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IMDbPro

Alan Ball(I)

  • Producer
  • Writer
  • Additional Crew
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Alan Ball at an event for Towelhead (2007)
We're celebrating the 20th anniversary of "Six Feet Under," Alan Ball's groundbreaking drama series which had one of the most iconic finales in television. Which episode is your favorite?
Play clip1:33
"Six Feet Under" | Series Supercut
3 Videos
34 Photos
Alan Ball is an American writer, director and producer who is known for writing the acclaimed film American Beauty and creating the HBO series True Blood starring Anna Paquin. He also wrote the films Towelhead and Uncle Frank. He also created Here and Now, Six Feet Under and Banshee. He won awards for American Beauty and True Blood.
BornMay 13, 1957
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornMay 13, 1957
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Unlock contact info on IMDbPro
  • Won 1 Oscar
    • 21 wins & 37 nominations total

Photos34

Alan Ball in Here and Now (2018)
Alan Ball in True Blood (2008)
Alan Ball in True Blood (2008)
Anna Paquin, Alan Ball, and Stephen Moyer in True Blood (2008)
Alan Ball and Summer Bishil in Towelhead (2007)
Alan Ball, Paul Bettany, Peter Macdissi, Col Needham, and Sophia Lillis at an event for Uncle Frank (2020)
Alan Ball at an event for Uncle Frank (2020)
Alan Ball at an event for The IMDb Studio at Acura Festival Village (2020)
Alan Ball, Paul Bettany, Peter Macdissi, and Sophia Lillis at an event for Uncle Frank (2020)
Alan Ball and Sophia Lillis at an event for Uncle Frank (2020)
Kevin Smith, Alan Ball, Paul Bettany, Peter Macdissi, and Sophia Lillis at an event for Uncle Frank (2020)
Kevin Smith, Alan Ball, Paul Bettany, Peter Macdissi, and Sophia Lillis at an event for Uncle Frank (2020)

Known for

Kevin Spacey, Thora Birch, Mena Suvari, and Wes Bentley in American Beauty (1999)
American Beauty
8.4
  • Producer
  • 1999
Lauren Ambrose, Freddy Rodríguez, Frances Conroy, Rachel Griffiths, Michael C. Hall, Peter Krause, and Mathew St. Patrick in Six Feet Under (2001)
Six Feet Under
8.7
TV Series
  • Producer(showrunner)
Anna Paquin, Ryan Kwanten, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Nelsan Ellis, and Rutina Wesley in True Blood (2008)
True Blood
7.9
TV Series
  • Producer
Paul Bettany, Peter Macdissi, and Sophia Lillis in Uncle Frank (2020)
Uncle Frank
7.3
  • Producer
  • 2020

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Producer

  • Paul Bettany, Peter Macdissi, and Sophia Lillis in Uncle Frank (2020)
    Uncle Frank
    • producer
    • 2020
  • Tim Robbins, Holly Hunter, Sosie Bacon, Jerrika Hinton, Raymond Lee, and Daniel Zovatto in Here and Now (2018)
    Here and Now
    • executive producer
    • TV Series
    • 2018
  • Oprah Winfrey in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2017)
    The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
    • executive producer
    • TV Movie
    • 2017
  • Banshee (2013)
    Banshee
    • executive producer
    • TV Series
    • 2013–2015
  • Anna Paquin, Ryan Kwanten, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Nelsan Ellis, and Rutina Wesley in True Blood (2008)
    True Blood
    • executive producer
    • TV Series
    • 2008–2014
  • Sharon Stone and Andy Gillet in The American Tetralogy (2012)
    The American Tetralogy
    • producer
    • Video
    • 2012
  • Ben Whishaw, Ron Yuan, and Mahershala Ali in All Signs of Death (2010)
    All Signs of Death
    • executive producer
    • TV Movie
    • 2010
  • True Blood: Webisodes (2010)
    True Blood: Webisodes
    • executive producer
    • TV Series
    • 2010
  • Summer Bishil in Towelhead (2007)
    Towelhead
    • producer
    • 2007
  • Lauren Ambrose, Freddy Rodríguez, Frances Conroy, Rachel Griffiths, Michael C. Hall, Peter Krause, and Mathew St. Patrick in Six Feet Under (2001)
    Six Feet Under
    • executive producer
    • producer (showrunner)
    • TV Series
    • 2001–2005
  • The Parlor (2001)
    The Parlor
    • executive producer
    • Short
    • 2001
  • Oh, Grow Up (1999)
    Oh, Grow Up
    • executive producer
    • TV Series
    • 1999
  • Kevin Spacey, Thora Birch, Mena Suvari, and Wes Bentley in American Beauty (1999)
    American Beauty
    • co-producer
    • 1999
  • Cybill Shepherd, Alicia Witt, Christine Baranski, Dedee Pfeiffer, and Alan Rosenberg in Cybill (1995)
    Cybill
    • co-executive producer
    • co-producer
    • supervising producer
    • TV Series
    • 1995–1998

