Brett D. Morgen, an American documentary film director, producer, writer, and editor, was born on October 11, 1968, in Los Angeles, California. His name was inspired by USC football lineman Britt Williams, who was team captain in 1961, although his parents misspelled it. Morgen grew up in Studio City, California, and knew he wanted to become a filmmaker at a young age.
During his time at New York University, Morgen created the documentary Ollie's Army, which focused on the James Madison University college Republicans during Oliver North's senatorial campaign in 1994.
In 2000, Morgen's documentary On the Ropes was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary. The film, directed by Morgen and Nanette Burstein, explored the lives of three aspiring boxers and their coach. Although it did not win the Academy Award, the film received several awards, including Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary by the Directors Guild of America.
Morgen's next project was The Kid Stays in the Picture, a documentary biopic about film producer Robert Evans. The film delved into Evans' major hits, such as The Godfather, and his tumultuous personal life, with Morgen teaming up with Nanette Burstein once again.
Chicago 10, a film about the Chicago Eight, featured animation and celebrity voice-overs from Hank Azaria, Dylan Baker, Nick Nolte, Mark Ruffalo, Roy Scheider, Liev Schreiber, James Urbaniak, and Jeffrey Wright.
June 17th, 1994, an episode of 30 for 30 that aired on ESPN, was a unique documentary that consisted solely of the actual TV footage from June 17, 1994, featuring on-air commentary by Morgen. This date marked the O.J. Simpson slow-moving police chase, as well as other significant sports stories that were largely overshadowed by the public's fascination with Simpson.
Morgen resides in Rockaway, Queens, New York, with his wife, Debra Eisenstadt, and their three children.
