Brian Koppelman

Early life and education

Koppelman was born on April 27, 1966, in Roslyn Harbor, New York, the son of Brenda "Bunny" Koppelman and Charles Koppelman. Koppelman is Jewish. His father was a producer and media executive. Koppelman holds degrees from Tufts University and Fordham University School of Law.

Career

He first started managing local Long Island bands as a teenager. He would also book bands at a local nightclub. Through booking acts, he came into contact with Eddie Murphy and helped arrange Murphy's first record deal. During his career, Koppelman was an A&R representative for music labels Elektra Records, Giant Records, SBK Records and EMI Records.

Film

In 1997, Koppelman wrote the original screenplay for Rounders with his writing partner, David Levien. Koppelman has described his approach to writing as a team as having only one rule: no video games in the office. In 2001, Koppelman wrote, produced, and directed his first film, Knockaround Guys, which film critic Roger Ebert gave 3 out of 4 stars. Since then, Koppelman has worked on a dozen films, including having written Ocean's Thirteen and directed an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, This Is What They Want.

In 2009, Koppelman co-directed Solitary Man starring Michael Douglas. The film was included in both A. O. Scott's The New York Times "Year End Best" list, Roger Ebert's "Year End Best" list, and holds a "Fresh" rating of 81% at the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.

Other writings and podcasts

Koppelman was a contributor and essayist at Grantland.com, a website that was dedicated to sports and pop culture. Additionally, since March 2014, Koppelman has hosted a weekly podcast, "The Moment", on ESPN Radio. In October, 2013, Koppelman received significant media attention for releasing a series of videos on the platform Vine in which he gives screenwriting advice in six seconds or less called "Six Second Screenwriting Lessons". His "Screenwriting, in Six Seconds or Less" Vine from July 31, 2014, generated over 15 million loops in less than nine days. He has also written a short story, "Wednesday is Viktor's", for the anthology Dark City Lights: New York Stories (Have a NYC), published in 2015. Koppelman has a chapter giving advice in Tim Ferriss' book Tools of Titans.

Television

Showtime's drama Billions, created by Koppelman with The New York Times columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin and writing partner David Levien, and starring Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis, premiered to strong reviews in 2016. In 2025 Netflix ordered eight episodes of a casino-industry drama set in the 1990s, with Martin Scorsese executive producing and Koppelman and Levein attached as showrunners.

Lawsuits

Koppelman has been involved in several lawsuits regarding his work, namely Grosso v. Miramax Film Corp., Cayuga Nations v. Showtime Networks Inc., and Shull v. Sorkin. Both Grosso and Shull claimed that Koppelman stole their ideas and copyright work in his creation of Rounders and Billions respectively. All cases have since been dismissed. Shull's case was recently dismissed a second time.

Awards and recognition

In 2013, Tufts University awarded Koppelman its P.T. Barnum Award for success in Media/Arts. In 2014, Koppelman won an Emmy Award for his 30 for 30 documentary.

Personal life

In 1992, Koppelman married novelist Amy Levine at the Central Synagogue in Manhattan. The couple have two children, including the journalist Sam Koppelman. His sister is Jennifer Koppelman Hutt, who hosts a Sirius Satellite Radio show called Just Jenny. Regarding religion, Koppelman describes himself as culturally Jewish, but from a philosophical standpoint he identifies himself as an atheist. Koppelman is a fan of the Knicks, Jets, and Yankees.

Of his five-year practice of Transcendental Meditation Koppelman said in 2016: "For me it was a way to control anxiety, and I found that the physical manifestations of anxiety just dissipated by about 85 or 90 percent ... So that was a gigantic life change, to not feel a fluttering stomach, to not get a stress headache and things like that."

Filmography

Film

Television

Actor

• Michael Clayton (2007)
• The Bear (2024)

Bibliography

References

References

1. (August 5, 2014). "Episode: The Moment, Hank Steinberg". ESPN.
2. "This Is What They Want". ESPN.
3. (2016-01-27). "Billions Co-Creator Brian Koppelman: The Craziest Thing I Saw at a Billionaire's Home".
4. Han, Angie. (2022-02-26). "Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Showtime's 'Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber': TV Review".
5. "Charles Koppelman".
6. [http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nytimes/obituary.aspx?pid=113016676 ''The New York Times'': "Brenda "Bunny" Koppelman Obituary"] July 9, 2008
7. (2008-07-11). "Paid Notice: Deaths KOPPELMAN, BUNNY". The New York Times.
8. Donadoni, Serena. (September 11, 1998). "At The Movies - Jewish screenwriters David Levien, a U-M frad, and Brian Koppelman infiltrate the world of poker players in "Rounders"". [[Detroit Jewish News]].
9. (April 23, 2007). "Tufts Grad Honored At Sarasota Film Festival". Tufts University.
10. (September 4, 2002). "Brian Koppelman". Film Bug.
11. Nancy Harrison. (January 20, 1991). "Persuasion Pays Off for a Talent Scout". New York Times.
12. Tom Phalen. (August 22, 1996). "Making A New Start—Tracy Chapman's Career Went From A 'Fast Car' To A Slow Crawl; Now She's Back With A Whole 'New Beginning'". Seattle Times.
13. "100 Best Albums of the Eighties".
14. Roger Ebert. (October 11, 2002). "Knockaround Guys". Rogerebert.com.
15. "Solitary Man (2010)".
16. "Contributors: Brian Koppelman". Grantland.com.
17. "The Moment with Brian Koppelman". ESPN Pod Center.
18. Rachel Syme. (October 10, 2013). "Screenwriting Advice, in Six Seconds or Less".
19. "Brian Koppelman's Profile – Vine". Vine.com.
20. (30 April 2015). "Dark City Lights: New York Stories (Have a NYC)". Three Rooms Press.
21. "Critic Reviews for Billions Season 1".
22. Soraya Nadia McDonald. (March 14, 2014). "Showtime green-lights pilot from NYT columnist Sorkin". The Washington Post.
23. Andreeva, Nellie. (2025-12-03). "Netflix Orders Vegas Casino Drama Series From Martin Scorsese & ‘Billions’ Co-Creators Brian Koppelman & David Levien".
24. "Jeff Grosso, Plaintiff-appellant, v. Miramax Film Corp., a New York Corporation; Miramax Books; Spanky Pictures, a New York Corporation; David Levien, an Individual; Brian Koppelman, an Individual; Ted Demme, an Individual; Joel Stillerman, an Individual, Defendants-appellees, 400 F.3d 658 (9th Cir. 2005)".
25. "Cayuga Nation v Showtime Networks Inc.".
26. "Shull v. Sorkin".
27. "Shull v Sorkin Appeal Brief".
28. "From the Hill to Hollywood". Tufts.
29. "NBC Tops Sports Emmys, Extends 'Sunday Night Football' Streak". Chicago Tribune.
30. (3 April 1992). "Amy L. Levine Has Wedding". New York Times.
31. "Jennifer Koppelman Hutt". Huffington Post.
32. (November 26, 2013). "Episode: Brian Koppelman, David Levien, and Deaf Frat Guy". Adamcarolla.com.
33. (18 March 2016). "''Billions'' Co-Creator Explains Why the Show's Main Characters Meditate".
34. "Michael Clayton (2007)".