Writer

  • Paul Bettany, Peter Macdissi, and Sophia Lillis in Uncle Frank (2020)
    Uncle Frank
    • written by
    • 2020
  • Tim Robbins, Holly Hunter, Sosie Bacon, Jerrika Hinton, Raymond Lee, and Daniel Zovatto in Here and Now (2018)
    Here and Now
    • created by
    • written by
    • creator
    • TV Series
    • 2018
  • Jessica Rose and Eric Hicks in 5 Women Wearing the Same Dress (2015)
    5 Women Wearing the Same Dress
    • Writer
    • Short
    • 2015
  • Anna Paquin, Ryan Kwanten, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Nelsan Ellis, and Rutina Wesley in True Blood (2008)
    True Blood
    • creator
    • written by
    • TV Series
    • 2008–2014
  • True Blood: Webisodes (2010)
    True Blood: Webisodes
    • written by
    • creator (uncredited)
    • TV Series
    • 2010
  • Tru: A XXX Parody
    • based on the characters created by
    • Video
    • 2010
  • Summer Bishil in Towelhead (2007)
    Towelhead
    • written for the screen by
    • 2007
  • Lauren Ambrose, Freddy Rodríguez, Frances Conroy, Rachel Griffiths, Michael C. Hall, Peter Krause, and Mathew St. Patrick in Six Feet Under (2001)
    Six Feet Under
    • creator
    • written by
    • TV Series
    • 2001–2005
  • The M Word (2004)
    The M Word
    • written by
    • Short
    • 2004
  • Oh, Grow Up (1999)
    Oh, Grow Up
    • creator
    • written by
    • TV Series
    • 1999
  • Kevin Spacey, Thora Birch, Mena Suvari, and Wes Bentley in American Beauty (1999)
    American Beauty
    • written by
    • 1999
  • Cybill Shepherd, Alicia Witt, Christine Baranski, Dedee Pfeiffer, and Alan Rosenberg in Cybill (1995)
    Cybill
    • teleplay by
    • story by
    • written by
    • TV Series
    • 1995–1998
  • Grace Under Fire (1993)
    Grace Under Fire
    • written by
    • story by
    • teleplay by
    • TV Series
    • 1994–1995

Additional Crew

  • Script to Screen: Get Out (2018)
    Script to Screen
    • self
    • TV Series
    • 2015
  • Cybill Shepherd, Alicia Witt, Christine Baranski, Dedee Pfeiffer, and Alan Rosenberg in Cybill (1995)
    Cybill
    • story editor
    • TV Series
    • 1995
  • Grace Under Fire (1993)
    Grace Under Fire
    • story editor
    • TV Series
    • 1995
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos3

"Six Feet Under" | Series Supercut
Clip 1:33
"Six Feet Under" | Series Supercut
Paul Bettany, Sophia Lillis Reveal Why They Were Drawn to 'Uncle Frank'
Clip 3:15
Paul Bettany, Sophia Lillis Reveal Why They Were Drawn to 'Uncle Frank'
Why 'Uncle Frank' Is a Deeply Personal Film for Director Alan Ball
Clip 9:32
Why 'Uncle Frank' Is a Deeply Personal Film for Director Alan Ball

Personal details

Edit
  • Height
    • 6′ (1.83 m)
  • Born
    • May 13, 1957
    • Atlanta, Georgia, USA
  • Parents
      Mary Ball
  • Relatives
    • Mary Ann Ball(Sibling)
  • Other works
    Alan Ball earned his BA at the Florida State University School of Theatre. One of his first written works was a play entitled "Five women wearing the same dress"
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Print Biography
    • 4 Interviews
    • 3 Articles

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    He is outspokenly gay and his work often includes gay issues or characters such as "David Fisher" in Six Feet Under (2001); "Lafayette Reynolds" in True Blood (2008); and "Frank Bledsoe" and "Wally" in Uncle Frank (2020).
  • Quotes
    On his early TV career: "The shows I were on were all about serving the star's egos. I had this free-floating rage... It's factory work. I had no emotional connection with what I was writing."
  • Trademarks
      Characters often deal with themes of death

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