1943- . US dramatist and actor. His work
combines colloquial American dialogue with
striking visual imagery, and includes The
Tooth of Crime 1972 and Buried Child 1978,
for which he won the Pulitzer Prize. Seduced
1979 is based on the life of the recluse
Howard Hughes. He has acted in a number of
films, including The Right Stuff 1983, Fool
for Love 1986, based on his play of the same
name, and Steel Magnolias 1989.