Born in Houston, Texas, in 1969, he wrote his first stage plays at the age of eight and attended St. John’s High School (which was later used as the location for the film "Rushmore"). A student of philosophy at the University of Texas where he graduated with a B.A., during is studies he attended drama seminars with Owen Wilson, with whom he later wrote screenplays. In 1994 he made his first short film, "Bottle Rocket", making a feature-length remake of this film two years later. He last attended the Berlinale in 2005 with "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou". He lives in Manhattan.

Source: 64. Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin (Catalogue)