Steven Knight

Steven Knight's most fortuitous venture came relatively early in his career, when he co-created the British television series "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" (ITV 1998-2014). He has spent the years since focusing his energies on screenwriting, supplying A-list actors and critically acclaimed directors with top-notch scripts: dark dramas like "Dirty Pretty Things" (2002), mystery thrillers like "Eastern Promises" (2007), and even sweet-natured family comedies like "The Hundred-Foot Journey" (2014). But it wasn't until breaking into the directing circuit with his second feature film "Locke" (2014) that Knight began to earn the name recognition that he deserved.

Born in 1959 in Birmingham, England, Steven Knight began his creative career as a writer for a variety of British series and TV movies. His early era work was largely comedic in nature. Knight's first credits include English comedian and TV personality Jasper Carrott's "Commercial Breakdown" (BBC 1989) and "Canned Carrott" (BBC 1990-92).

Following some additional series work with little-seen titles, Knight would again collaborate with Carrott on the substantially more successful spoof cop show "The Detectives" (BBC One 1993-97). Knight and fellow writer Mike Whitehill penned all 31 episodes of the program together; Knight also directed several episodes of the show.

Following the conclusion of "The Detectives," Knight turned away from fiction programming briefly to aid in the construction of the original British incarnation of the mega-popular game show franchise "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" (ITV 1998-2014), which he founded with writing partner Whitehill and writer/producer David Briggs.

The international small screen phenomenon that was "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" provided no road block to Knight's goal to work in features; a few years later, Knight's first film script came to life at the hands of director Sheree Folkson. However, their romantic comedy movie, "Gypsy Woman" (2001), did not receive wide theatrical release. The diligent writer would have to wait only a year, though, before gracing the worldwide big screen for the first time.

Knight supplied the script for acclaimed director Stephen Frears' "Dirty Pretty Things" (2002), a dramatic thriller that helped to likewise launch the careers of Chiwetel Ejiofor and Audrey Tautou. "Dirty Pretty Things" showed off Knight's flair for tension and tenacious character work, planting Ejiofor and Tautou in a story about illegal immigrants desperately trying to get by in the United Kingdom.

Though blossoming writer Knight would seem to spread his film work out a bit more over the 2000s, the luster of his credits more than made up for the time. Knight would come to collaborate with the likes of BAFTA-winning director Michael Apted on "Amazing Grace" (2006) and twisted genius David Cronenberg on "Eastern Promises" (2007).

Finally, Knight would combine his experience directing episodes of "The Detectives" with his knack for penning big-screen work to helm his own features. First, Knight released the Jason Statham-led action flick, titled "Hummingbird" (2013) in its original United Kingdom and "Redemption" (2013) in the United States. Although the movie didn't earn Knight much attention, it would lead to a much more successful follow-up.

That same year was a fruitful one for Knight. In addition to penning a script for John Crowley's crime drama "Closed Circuit" (2013), he joined the writing team of the new crime drama TV series "Peaky Blinders" (BBC Two 2013-). But the year also saw Knight once again set his sights toward his own projects.

Working with leading man Tom Hardy, Knight wrote and directed "Locke" (2014), a one-man drama about a dutiful workingman tearing apart at the seams as he tries to right three wrongs at once. What is most interesting about the film is its reliance on a single actor (Hardy) and a single setting (his car) all the way through, toggling between increasingly hectic phone conversations to drive the drama forward. Knight gained especial noteworthiness for the film, which impressed at the Venice, London, and Sundance Film Festivals.