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15 Facts About Jonathan Hensleigh

1.

Jonathan Blair Hensleigh was born on February 13,1959 and is an American screenwriter and film director, working primarily in the action-adventure genre, best known for writing films such as Jumanji, Die Hard with a Vengeance, and Armageddon, as well as making his own directorial debut with the 2004 comic book action film The Punisher.

2.

Jonathan Hensleigh attended the University of Virginia School of Law, earned his JD from Tulane University Law School, and was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1985.

3.

At the age of 31, Jonathan Hensleigh began writing scripts and screenplays.

4.

Jonathan Hensleigh had previously written a novel and a three-act stage play but did not go to film school.

5.

Jonathan Hensleigh's start in the entertainment industry came writing episodes of the television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.

6.

Jonathan Hensleigh received his first film credit in 1993's A Far Off Place, for which he wrote an early version of the script.

7.

The Die Hard sequel was based on a spec script Jonathan Hensleigh had originally conceived as a Brandon Lee action film before the actor's death, with the working title Simon Says.

8.

Jonathan Hensleigh participated in writing for The Rock, which became the subject of a dispute with the Writers Guild of America.

9.

Jonathan Hensleigh said Hensleigh had worked closely with him on the movie and should have received screen credit.

10.

Jonathan Hensleigh worked with Bay again on the 1998 disaster film Armageddon, and officially received credit for the screenplay.

11.

Jonathan Hensleigh helped rewrite scripts for the Jerry Bruckheimer projects, Con Air and Gone in 60 Seconds, receiving executive producer credit for those.

12.

Jonathan Hensleigh made his debut as a director with The Punisher in 2004, with the assistance of his wife, veteran Hollywood producer Gale Anne Hurd.

13.

Jonathan Hensleigh co-wrote the script with Michael France, based on the Marvel Comics character The Punisher.

14.

Some unrealized projects Jonathan Hensleigh has worked on include a Gemini Man film and sequels to Jumanji and The Punisher.

15.

In 2011, Jonathan Hensleigh wrote and directed Kill the Irishman, based on the book To Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia, about the Cleveland mobster Danny Greene who was active in the 1960s and 1970s.