A self-described "poet of pain," Paul Attanasio has forged a highly respected career as a master of challenging film adaptations. His nuanced and gripping screenplays for Quiz Show and Donnie Brasco earned him Oscar® nominations, and he brought sexy, character-driven life to the Michael Crichton page-turner, Disclosure. The Bronx-born writer created the acclaimed Peabody Award-winning television show Homicide: Life on the Street, and he serves as executive producer of the popular medical drama, House, M.D. Also a frequently hired script doctor, Attanasio most recently adapted the post-World War II novel The Good German for director Steven Soderbergh. In this intense dialogue, Attanasio describes how he went from lambasting movies as a "snotty" Washington Post film critic to developing explosive and rewarding creative partnerships with Oscar®-winning directors Robert Redford, Barry Levinson, and Soderbergh.