Douglas Day Stewart (born January 1, 1940) is an American screenwriter and film director. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, for the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman.

Early life

Stewart was born January 1, 1940 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and moved to San Marino, California during his adolescence. He graduated from Claremont McKenna College in 1962. From 1962 to 1965, Stewart served in the United States Navy, initially intending enrolling as a Navy Aviation Officer Candidate, from which he was later disqualified due to a medical issue. He was transferred to a unit overseeing the transportation of 7th Marine Regiment to South Vietnam. His experiences in Candidate School would later form the basis for his screenplay for ''An Officer and a Gentleman. '' After his discharge, Stewart earned a Masters of Arts in Radio, Film and Television from Northwestern University.

Career

After working as a playwright, Stewart's first screen writing credits was for the television series Room 222. He subsequently wrote for several programs, including Bonanza and The Boy in the Plastic Bubble. The latter earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. In 1980, Stewart wrote the screenplay for the box-office hit ''The Blue Lagoon. '' In 1982, Stewart wrote and co-produced the hit romantic drama An Officer and a Gentleman. A critical and commercial success, the film earned Stewart an Oscar nod for Best Original Screenplay. He made his directorial debut two years later, with the film Thief of Hearts.

Filmography

Screenplays and Teleplays

Novels