Biography for
John Grisham More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

8 February 1955, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA

Birth Name

John Grisham Jr.

Height

6' 1" (1.85 m)

Mini Biography

A graduate of Mississippi State University and Ole Miss Law School, John Grisham obtained his law degree in 1981 and practiced law for about 10 years, specializing in criminal defense and personal injury litigation. He was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives in 1983 and served until 1990. He gave up his law practice to write full-time. He began writing in 1984, and three years later finished his first novel, "A Time To Kill", published by Wynwood Press in June 1988. He is the best-selling author of "A Time to Kill", "The Firm", "The Pelican Brief" and "The Client". He lives with his wife and their two children on a farm in Oxford, Mississippi.

IMDb Mini Biography By: A. Nonymous

Spouse

Renee Jones

(8 May 1981 - present) 2 children

Trade Mark

Writes novels about main characters that are from the Southeastern United States

Writes novels that are usually based around the justice system

Trivia

Received bachelor's degree from Mississippi State University

Was a lawyer before becoming a writer.

Coaches little league baseball.

Has sold 60,742,288 copies of his books, making him the best-selling author of the 1990s.

Has casting approval rights for movies based on his novels.

Biography/bibliography in: "Contemporary Authors". New Revision Series, Vol. 133, pp. 234-241. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2005.

Credits Brian Garfield's article "Ten Rules For Suspense Fiction" with giving him the tools to create "The Firm.".

In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated his earnings for the year at $9 million.

Lifelong Democrat. Endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton for President.

Donated $5 million after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and Mississippi.

According to his publisher Doubleday, as of 2008 his books have sold over 235 million copies worldwide.

Is totally opposed to the concept of cameras in courtrooms.

Does not participate in the screen adaptations of his novels after the movie rights have been secured.

Personal Quotes

I grew up in a very small, close-knit, Southern Baptist family, where everything was off-limits. So I couldn't wait to get to college and have some fun. And I did for the first two years. And I regret a lot of it, because my grades were in terrible shape. I never got in serious trouble, except for my grades.

Salary

The Chamber (1996)	$3,750,000
A Time to Kill (1996)	$6,000,000
The Firm (1993)	$100,000