Biography
Tommy O'Haver is an American filmmaker and screenwriter who grew up in Carmel, Indiana, near Indianapolis. He earned a degree in Journalism and Comparative Literature from Indiana University and later attended the MFA Film program at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts in the mid-1990s. While at USC, he directed short films that were showcased at prominent festivals such as Sundance and The New York Film Festival.
O'Haver made his directorial debut with Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss, starring Sean Hayes. The film centers on a man, played by Hayes, who becomes obsessed with another man of unknown sexuality, portrayed by Brad Rowe. The film competed at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival and is credited with helping Hayes secure a role on the long-running TV series Will and Grace. His next film, Get Over It, featured Kirsten Dunst, Ben Foster, Mila Kunis, and Zoe Saldana in a teen comedy about a high school theater production. O'Haver's third feature, Ella Enchanted, starred Anne Hathaway in a contemporary retelling of the classic princess fairy tale.
An American Crime, starring Catherine Keener, Ellen Page, and James Franco, premiered at Sundance in 2007. The film is based on the true story of an Indiana woman charged in 1965 with the murder of her neighbor's daughter. Although initial reactions at Sundance were mixed, the film received critical acclaim. Keener earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for her role, and O'Haver, along with his writing partner Irene Turner, received a Writers Guild Award nomination for the screenplay.
He is currently in pre-production on Golden Gate, a thriller for Summit Entertainment, produced by Neil Meron, Craig Zadan, and Alison Rosensweig.
