Shane Salerno is a renowned screenwriter, director, and producer who has made a significant impact in the film and television industry. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Salerno grew up in various parts of the United States, including Memphis, Maryland, Washington D.C., and San Diego. He attended ten schools in twelve years, both on the East and West coasts.
Salerno's film debut occurred when he was just 17 years old, when he wrote, produced, and directed the award-winning documentary film Sundown: The Future of Children and Drugs. The film premiered on Larry King Live in September 1991 and won several notable "best documentary of the year" honors. At 19, Salerno was invited to apprentice on the first season of NYPD Blue as a writer-director, where he gained valuable experience and credits.
Salerno's breakthrough came at the age of 24 when he was recruited by director Michael Bay to rewrite the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced film Armageddon. The blockbuster film debuted at number one on July 1, 1998, and grossed over $570 million worldwide. This success led to Salerno being selected as one of the "hottest new creatives on the film scene" by Variety in 1998.
In 1999, Salerno co-wrote and executive produced the film Savages, directed by Oliver Stone, based on the acclaimed crime novel by Don Winslow. The all-star cast included Taylor Kitsch, John Travolta, Blake Lively, Uma Thurman, Benicio Del Toro, Salma Hayek, Aaron Johnson, Emile Hirsch, and Mia Maestro.
Salerno has also worked on several other notable projects, including the 3-D re-imagining of Fantastic Voyage, produced by James Cameron, Jon Landau, and Rae Sanchini for Twentieth Century Fox. He has also co-written the biographies Salinger and A Season in Hell, and has directed and produced the documentary film Salinger.
In addition to his film work, Salerno has also had a successful television career, serving as a writer and producer on shows such as New York Undercover, Hawaii Five-0, and UC: Undercover. He has also co-created and executive produced several other TV series, including Undercover and Hawaii Five-0.
Throughout his career, Salerno has received numerous awards and nominations, including several "best documentary of the year" honors for Sundown, a Golden Globe nomination for his work on Hawaii Five-0, and several New York Times bestseller awards for his biographies.
Salerno is also the founder of The Story Factory, a company that produces the work of screenwriters and authors, which has had six New York Times bestsellers. He has also made several appearances as a guest speaker at the Los Angeles Screenwriting Expo, becoming the youngest "Guest of Honor" speaker in the history of the event.
