James Toback is an American screenwriter and film director, born on November 23, 1944, in Manhattan, New York City. He was raised in a Jewish family by his parents Selma Judith and Irwin Lionel Toback. His mother was known for moderating political debates on NBC, while his father worked as a stockbroker and served as a vice president at Dreyfus & Company.
Toback graduated from The Fieldston School in 1963 and later attended Harvard College, graduating in 1966. During his college years, Toback claimed to have taken an extremely large dose of LSD, resulting in a prolonged period of intoxication. He recounted that he was under its effects for eight days until treated by neuropsychiatrist Max Rinkel. Toback has credited this experience with profoundly altering his worldview, particularly in diminishing his fear of death.
After college, Toback began his career in journalism, contributing to Esquire magazine. One of his key assignments involved profiling the legendary football player Jim Brown. This led to a close relationship between the two and culminated in Toback's 1972 memoir, Jim: The Author’s Self-Centered Memoir of the Great Jim Brown, which detailed his personal reflections alongside his observations of Brown.
While teaching creative writing at the City College of New York, Toback penned the screenplay for the film The Gambler, which was produced and released in 1974. Inspired in part by Dostoevsky’s themes, the film received critical acclaim and established Toback as a compelling screenwriter interested in psychological complexity.
In 1978, Toback made his directorial debut with the film Fingers, a gritty drama that blended crime elements with psychological tension. Four years later, he followed it up with the film Love and Money, continuing to explore themes of obsession, conflict, and identity.
Toback was first married to Consuelo Sarah Churchill Vanderbilt Russell, a descendant of the 10th Duke of Marlborough. Their marriage, however, lasted only a year. He later married writer and academic Stephani Kempf, with whom he has one son.
| Birth Date: | 23 Nov, 1944 |
| Age: | 75 yrs |
| Occupations: | Film director Screenwriter Actor Film producer |
| Citizenship: | United States of America |
| Birth Place: | Manhattan |
| Education: | Harvard University |
| Gender: | Male |
| Description: | American screenwriter and film director |
| Net Worth 2021: | 10 million |
