Dan Gilroy Biography: Age, Wife, Daughter, Net Worth, Movies, Awards, Career

Daniel Christopher “Dan” Gilroy is an American screenwriter and film director who broke into wider public consciousness with Nightcrawler (2014), a dark, tension-filled thriller he both wrote and directed.

That film earned him critical acclaim and award nominations, and it pivoted his career from screenwriter to filmmaker of note.

Over time, Gilroy has balanced writing high-concept projects (like The Bourne Legacy and Kong: Skull Island) with directing more personal, provocative stories, establishing himself as a creative voice capable of both blockbuster and auteur work.

Profile

• Full name: Daniel Christopher Gilroy
• Date of birth: June 24, 1959
• Age: 66 years old
• Gender: Male
• Place of birth: Santa Monica, California, U.S.
• State of origin: California
• Nationality: American
• Profession: Screenwriter, film director, producer
• Parents: Frank D. Gilroy (father), Ruth Dorothy Gaydos (mother)
• Siblings: Tony Gilroy (brother), John Gilroy (twin brother)
• Spouse: Rene Russo (m. 1992)
• Children: Rose Gilroy (daughter)
• Relationship status: Married
• Net worth: USD 40 million

Early Life and education

Daniel Christopher Gilroy is now 65 years old. He was born on June 24, 1959, in Santa Monica, California, to father Frank D. Gilroy, a distinguished playwright and screenwriter, and mother Ruth Dorothy Gaydos, a sculptor and writer.

He grew up in Washingtonville, New York, where he attended Washingtonville High School. In 1981, he graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in English literature. In his early years, being around a family that worked in the arts shaped his creative instincts; he observed his father’s writing habits and the creative process at home.

Personal Life

In 1992, Gilroy married actress Rene Russo. Their collaboration extends into their creative work, with Russo often cast in or associated with films Gilroy writes or directs. The couple has one daughter, Rose Gilroy. Gilroy tends to keep personal details relatively private.

Career

Gilroy’s career began primarily in screenwriting. His first produced credit was Freejack (1992), co-written with Steven Pressfield and Ronald Shusett. He went on to write Chasers (1994), Two for the Money (2005), The Fall (2006), Real Steel (2011, story credit), and co-wrote The Bourne Legacy (2012) with his brother Tony Gilroy.

In 2014, Gilroy made a turning point in his career by writing and directing Nightcrawler, a chilling thriller about an opportunistic crime videographer in Los Angeles. That film earned him wide acclaim and established his credentials not just as a screenwriter but as a filmmaker with a distinctive voice.

Following Nightcrawler, he directed Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017), starring Denzel Washington, and Velvet Buzzsaw (2019), a satirical thriller set in the art world. In addition to film work, Gilroy has engaged in television writing, contributing to the Disney+ series Andor (2022–2025), for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series in 2025. In recent industry news, Gilroy is reported to be writing a new Miami Vice film to be directed by Joseph Kosinski, aiming to reboot the franchise.

Awards and Nominations

• Independent Spirit Award — Best Screenplay, Nightcrawler (winner)
• Academy Awards — Nominee, Best Original Screenplay for Nightcrawler
• Emmy Award — Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (2025) for Andor

Net worth

Daniel Christopher Gilroy’s net worth at around USD 40 million, combining his earnings from writing, directing, producing, and collaborations with spouse Rene Russo.

Social Media

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Filmography

• Freejack
• Chasers
• Two for the Money
• The Fall
• Real Steel
• The Bourne Legacy
• Nightcrawler
• Kong: Skull Island
• Roman J. Israel, Esq.
• Velvet Buzzsaw