---
name: "Nora Ephron"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/nora-ephron"
fi1m_id: "nora-ephron"
imdb_id: "nm0001188"
tmdb_id: 9248
wikidata_id: "Q214677"
roles: ["Writer","Producer","Director"]
born: "19 May 1941"
died: "26 June 2012"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 7
average_fi1m_score: 70
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-10-05T01:12:17.777283+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."
---

# Nora Ephron

## Identity

Nora Ephron

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/nora-ephron
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** nora-ephron
- **IMDb ID:** nm0001188
- **TMDB ID:** 9248
- **Wikidata ID:** Q214677
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nora_Ephron, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q214677, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001188/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/9248

Writer and producer. Born 19 May 1941 in New York City, New York, USA. Died 26 June 2012.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer, Producer, Director
- **Born:** 19 May 1941, New York City, New York, USA
- **Died:** 26 June 2012
- **Active:** 1986–2009
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 7: 2 acting, 3 directing, 2 writing
- **Frequently works with:** [Meg Ryan](https://film.one/person/meg-ryan.md), [Delia Ephron](https://film.one/person/delia-ephron.md), [Meryl Streep](https://film.one/person/meryl-streep.md), [Tom Hanks](https://film.one/person/tom-hanks.md)
- **BAFTA Film Awards:** 1 BAFTA (1 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 70, as writer, over 2 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 74 (3), 1990s 76 (3), 2000s 72 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nora_Ephron, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q214677, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001188/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/9248

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*Sleepless in Seattle*](https://film.one/film/sleepless-in-seattle.md) (78)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Julie & Julia*](https://film.one/film/julie-and-julia.md) (72)
- **Apple TV:** [*You've Got Mail*](https://film.one/film/youve-got-mail.md) (66)

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

## Fi1m on Nora Ephron

> Nora Ephron is at her best when a confident opinion gives away an anxious person. We recommend her romantic comedies for their talk and their company, while wishing she were less willing to let destiny settle the difficult questions.

Harry and Sally have firm ideas about men and women, and Ephron lets their embarrassment make those ideas less convincing. *When Harry Met Sally...* (1989) is the clearest reason to value her writing: Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan have people to play, even when the conversation becomes a debate. Rob Reiner's direction lets the conversation flow, while Carrie Fisher's unfussy delivery keeps the cleverer lines from sounding too pleased with themselves. The jokes tell us what these people would rather keep private. We could do with fewer general rules about the sexes, which become tiresome well before the company does.

Her early screenplays include *Silkwood* (1983), co-written with Alice Arlen, and *Heartburn* (1986), adapted from her own novel. The move into directing came with *This Is My Life* (1992), written with Delia Ephron. Across the writing and directing, food and strongly held preferences keep romance close to ordinary life.

In *Sleepless in Seattle* (1993), written with Jeff Arch and David S. Ward, she makes longing funny enough to sustain a romance between people who scarcely know each other. We laughed at the tiramisu gag because, for once, somebody was unsure of something in a film so certain about love. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan make much of the sentiment feel earned, but destiny does too much of the thinking for them. The leisurely pace leaves plenty of time to notice how little their attraction has been tested. *You've Got Mail* (1998), another collaboration with Delia, continues her interest in romance conducted at a distance, this time through email.

In *Julie & Julia* (2009), she takes cooking seriously as work worth a woman's time. The affection between Meryl Streep's Julia Child and Stanley Tucci's Paul feels comfortable without becoming dull. Ephron's parallel screenplay gives Amy Adams the less rewarding story, however, and never makes Julie Powell's experiences sufficiently compelling on their own. Editor Richard Marks keeps both accounts moving, but the regular returns to Julie start to feel dutiful.

Ephron trusts good company, sometimes enough to excuse a weak connection or an easy answer. Her films are more persuasive when the characters have to talk through a difficulty before affection settles it. *When Harry Met Sally...* is where we would start, provided we are allowed to disagree with some of the dating advice.

## Biography

Nora Ephron was an American screenwriter, director, producer, novelist and journalist. Born in New York City on 19 May 1941, she died in New York City on 26 June 2012.

She wrote the screenplay for *Sleepless in Seattle* (1993), which she also directed. Other screenplays include *Silkwood* (1983) and *When Harry Met Sally...* (1989). She directed several films, among them *You've Got Mail* (1998) and *Julie & Julia* (2009). She sometimes wrote with her sister Delia Ephron.

Ephron received Academy Award nominations for original screenplay for *Silkwood*, *When Harry Met Sally...* and *Sleepless in Seattle*.

