Billy Ray

Billy Ray (born September 21, 1971, in Los Angeles, California) is an American screen artist best known for his work as a writer and filmmaker. Emerging from the heart of the U.S. entertainment industry, Ray built his reputation by crafting tense, character-driven stories for both television and feature films.

He began writing professionally in the mid-1990s, with early screen credit on Color of Night (1994). From there, Ray became associated with high-stakes, real-world-inspired dramas and large-scale studio storytelling, balancing sharp dialogue with propulsive plotting.

Ray’s most recognized credits include writing the first The Hunger Games film (2012), the maritime thriller Captain Phillips (2013), and the biographical drama Richard Jewell (2019). His screenplay for Captain Phillips earned him an Academy Award nomination, underscoring his standing among contemporary Hollywood screenwriters.

He has also appeared in behind-the-scenes and interview projects such as The World Is Watching: Making the Hunger Games, Tales from the Script, The Dialogue: An Interview with Screenwriter Billy Ray, and Capturing Captain Phillips, offering insight into his process and the craft of screenwriting.