The name Nora Ephron was widely known not only in New York but also in other cities of the United States during the 20th century. She was a talented journalist and writer and became famous for directing romantic films. Ephron’s story was very rich and exciting because she did not succeed from the very beginning. Her work path was difficult. Some employers did not want to hire her because of her gender. Despite all the challenges, Ephron managed to achieve her dream and even more. She became one of the legendary American directors and screenwriters of the 20th century. Do New Yorkers know what iconic films Nora Ephron has created? Read more on newyorka.
Young years in a creative atmosphere
The future famous American director was born in New York in 1941. Her family was quite large and she had three siblings. Creativity was deeply valued and respected in the Ephron family. Thus, her parents were playwrights and screenwriters. This influenced her further career.
According to Nora, her school teacher Charles Simms, also influenced her choice of profession. He served as a source of inspiration for the girl. Therefore, studying in high school, she decided that she wanted to be an American writer and journalist.
Ephron graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1958 and from Wellesley College in 1962, majoring in political science.
Challenging career path
After graduating from college, she started to work in the White House. She was an intern for President Kennedy. However, it was not what she dreamed of in high school. Therefore, in order not to lose opportunities, Ephron decided to test her luck and applied for the position of writer in a well-known magazine Newsweek.
She was refused despite her talent for writing and a huge passion. The only reason for this was her sex. Unfortunately, Ephron was not the only woman to experience gender discrimination in the 20th century. She had to accept the job of a postman. Still, Nora did not agree with the situation and filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the magazine.
After that, Ephron devoted five years of her life to work at the New York Post. She worked as a reporter and also wrote a column on women’s issues. While working here, she earned her reputation and name. Thus, Nora became famous for her work entitled A Few Words About Breasts. It was a humorous story about the image of the human body.
Scripts and directing in the life of Ephron
When Ephron achieved everything she dreamed of, she got a new exciting chance to show her talent. In the 1970s, she was offered to rewrite the script for the film All the President’s Men. Ephron managed to do it so successfully and was instantly offered a new job as a screenwriter.
The 1980s were incredibly successful for Ephron. In 1986, the cult romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally… was released. The script for this film was written by Ephron. This was her first breakthrough as a screenwriter. The movie revealed all the intricacies of platonic friendship, which turns into true love. The film When Harry Met Sally… was liked by both viewers and critics. Everything from witty dialogues to well-known characters was brilliant in it. Ephron had a unique ability to analyze human emotions, adding a bit of humor and sophistication to them. Thanks to the scripts, the romantic comedy genre in the American film industry rose to new heights.
Ephron’s directorial debut took place in the 1990s when the film This Is My Life was released. She wrote and directed it based on Meg Wolitzer’s book This is My Life. The film tells the story of a girl who decides to start a career as a stand-up comedian after inheriting a mint of money. Another of Ephron’s comedy-drama movies was well-received by both viewers and critics. This once again emphasized her unique talent.
These are far from all the films for which Efron wrote scripts and directed. In the 1980s and 1990s, she worked on 10 movies.
Nora has received the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay and others for her work. Among her awards are a Tony Award, a Golden Globe Award, a British Academy Film Award, etc.
Illness, death and memory
In 2006, Ephron was diagnosed with myelodysplasia. Simply put, it was cancer. Some types of this disease can develop into acute myeloid leukemia. After the examination and diagnosis, Ephron preferred to keep it a secret. She did not tell anything to her friends, family and colleagues. Nora was afraid that she might lose her favorite job due to illness. After 6 years, in 2012, the heart of an outstanding screenwriter and director from New York stopped. She died at the age of 71 from pneumonia, as a result of complications from cancer.