Graham Yost

Graham Yost. He is a Canadian-born screenwriter, film director, and television producer renowned for his work across both film and premium cable television. His career is distinguished by a mastery of genre storytelling, particularly in action and drama, and by successful long-term collaborations with major studios and networks. Yost has created and produced several critically acclaimed television series while also contributing to significant Hollywood films.

Early life and education

Born in Toronto, he is the son of noted CBC journalist and *The Fifth Estate* host Elwy Yost. He attended the prestigious University of Toronto Schools before earning a degree in history from the University of Toronto. His early exposure to film and storytelling through his father's work, particularly on the TVOntario series *Saturday Night at the Movies*, profoundly influenced his career path. Following his undergraduate studies, he pursued screenwriting at the University of Southern California.

Career

Yost began his career writing for television films and series, including an episode of the Steven Spielberg-produced anthology *Amazing Stories*. His breakthrough came with the screenplay for the hit 1994 action film *Speed*, starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, which established him as a major talent in Hollywood. He subsequently wrote and directed the comedy *The Last of the High Kings* and penned the heist thriller *The Newton Boys*. A pivotal shift to television occurred with his creation of the HBO World War II miniseries *Band of Brothers*, on which he served as a co-executive producer and writer, collaborating with Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. He later created and served as showrunner for the critically acclaimed FX series *Justified*, based on stories by Elmore Leonard, which ran for six seasons. His other television creations include the TNT drama *The Last Ship*, the Amazon Prime Video series *Sneaky Pete* (co-created with Bryan Cranston and David Shore), and the Apple TV+ science fiction drama *Silo*.

Filmography

A selection of his notable works includes the film *Speed* and the television miniseries *Band of Brothers*. He wrote the screenplay for the thriller *Broken Arrow* and the Disney film *Mission to Mars*. His television writing and producing credits encompass all episodes of *Justified*, for which he also directed several installments, and the creation of *The Last Ship*. He developed and executive produced the HBO series *The Pacific* and served as an executive producer on the Netflix limited series *The I-Land*. More recently, he adapted and serves as showrunner for the series *Silo*.

Awards and nominations

His work on *Band of Brothers* earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries as a producer, along with a Humanitas Prize. *Justified* received widespread critical acclaim, earning a Peabody Award and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for star Timothy Olyphant. Yost himself has received multiple Writers Guild of America Award nominations for his work on *Justified* and *Sneaky Pete*. He has also been nominated for Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America for his writing on *Justified*.

Personal life

He has been married to Jennifer Yost since 1990, and they have two children. The family resides in Los Angeles. He maintains a connection to his Canadian roots and has often spoken about the influence of his father, Elwy Yost, on his love for cinema. Beyond his work in film and television, he is an avid enthusiast of history, a interest frequently reflected in the depth and detail of his period projects like *Band of Brothers* and *The Pacific*.

Category:Canadian screenwriters Category:Canadian television producers Category:Canadian film directors Category:1959 births Category:Living people