John Herzfeld

This US screenwriter and director of both TV and films got his start in the industry as an actor.

After graduating from college, John moved to Los Angeles and began acting, debuting in the 1972 TV-movie Lieutenant Schuster's Wife, followed with roles in Some Kind of Miracle, A Rumor of War, Victims and Shattered Spirits.

Between 1975-79, appeared on Starsky and Hutch, and also turned up on Kojak and Baretta.

But by the time his acting career was winding down, John had already become a successful writer and director with Stoned, and Run, Don't Walk, making both in the early 80s and earning an Emmy for directing the former.

John went on to write and direct several TV-movies, continuing to work steadily throughout the 90s.

John was going through a low point in his life when he began writing 1996's 2 Days in the Valley. Inspired by a cemetery near his San Fernando Valley home, he scripted a darkly funny tale of ten characters and how their lives intersect and change over 48 hours.

The film provided good roles for an impressive cast of John's old TV and film co-workers, such as Jeff Daniels, Teri Hatcher, and Eric Stoltz.

In 2001, John wrote and directed Robert De Niro and Edward Burns in the suspense thriller, 15 Minutes.