Samuel D. Hunter

Samuel D. Hunter
A photo of Samuel D. Hunter smiling at an awards ceremony
Hunter in 2013
Born1981 (age 44–45)
Pullman, Washington, U.S.[1]
EducationNew York University (BFA)
University of Iowa (MFA)
Juilliard School (GrDip)
SpouseJohn Baker
Children1

Samuel D. Hunter (born 1981)[2] is an American playwright living in New York City.[3]

Hunter was born in Pullman, Washington and raised in Moscow, Idaho.[1][4] He is best known for plays A Bright New Boise, which won the 2011 Obie Award for playwriting, and The Whale, which won the 2013 Drama Desk Award and the 2013 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play.[3] He is also the recipient of a 2014 MacArthur Fellowship.[2] He has also been a guest lecturer at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, Fordham University, and other universities.[5] In 2026, Hunter received his first nomination for the Tony Award for Best Play for Little Bear Ridge Road, which ran on Broadway in 2025 starring Laurie Metcalf.[6]

Hunter is also a writer and producer for the television show Baskets.[7] A film adaptation of The Whale, written by Hunter and directed by Darren Aronofsky, was released in December 2022 and received two Academy Awards.

Personal life

Hunter was forced to leave his Christian school after being outed as gay. He has a daughter with his husband, John Baker.[8][9]

Produced plays

Awards and honors

Hunter was named Resident Playwright at at New Dramatists from 2013-2020, and Arena Stage in 2013. [29] He also received an honorary Doctorate degree in Humane Letters from the University of Idaho in 2015.[30] He has also been named Premiere Writer-in-Residence at Signature Theatre Company in New York City.

