Hailing from Kentucky, USA, Stephen Gaghan is a screenwriter and director. He started his career writing for TV shows like American Gothic (1995-1996) and NYPD Blue (1996), the latter for which he won an Emmy award. His first feature film as a writer was Rules of Engagement (2000), but it was Traffic (2000) which gave him his big break, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe Award for his screenplay. Since then Gaghan has received more recognition and even moved into the field of film direction. Notable works include Syriana (2015) and Gold (2016), both of which were nominated for awards. In 2020 he wrote and directed the Robert Downey Jr. starrer Dolittle.