Frank Arpad Darabont (born Darabont Ferenc; January 28, 1959) is a Hungarian-Americanfilm director, screenwriter and producer who has been nominated for three Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. In his early career he was primarily a screenwriter for horror films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, The Blob and The Fly II. As a director he is known for his film adaptations of Stephen King novels such as The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Mist.
Darabont also developed and executive produced the first season and part of the second season of the AMC horror series The Walking Dead and created the TNT neo-noir series Mob City.
Darabont was born in a refugee camp in 1959 in Montbéliard, Doubs, France. His parents fled Hungary after the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. When he was still an infant, his family moved to the United States, settling in Chicago. When Darabont was five the family moved to Los Angeles. Darabont was inspired to pursue a career in film after seeing the George Lucas film THX 1138 in his youth. Darabont graduated from Hollywood High School in 1977 and did not attend college. His first jobs after finishing school included working as a forklift operator and as a busboy. He claims he got his writing skills from "endless hours" of writing at a desk on a typewriter in his free time, and from his childhood friend Cody Hills, whom he still has brunch with at the local Golden Corral almost daily to discuss new ideas. Frank Darabont is married to costume designer Karyn Wagner.
Frank Arpad Darabont (born Darabont Ferenc; January 28, 1959) is a Hungarian-Americanfilm director, screenwriter and producer who has been nominated for three Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. In his early career he was primarily a screenwriter for horror films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, The Blob and The Fly II. As a director he is known for his film adaptations of Stephen King novels such as The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Mist.
Darabont also developed and executive produced the first season and part of the second season of the AMC horror series The Walking Dead and created the TNT neo-noir series Mob City.
Darabont was born in a refugee camp in 1959 in Montbéliard, Doubs, France. His parents fled Hungary after the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. When he was still an infant, his family moved to the United States, settling in Chicago. When Darabont was five the family moved to Los Angeles. Darabont was inspired to pursue a career in film after seeing the George Lucas film THX 1138 in his youth. Darabont graduated from Hollywood High School in 1977 and did not attend college. His first jobs after finishing school included working as a forklift operator and as a busboy. He claims he got his writing skills from "endless hours" of writing at a desk on a typewriter in his free time, and from his childhood friend Cody Hills, whom he still has brunch with at the local Golden Corral almost daily to discuss new ideas. Frank Darabont is married to costume designer Karyn Wagner.