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

## On Fi1m (7)

### Performed in (2)

- *Husbands and Wives* (1992), Fi1m 83, as Dinner Party Guest — [page](https://film.one/film/husbands-and-wives.md)
- *Crimes and Misdemeanors* (1989), Fi1m 84, as Wedding Guest — [page](https://film.one/film/crimes-and-misdemeanors.md)

### Directed (3)

- *Julie & Julia* (2009), Fi1m 72, Screenplay, Producer, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/julie-and-julia.md)
- *You've Got Mail* (1998), Fi1m 66, Director, Screenplay, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/youve-got-mail.md)
- *Sleepless in Seattle* (1993), Fi1m 78, Director, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/sleepless-in-seattle.md)

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

- *When Harry Met Sally...* (1989), Fi1m 84, Associate Producer, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/when-harry-met-sally.md)
- *Heartburn* (1986), Fi1m 55, Screenplay, Novel — [page](https://film.one/film/heartburn.md)

## Complete filmography (25)

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

- *Love, Loss, and What I Wore* (2020), Writer
- *L'Amour, la Mort, les Fringues* (2011), Theatre Play
- *Julie & Julia* (2009), Producer, Screenplay, Director — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/julie-and-julia.md)
- *Acting for the Camera* (2009), Original Film Writer
- *Hopeless Pictures* (2005), series, Actor
- *Bewitched* (2005), Director, Producer, Writer
- *Lucky Numbers* (2000), Producer, Director
- *Keeping the Faith* (2000), Thanks
- *Hanging Up* (2000), Screenplay, Producer
- *You've Got Mail* (1998), Director, Screenplay, Producer — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/youve-got-mail.md)
- *Strike!* (1998), Executive Producer
- *Michael* (1996), Producer, Director, Screenplay
- *Where's Elvis This Week?* (1996), series, Actor
- *Mixed Nuts* (1994), Director, Screenplay
- *Sleepless in Seattle* (1993), Director, Screenplay — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/sleepless-in-seattle.md)
- *Husbands and Wives* (1992), as Dinner Party Guest — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/husbands-and-wives.md)
- *This Is My Life* (1992), Director, Writer
- *My Blue Heaven* (1990), Writer, Executive Producer
- *Crimes and Misdemeanors* (1989), as Wedding Guest — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/crimes-and-misdemeanors.md)
- *Cookie* (1989), Writer, Executive Producer
- *When Harry Met Sally...* (1989), Writer, Associate Producer — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/when-harry-met-sally.md)
- *Heartburn* (1986), Novel, Screenplay — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/film/heartburn.md)
- *Silkwood* (1983), Writer
- *Perfect Gentlemen* (1978), Writer
- *Adam's Rib* (1973), series, Story

## Gallery

- ![Nicholas Pileggi and Nora Ephron at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival.](https://film.one/media/person/83210/gallery-ed8ee24d185f.jpg) Nicholas Pileggi and Nora Ephron at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival. — David Shankbone, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Nicholas_Pieggi_Nora_Ephron_Shankbone_2010_NYC.jpg/1280px-Nicholas_Pieggi_Nora_Ephron_Shankbone_2010_NYC.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Nora Ephron](https://film.one/media/person/83210/gallery-2edad92f6259.jpg) Nora Ephron — David Shankbone, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Nora_Ephron.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Nora Ephron](https://film.one/media/person/83210/gallery-e2bb19be7bcd.jpg) Nora Ephron — Image via TMDB
- ![Nora Ephron](https://film.one/media/person/83210/gallery-d4f74e046978.jpg) Nora Ephron — Image via TMDB
- ![Nora Ephron](https://film.one/media/person/83210/gallery-e6e7b301cbb3.jpg) Nora Ephron — Image via TMDB
- ![Nora Ephron](https://film.one/media/person/83210/gallery-fb36767f06f6.jpg) Nora Ephron — Image via TMDB
- ![Nora Ephron](https://film.one/media/person/83210/gallery-132bc81bd1c1.jpg) Nora Ephron — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 3 nominated

- 1994: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated), for *Sleepless in Seattle*
- 1990: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated), for *When Harry Met Sally*
- 1984: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated), for *Silkwood*

### BAFTA Film Awards — 1 won

- 1990: Best Original Screenplay (won), for *When Harry Met Sally*

### Other awards — 1 won, 1 nominated

- Tony Award for Best Play 2013: Tony Award for Best Play (nominated), for *Lucky Guy*
- Crystal Award 1994: Crystal Award (won)

*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/nora-ephron