Randall Wallace

Born: c. 1949
Where: Tennessee, USA

After graduating from University, Wallace relocated to Los Angeles and began writing novels.

Starting out as a producer and writer, he went on to work on the TV series J.J. Starbuck, starring Dale Robertson, and Sonny Spoon, with Mario Van Peebles.

A Scottish vacation led Wallace to make the transition to the big screen. While visiting Edinburgh, he learned of the 13th-century adventurer William Wallace, who led a revolt against English rule.

After further research, he wrote the script for Braveheart, which caught the attention of Mel Gibson, who directed and starred in the Oscar-winning epic.

The script-writer then moved behind the camera to direct the popular 1998 remake of The Man in the Iron Mask, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

He next worked on the script for Pearl Harbor and retained a war theme for his return to directing with We Were Soldiers in 2002. The film marked a reunion with Mel Gibson who both produced and starred.