Monday, August 15, 2005

Wilmington, N.C. - Celebrate Wilmington! will dedicate a star on the Walk of Fame to award winning film and TV writer Don Payne. All are invited to attend the ceremony at 10 a.m., on Walk of Fame plaza, Water Street entrance of The Cotton Exchange. In addition to the induction, Don will be honored by his hometown through these public events:

Don Payne Exhibit at Cape Fear Museum
Opens Monday, August 22, 2005
Through February 11, 2006
Cost: Museum Admission

Objects featured in the lobby display include:

One of Don’s three Emmys for his work on The Simpsons

Animation cells from The Simpsons television show

Script for The Simpsons episode Fraudcast News for which Don received the prestigious Paul Selvin Award at the 57th annual Writers Guild of America Awards ceremony this year.

Don’s 1982 graduation picture from New Hanover High School.

For more information, call 910/341-4350

Moviemakers & Scholars series presents Don Payne
Friday, August 26
7:30 - 9 p.m.
UNCW, Bryan Auditorium, Morton Hall 100
FREE & OPEN to the public

UNCW Film Studies Department is hosting a presentation by Don Payne followed by a Q & A session. The event is in collaboration with UNCW Division for Public Service and Continuing Studies, and Celebrate Wilmington!

For more information, call 910/962-7502.

Walk of Fame Induction of Don Payne
Saturday, August 27
10 a.m.
Walk of Fame plaza, Water Street entrance of The Cotton Exchange.
FREE & OPEN to the public

Celebrate Wilmington! unveils the new star on Wilmington’s Walk of Fame dedicated to award winning film and TV writer Don Payne.

For more information, call 910/342-2415.

Don Payne is a television writer/producer and screenwriter born in Wilmington. He currently is co-executive producer/writer on Fox’s international hit series The Simpsons, the longest-running sitcom on television and the longest-running animated show in television history. He is now in his seventh season with the show.

Don has earned three Emmys for his work on The Simpsons. He received the prestigious Paul Selvin Award for his acclaimed episode Fraudcast News at the 57th annual Writers Guild Awards ceremony this year. He was also twice nominated for a Writers Guild Award for Animation Writing.

He recently sold an original feature screenplay entitled Super Ex to film studio Regency Enterprises. The director is Ivan Reitman (Stripes, Ghostbusters, Kindergarten Cop, Dave), with Uma Thurman and Luke Wilson set to star.

Don’s other TV writing and producing credits include The Brian Benson Show, Veronica’s Closet, Men Behaving Badly, Can’t Hurry Love, Hope & Gloria and Pride & Joy.

Don graduated from New Hanover High School in 1982, where he served as Senior Class President. His mother and his grandparents were also NHHS graduates. During his high school years, he was actively involved in local theater, performing in numerous productions at Thalian Hall, as well as acting in and directing plays as part of the Hanover Thespians, his school’s drama club. He was also a member of his high school’s chorus groups -- the Hanover Singers and Hanover Singers Ensemble.

He attended his first two years of college at UNC-Chapel Hill, and then transferred to UCLA to attend film school, where he earned a B.A. in Film and Television and an M.F.A. in Screenwriting. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife Julie and their sons Nathaniel and Joshua.