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2008–2009 Lark Play Development Center Playwrights of New York Fellowship Won [31]
2011 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Play A Bright New Boise Nominated [32]
Obie Award Playwriting Won [33]
2012 Whiting Award Won [34]
2013 GLAAD Media Award Outstanding New York Theatre (Broadway and Off-Broadway) The Whale Won [35]
Drama Desk Award Special Award Won [36]
Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Play Won [37]
2014 MacArthur Fellowship Won [2]
2019 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Play Lewiston/Clarkston Nominated [38]
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play Nominated [39][40]
2020 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Play Greater Clements Nominated [41]
2022 New York Drama Critics' Circle Best Play A Case for the Existence of God Won [42]
2023 Critics Choice Awards Best Adapted Screenplay The Whale Nominated [43]
BAFTA Awards Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated [44]
Dramatists Guild of America Hull-Warriner Award A Case for the Existence of God Won [45]
Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Play Nominated [46]
2025 Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play Grangeville Nominated [47]
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Play Nominated [48][49]
Dorian Award Outstanding Off-Broadway Production Nominated [50]
Outstanding LGBTQ Off-Broadway Production Nominated
2026 Tony Award Best Play Little Bear Ridge Road Nominated [51]
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding New Broadway Play Nominated [52]
New York Drama Critics Circle Award Best Play Won [53]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Soloski, Alexis (November 27, 2019). "Samuel D. Hunter's Own Private Idaho". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 14, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "Samuel D. Hunter - MacArthur Foundation". John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  3. 1 2 "Samuel D. Hunter - New Dramatists". New Dramatists. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  4. ↑ "Writer of 'The Whale' on the Oscars and his play at Seattle's ACT". The Seattle Times. January 31, 2024. Archived from the original on December 24, 2024.
  5. ↑ "About Brendan Fraser's Fat Suit in "The Whale"". The New Yorker. 2022-12-07. Archived from the original on 2023-07-14.
  6. ↑ Culwell-Block, Logan (2026-05-05). "Tony Nominations 2026, Read the Complete List; The Lost Boys and Schmigadoon! Lead". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
  7. ↑ "Samuel D. Hunter - IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  8. ↑ Harms, Talaura (January 18, 2023). "How Samuel D. Hunter's Own Battle With Self-Loathing Inspired The Whale". Playbill. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
  9. ↑ Delgado, Emily (April 10, 2023). "Iowa Theatre alumni Samuel Hunter; John Baker inspire students during campus visit". University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
  10. ↑ "I Am Montana - Arcola Theatre". Arcola Theatre. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
  11. ↑ "Five Genocides - clubbed thumb". clubbed thumb. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  12. ↑ "Page 73 >> Jack's Precious Moment". Page 73. Archived from the original on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  13. ↑ "Season Eight - Partial Comfort Productions". Partial Comfort Productions. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  14. ↑ "Norway". Boise Weekly. Retrieved 2011-02-02.
  15. ↑ "Review: A Permanent Image". Boise Weekly. Archived from the original on 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2019-07-06.
  16. ↑ "The Whale: Playwrights Horizons". Playwrights Horizons. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  17. ↑ "Pocatello: Playwrights Horizons". Playwrights Horizons. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  18. ↑ "The Few - Rattlestick Playwrights Theater". Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. Archived from the original on 2014-11-07. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  19. ↑ "A Great Wilderness:Synopsis". Seattle Repertory Theatre. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  20. ↑ "Rest". South Coast Repertory. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  21. ↑ "Clarkston". Dallas Theater Center. Archived from the original on 2015-09-22. Retrieved 2015-09-17.
  22. ↑ "Lewiston". Long Wharf Theatre. Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2015-09-17.
  23. ↑ "Samuel D. Hunter's The Healing Opens Tonight". Playbill Inc. Retrieved 2016-07-22.
  24. ↑ "Photos: First Look at LCT3 Production of The Harvest". Playbill, Inc. Retrieved 2019-07-06.
  25. ↑ Grode, Eric (18 October 2018). "Pull Up a Seat. Two Plays, Dinner and Western History Are Served". The New York Times. Retrieved 2019-07-06.
  26. ↑ Shaw, Helen (December 10, 2019). "Theater Review: Greater Clements, a Small-Town Drama Where the Town's Disappearing". New York. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  27. ↑ Shaw, Helen (2022-05-02). "Two Men, Twin Falls: Samuel Hunter's A Case for the Existence of God". Vulture. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
  28. ↑ Schwartz, Alexandra (May 30, 2022). "Making a case". The Critics. The Theatre. The New Yorker. 98 (14): 74–75. Online version is titled "Mottled morals and a fight for justice in 'Golden Shield'", but also reviews 'A Case for the Existence of God'.
  29. ↑ "Samuel D. Hunter Named 2013 Resident Playwright at Arena Stage - TheaterMania.com". www.theatermania.com. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
  30. ↑ Honorary Degrees, President's Medallion, and Alumni Distinguished Idahoan Award. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-10.
  31. ↑ Jones, Kenneth (8 July 2008). "Samuel D. Hunter is Lark's 2008 Playwriting Fellow". Playbill, Inc. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  32. ↑ Gans, Andrew (29 April 2011). "56th Annual Drama Desk Nominations Announced; Book of Mormon Scores 12 Nominations". Playbill, Inc. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  33. ↑ "New York OBIES: The Village Voice's 56th Annual Obie Awards". VillageVoice, LLC. Archived from the original on February 14, 2011. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  34. ↑ "Samuel Hunter".
  35. ↑ Hetrick, Adam (18 March 2013). ""Smash" and The Whale Win NYC GLAAD Media Awards". Playbill, Inc. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  36. ↑ "2013 Drama Desk Award Winners". Drama Desk Awards. Archived from the original on 2014-02-19. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  37. ↑ "2013 Nominations". The Lucille Lortel Awards. Archived from the original on 2018-02-08. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  38. ↑ "Nominations for the 2019 Drama Desk Awards Announced; Oklahoma!, Tootsie, Rags Parkland Lead the Pack". Playbill, Inc. 25 April 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-06.
  39. ↑ Lefkowitz, Andy (May 13, 2019). "Hadestown Leads Winners of 2019 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Broadway.com. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  40. ↑ "2018–2019 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  41. ↑ "2020 Drama Desk Nominations: Soft Power, The Wrong Man Lead the Pack in Condensed Season". Playbill, Inc. 21 April 2020. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  42. ↑ "'A Case For The Existence of God' Named Year's Best Play By New York Drama Critics' Circle; 'Kimberly Akimbo' Best Musical". Deadline. 12 May 2022. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  43. ↑ "Film Nominations Announced for the 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards, hosted by Chelsea Handler – Critics Choice Awards".
  44. ↑ "Film in 2023 | BAFTA Awards".
  45. ↑ "The Dramatists Guild Announces Initial 2023 Award Recipients | Dramatists Guild".
  46. ↑ Logan Culwell-Block (April 5, 2023). "Wolf Play Leads 2023 Lucille Lortel Award Nominations; Read the Complete List of Nominees". Playbill. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  47. ↑ Culwell-Block, Logan (May 12, 2025). "Maybe Happy Ending Leads 2025 Outer Critics Circle Awards; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  48. ↑ "2025 Awards – Nominees and Recipients". Drama Desk. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  49. ↑ Logan Culwell-Block (June 1, 2025). "Drama Desk Award Winners 2025: The Full List". Playbill. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  50. ↑ Abourizk, Michael (June 3, 2025). "'John Proctor Is the Villain' leads winners of Dorian Theater Awards". Broadway News. Retrieved June 4, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  51. ↑ Culwell-Block, Logan (2026-05-05). "Tony Nominations 2026, Read the Complete List; The Lost Boys and Schmigadoon! Lead". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
  52. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Award 2026 Nominations". New York Theater. April 21, 2026. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  53. ↑ Culwell-Block, Logan (2026-05-01). "Little Bear Ridge Road Wins Best Play New York Drama Critics' Circle Award". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
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