Barry Lee Levinson, born on April 6, 1942, in Baltimore, Maryland, is a renowned American film director, screenwriter, and producer. With a rich career spanning over multiple decades, Levinson won the Academy Award for Best Director for 'Rain Man' in 1988. Among his memorable works are comedy drama and drama films such as 'Diner', 'The Natural', 'Good Morning, Vietnam', 'Bugsy', and 'Wag the Dog'. In 2021, he co-executive produced the Hulu miniseries Dopesick and directed the beginning two episodes. Levinson is of Russian-Jewish descent and studied broadcast journalism at the American University School of Communication. Notably, he initiated his career in Los Angeles, working as an actor and writer. His first significant writing work includes renowned television variety shows before moving on to achieve success as a film screenwriter and director. His directorial debut 'Diner' earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. His film 'Rain Man', starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise, was his biggest hit, winning four Academy Awards.

Levinson directed other acclaimed productions such as 'The Natural' starring Robert Redford, war comedy 'Good Morning, Vietnam', historical crime drama 'Bugsy' and the political satire 'Wag the Dog'. He also formed the film production company Baltimore Pictures and became a producer or executive producer for major productions like 'The Perfect Storm', 'Analyze That', and 'Possession'. In 2003, he published his first novel 'Sixty-Six', and in 2010, he was honoured with the Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement, which is a lifetime achievement award from the Writers Guild of America. On the personal front, Levinson was married to Valerie Curtin and later married Dianna Rhodes. He is the father of four children.