--- name: "Marshall Herskovitz" canonical: "https://film.one/person/marshall-herskovitz" fi1m_id: "marshall-herskovitz" imdb_id: "nm0380980" tmdb_id: 9182 wikidata_id: "Q925604" roles: ["Writer","Producer","Director"] born: "23 February 1952" reviewed_on_fi1m: 4 average_fi1m_score: 73 average_as: "writer" average_over: 2 updated: "2026-10-05T02:47:48.930179+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." --- # Marshall Herskovitz ## Identity Marshall Herskovitz - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/marshall-herskovitz - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** marshall-herskovitz - **IMDb ID:** nm0380980 - **TMDB ID:** 9182 - **Wikidata ID:** Q925604 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Herskovitz, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q925604, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0380980/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/9182 Writer and producer. Born 23 February 1952 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. ## Details - **Work:** Writer, Producer, Director - **Born:** 23 February 1952, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA - **Active:** 1987–2012 - **Titles on Fi1m:** 4: 1 directing, 2 writing, 1 producing - **Frequently works with:** [Edward Zwick](https://film.one/person/edward-zwick.md), [Ellen S. Pressman](https://film.one/person/ellen-s-pressman.md), [Liberty Godshall](https://film.one/person/liberty-godshall.md), [Ron Lagomarsino](https://film.one/person/ron-lagomarsino.md), [Claudia Weill](https://film.one/person/claudia-weill.md), [Dan Lerner](https://film.one/person/dan-lerner.md), [Devon Gummersall](https://film.one/person/devon-gummersall.md), [Elodie Keene](https://film.one/person/elodie-keene.md) - **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination - **Average Fi1m score:** 73, as writer, over 2 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 87 (1), 2000s 77 (2), 2010s 74 (1) - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Herskovitz, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q925604, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0380980/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/9182 ## Streaming the US now - **Pluto TV:** [*Nashville*](https://film.one/tv/nashville-2012.md) (74) - **HBO Max:** [*The Last Samurai*](https://film.one/film/the-last-samurai.md) (72) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Marshall Herskovitz > Marshall Herskovitz is most valuable when he gives people time to be uncertain. We rate his intimate television work above his grander screenwriting, where sincere feeling can make difficult people too easy to admire. Claire Danes makes adolescent self-consciousness so immediate in *My So-Called Life* (1994) that the narration sometimes has little left to explain. We winced in recognition at her discomfort; the performance makes it plain before the words arrive. It is Winnie Holzman's drama, with Herskovitz serving as executive producer and episode director, and his contribution should not be confused with hers. We rate this side of his work most highly, where embarrassment and uncertainty are worth taking time over. That approach took shape in *thirtysomething* (1987), which he co-created with Edward Zwick around adult relationships and everyday emotional troubles. Their collaboration continued across television and film, with writing, directing and producing shared between them. Herskovitz also directed the features *Jack the Bear* (1993) and *Dangerous Beauty* (1998), before film producing and co-writing took more of his attention. His television work continued with *Once and Again* (1999), as executive producer and episode director, keeping ordinary emotional difficulties central to his work. The sentimental writing in *The Last Samurai* (2003) shows the limit of that sympathy. Herskovitz shares the screenplay credit with John Logan and Zwick, who also directed. Forceful action and Ken Watanabe's presence make the film worth seeing for those with a taste for old-fashioned spectacle. But the screenplay makes the samurai's honour and discipline so comfortable to admire that there is too little reason to question the flattering picture. The feeling is sincere; allowing these people to be more difficult would have made it more convincing. His later television work includes taking over as showrunner on *Nashville* (2012) for its fifth and sixth seasons, from 2016 to 2018. We like the programme for Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere, the feeling in their central rivalry and the conviction of the singing. Its plotting can be needlessly complicated, a reservation about the programme rather than his later tenure specifically. Start with *My So-Called Life*, provided a little unnecessary narration will not spoil the evening. ## Biography Marshall Herskovitz is an American film and television producer, writer and director. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he graduated from Brandeis University and trained at the AFI Conservatory, where he met his frequent collaborator Edward Zwick. He produced the films *Legends of the Fall* (1994), *Traffic* (2000), *I Am Sam* (2001), *The Last Samurai* (2003), *Blood Diamond* (2006) and *Love & Other Drugs* (2010). Herskovitz also directed the features *Jack the Bear* (1993) and *Dangerous Beauty* (1998). With Zwick he created and executive-produced the television series *thirtysomething* (1987–1991), *My So-Called Life* (1994–1995) and *Once and Again* (1999–2002). He has served as President Emeritus of the Producers Guild of America. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (4) ### Directed (1) - *My So-Called Life* (1994), Fi1m 87, Executive Producer, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/my-so-called-life.md) ### Wrote (2) — the average rests on these - *Nashville* (2012), Fi1m 74, Executive Producer, Screenplay, Screenstory — [page](https://film.one/tv/nashville-2012.md) - *The Last Samurai* (2003), Fi1m 72, Screenplay, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-last-samurai.md) ### Produced (1) - *Traffic* (2000), Fi1m 82, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/traffic.md) ## Complete filmography (33) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Trial by Fire* (2019), Executive Producer - *Woman Walks Ahead* (2018), Producer - *American Assassin* (2017), Screenplay - *The Great Wall* (2016), Story - *Jack Reacher: Never Go Back* (2016), Screenplay - *About Alex* (2014), Executive Producer - *Nashville* (2012), series, Executive Producer, Screenstory, Screenplay — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/nashville-2012.md) - *Love & Other Drugs* (2010), Screenplay, Producer - *A Marriage* (2009), Director - *Quarterlife* (2008), series, Producer, Writer, Director, Creator - *Blood Diamond* (2006), Producer - *TV Revolution* (2004), series, Actor - *The Last Samurai* (2003), Screenplay, Producer — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/the-last-samurai.md) - *Women vs. Men* (2002), Executive Producer - *Lone Star State of Mind* (2002), Executive Producer - *I Am Sam* (2001), Producer - *Traffic* (2000), Producer — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/traffic.md) - *Once and Again* (1999), series, Writer, Director, Producer, Creator - *Dangerous Beauty* (1998), Director, Producer - *Legends of the Fall* (1994), Producer - *My So-Called Life* (1994), series, Director, Executive Producer — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/tv/my-so-called-life.md) - *Jack the Bear* (1993), Director - *Extreme Close-Up* (1990), Writer, Executive Producer - *Dream Street* (1989), series, Creator - *thirtysomething* (1987), series, Director, Executive Producer, Writer, Creator - *Special Bulletin* (1983), Teleplay, Story, Producer - *Seven Brides for Seven Brothers* (1982), series, Writer - *Family* (1976), series, Writer, Director - *The Dialogue: An Interview with Screenwriter Marshall Herskovitz*, Actor - *Asymmetry*, Screenplay, Producer - *Soul ReViver*, Producer - *The Creed of Violence*, Producer - *The Making Of*, Writer, Producer ## Awards ### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated - 2001: Best Picture (nominated), for *Traffic* *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/marshall-herskovitz