Sam Wasson

New York Times bestselling author of 5th Avenue, 5AM (HarperCollins) and Fosse (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt – now an FX limited series)

Sam Wasson is a bestselling biographer and film historian widely recognized for his work on American cinema and culture. He is the author of the New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestseller Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman, which was named one of the best books of the year by the New York Times and Publishers Weekly. His extensive research and narrative style have made him a prominent voice in chronicling the lives of Hollywood’s most influential figures.

Wasson’s biography Fosse earned significant critical acclaim, winning the Los Angeles Book Festival’s Prize for Best Biography of the Year and the George Freedley Grand Jury Prize. It was also shortlisted for the Marfield Prize, the National Award for Arts Writing. Beyond his writing, Wasson serves as a visiting professor of Film at Wesleyan University and has acted as a consultant for prestigious institutions such as The Film Society of Lincoln Center and MoMA Film.

A frequent media guest, Wasson has appeared on CNN, BBC, Fox, ABC, and NPR to share his expertise. He has lectured and appeared at major global venues, including the 92nd Street Y in New York, Toronto’s Bell Lightbox Theater, and the Rome International Film Festival. His work continues to explore the intersection of art, celebrity, and the evolution of the modern film industry.

Books

Praise for Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.

The New York Times Bestseller, Harper, June 22, 2010

“A bonbon of a book… As well tailored as the little black dress the movie made famous.”

Praise for Fosse

Now an FX Limited Series, Harper Perennial, November 4, 2014

“Scintillating… There’s an enormous amount of scholarship here, yet the story never drags, so adroitly does [Wasson] blend his material into a fluent narrative around evocative scenes where character emerges novelistically.”

Praise for Improv Nation: How We Made a Great American Artby Sam Wasson

2017 George Freedley Memorial Award Finalist, Harper, December 5, 2017

““With Saturday Night Live looming ever larger in the pop culture landscape, it’s time for a history of improv comedy. Wasson delivers, moving nimbly from improv’s origins in 1950s Chicago to movies like Caddyshack and TV shows like The Colbert Report.”