Elliott Lester’s career? All over the map, honestly, and in a good way. He kicked off with NIGHTINGALE, a pretty intense drama that had David Oyelowo going full beast mode—it paid off too, since he snagged a Best Actor win at the Critics’ Choice Awards. Not to mention, the film itself got Emmy and Golden Globe nods, which isn’t exactly common for a smaller, character-driven flick. And yeah, Brad Pitt’s Plan B produced it, so you know it had some serious backing. Fast forward a bit and you’ve got AFTERMATH (originally called 478, because Hollywood loves a working title), with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Scoot McNairy. Darren Aronofsky produced that one, which is wild, and Lionsgate put it out in 2018. The vibe? Gritty revenge, heavy stuff—definitely not your run-of-the-mill action. Then there’s THE THICKET, which Lester just wrapped up. It’s got Peter Dinklage, Leslie Grace, Juliette Lewis, and some other heavy hitters. It’s dropping in theaters in 2024, so keep an eye out if you’re into western thrillers with a weird, pulpy twist. On deck, he’s also attached to direct a sci-fi thriller called CONTINUUM, which sounds like it could get trippy. On the TV front, Lester isn’t slouching. He sold SAY THEIR NAMES to HBO, and he’s set to direct and executive produce. Plus, he’s done episodes on shows like WILL (FX) and CONTAINMENT (CW). Oh, and he’s directed music videos for names like Avril Lavigne, Selena Gomez, and The Fray. Dude’s got range. He’s based in LA with his family—wife Brooke and son Levi-Benjamin—probably dodging traffic like the rest of us.
