- Tony Puryear is a screenwriter who is famous for being the first American to write a high-grossing movie “Eraser”, which featured Arnold Schwarzenegger
- The “Man of many talents” is also a graphic and brand designer, and author
- Tony was previously married to American actress, Erika Alexander for almost 2 decades until their divorce in 2017
Tony Puryear is an American screenwriter who is famous for being the first American screenwriter to write a $100 million blockbuster film, “Eraser” (1996) which featured Arnold Schwarzenegger.
He is a Brand designer, graphic artist, and author. Tony was previously married to Erika Alexander, an American actress famous for “Living Single” and ” The Cosby Show”. He is currently a staff writer for “Queen of the South”.
Interesting Facts About Tony Puryear
The Scriptwriter graduated from an Ivy League School on Rhodes Island
Tony Puryear was born in New York, the United States of America on November 19, 1969. He attended Brown University, an Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhodes Island, where he studied Fine/Studio Arts.
While in college, Tony became a gourmet chef when he was just 22 years old. After Graduation, he worked as an Art Director at Walter Thompson in New York, where he directed Hip Hop music videos and award-winning commercials including that of Burger King and Good Year.
“Eraser”, a Movie He Wrote, Established Him as a Screenwriter in Hollywood
In 1996, Tony wrote a script for a movie titled “Eraser”. The American action film that featured A-listers like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vanessa Williams, James Caan, James Coburn, and Robert Pastorelli. It was directed by Chuck Russell.
“Eraser” made $24.5 million on its opening weekend in the U.S in 1996. In total, the movie grossed $101.2 million in the US.
Tony Puryear was married to Award-winning Actress, Erika Alexander
Erika was born in Winslow, Arizona, on November 19, 1969. Her family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania when she was 11 years old and she attended Philadelphia High School for Girls.
Erika made her film debut in 1986’s “My Little Girl”, and in 1990, she made her big break in the movie “The Long Walk Home”, where she acted alongside Whoopi Goldberg. She went on to appear in several movies including sitcoms “The Cosby Show” and “Living Single”.
The actress has also been featured in “The Last Best Year” (1990), “30 Years to Life” (2001) “Get Out” (2017), “I See You” (2019), and “American Refugee” (2021) among a host of others.
Tony Puryear got married to the actress in 1997. Unfortunately, the couple divorced in 2017, after 2 decades of marriage.
The Screenwriter is the co-writer of Concrete Park
Tony Puryear co-authored the comic series, ‘Concrete Park’ alongside his ex-wife, Erika Alexander, in 2012. Concrete Park is a science-fiction graphic novel, published by Dark Horse Comics. In 2013, it was selected as one of the Best American Comics.
See Also: Kwame Morris Is One Of Stevie Wonder’s 9 Kids: 9 Facts About Him
Tony Puryear Designed the National Campaign Poster for Hilary Clinton
In 2008, Tony Puryear designed Hilary Clinton’s campaign poster. He has also built brand identities for different brands including The Boys Choir of Harlem and Dr. J.
His design for Hillary Clinton was included in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery. He also designed the comic series he co-authored with his ex-wife, Concrete Park.
Tony’s Third Degree is a brand of 3D models that have set sales records for years. He was the first 3D model-maker to add relatable personalities and interlocking stories to his colorful digital characters, whom he describes as “sexy designs that sell”.
Tony Puryear: Where is the Scriptwriter now?
The Scriptwriter currently works as a screenwriter on the drama series, Queen of the South. Queen of the South is an American crime drama series that premiered on June 23, 2016, on the USA Network. It is an adaptation of the telenovela ” La Reina del Sur” which airs on Telemundo, USA’s sister network.
The drama series amassed a total of $285 million in the first season. It showed in Australia’s Showcase and Germany’s DMAX. It is also available on Netflix
Tony Puryear has shown great expertise in all his chosen professions and has proven that one can be successful in different careers simultaneously. There are other famous people who are involved in more than one career including actress and singer Towanda Braxton.
Discussion about this post