten. Some critics also find his subject narrow, one kind of loss felt by one kind of man; there is something in that, though *Margaret* is a teenage girl's film from first to last. He has since adapted *Howards End* for television (2017) and announced a new feature. We expect it to run long, and we expect to stay.

## Biography

Kenneth Lonergan is an American playwright, screenwriter and film director. He was born on 16 October 1962 in New York City.

In 1982 he wrote his first one-act play, *The Rennings Children*. He earned acclaim for off-Broadway plays including *This Is Our Youth* (1996), *The Waverly Gallery* (2000) and *Lobby Hero* (2001), later revived on Broadway with Tony Award nominations for best revival.

Lonergan wrote the screenplay for *Gangs of New York* (2002). He wrote and directed *You Can Count on Me* (2000), *Margaret* (2011) and *Manchester by the Sea* (2016). He adapted E. M. Forster's novel into the 2017 miniseries *Howards End*.

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

## On Fi1m (6)

### Performed in (1)

- *RIPLEY* (2024), Fi1m 80, as Herbert Greenleaf — [page](https://film.one/tv/ripley.md)

### Directed (2)

- *Manchester by the Sea* (2016), Fi1m 89, as Manchester Pedestrian — [page](https://film.one/film/manchester-by-the-sea.md)
- *Margaret* (2011), Fi1m 78, as Karl — [page](https://film.one/film/margaret.md)

### Wrote (2) — the average rests on these

- *Howards End* (2017), Fi1m 80, Writer, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/tv/howards-end-2017.md)
- *Gangs of New York* (2002), Fi1m 74, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/gangs-of-new-york.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *I'm Still Here* (2010), Fi1m 60, Thanks — [page](https://film.one/film/im-still-here-2010.md)

## Complete filmography (17)

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

- *Debaters* (2025), as Ted
- *RIPLEY* (2024), series, as Herbert Greenleaf — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/ripley.md)
- *My Friends* (2023), as River's Dad
- *White Noise* (2022), as Dr. Hookstratten
- *This Is Our Youth* (2020), Writer
- *Howards End* (2017), series, Screenplay, Writer — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/howards-end-2017.md)
- *Manchester by the Sea* (2016), as Manchester Pedestrian · Writer, Director — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/film/manchester-by-the-sea.md)
- *Margaret* (2011), as Karl · Writer, Director — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/margaret.md)
- *I'm Still Here* (2010), Thanks — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/im-still-here-2010.md)
- *Marie and Bruce* (2004), as Herb
- *Gangs of New York* (2002), Screenplay — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/gangs-of-new-york.md)
- *Analyze That* (2002), Characters
- *The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle* (2000), Writer
- *You Can Count on Me* (2000), as Ron · Director, Writer
- *Analyze This* (1999), Screenplay, Story
- *Doug* (1991), series, Writer
- *Tomorrow Is a Drag*, Director, Screenplay

## Gallery

- ![Kenneth Lonergan](https://film.one/media/person/97906/gallery-41c8ad32a98d.jpg) Kenneth Lonergan — Manfred Werner (Tsui), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Kenneth_Lonergan_Viennale_2016_opening_4_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-Kenneth_Lonergan_Viennale_2016_opening_4_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Kenneth Lonergan, Michelle Williams, Casey Affleck and four producers of Manchester by the Sea at the European premiere (2016)](https://film.one/media/person/97906/gallery-cd8dd58391dc.jpg) Kenneth Lonergan, Michelle Williams, Casey Affleck and four producers of Manchester by the Sea at the European premiere (2016) — Bex Walton from London, England, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Kenneth_Lonergan%2C_Michelle_Williams%2C_Casey_Affleck_and_four_producers_of_Manchester_by_the_Sea_at_the_European_premiere_%2830095767452%29.jpg/1280px-Kenneth_Lonergan%2C_Michelle_Williams%2C_Casey_Affleck_and_four_producers_of_Manchester_by_the_Sea_at_the_European_premiere_%2830095767452%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Kenneth Lonergan at the opening evening of the Vienna International Film Festival 2016 at Gartenbaukino in Vienna.](https://film.one/media/person/97906/gallery-5ba4db401f7a.jpg) Kenneth Lonergan at the opening evening of the Vienna International Film Festival 2016 at Gartenbaukino in Vienna. — Manfred Werner (Tsui), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Kenneth_Lonergan_Viennale_2016_opening_1.jpg/1280px-Kenneth_Lonergan_Viennale_2016_opening_1.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Kenneth Lonergan at the opening evening of the Vienna International Film Festival 2016 at Gartenbaukino in Vienna.](https://film.one/media/person/97906/gallery-55b0f6dfddfd.jpg) Kenneth Lonergan at the opening evening of the Vienna International Film Festival 2016 at Gartenbaukino in Vienna. — Manfred Werner (Tsui), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/Kenneth_Lonergan_Viennale_2016_opening_2.jpg/1280px-Kenneth_Lonergan_Viennale_2016_opening_2.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Kenneth Lonergan](https://film.one/media/person/97906/gallery-7350388ca7ac.jpg) Kenneth Lonergan — Image via TMDB
- ![Kenneth Lonergan at the opening evening of the Vienna International Film Festival 2016 at Gartenbaukino in Vienna.](https://film.one/media/person/97906/gallery-93f158606832.jpg) Kenneth Lonergan at the opening evening of the Vienna International Film Festival 2016 at Gartenbaukino in Vienna. — Manfred Werner (Tsui), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Kenneth_Lonergan_Viennale_2016_opening_3.jpg/1280px-Kenneth_Lonergan_Viennale_2016_opening_3.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Kenneth Lonergan at the opening evening of the Vienna International Film Festival 2016 at Gartenbaukino in Vienna.](https://film.one/media/person/97906/gallery-49ecf7a4569a.jpg) Kenneth Lonergan at the opening evening of the Vienna International Film Festival 2016 at Gartenbaukino in Vienna. — Manfred Werner (Tsui), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Kenneth_Lonergan_Viennale_2016_opening_4.jpg/1280px-Kenneth_Lonergan_Viennale_2016_opening_4.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won, 3 nominated

- 2017: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (won), for *Manchester by the Sea*
- 2017: Best Director (nominated), for *Manchester by the Sea*
- 2003: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated), for *Gangs of New York*
- 2001: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated), for *You Can Count on Me*

### BAFTA Film Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 2003: Best Original Screenplay (nominated), for *Gangs of New York*

### Golden Globes — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 2000: Best Screenplay (nominated), for *You Can Count on Me*

### Other awards — 7 won, 5 nominated

- Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy 2003: Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy (nominated)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play 2001: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play (nominated)
- Independent Spirit Awards 2001: Best Screenplay (won), for *You Can Count on Me*
- Independent Spirit Awards 2001: Best First Feature (won), for *You Can Count on Me*
- Pulitzer Prize for Drama 2001: Pulitzer Prize for Drama (nominated), for *The Waverley Gallery*
- Satellite Award for Best Original Screenplay 2001: Satellite Award for Best Original Screenplay (won), for *You Can Count on Me*
- Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay 2001: Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay (won), for *You Can Count on Me*
- National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay 2000: National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay (won), for *You Can Count on Me*
- Open Palm Award 2000: Open Palm Award (nominated), for *You Can Count on Me*
- Sundance Film Festival U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize Award 2000: Sundance Film Festival U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize Award (won), for *You Can Count on Me*
- Sutherland Trophy 2000: Sutherland Trophy (won), for *You Can Count on Me*
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play 1997: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding 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/kenneth-lonergan