ABOUT
JOHN COLES IS AN AWARD-WINNING DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER KNOWN FOR EVOCATIVE MATERIAL WITH COMPELLING PERFORMANCES. HE HAS ENJOYED SUCCESS IN FEATURES, TELEVISION AND THEATER WHILE HIS PRODUCTION COMPANY, TALKING WALL PICTURES, HAS FOCUSED ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF CUTTING EDGE PROJECTS.
Coles shot his first full length 16mm film at 17 – a wry update of Casablanca re-imagined in a high school. While at Amherst College he directed a documentary about the school that was aired on PBS, and soon after was making short films for Saturday Night Live.
He went on to work on the editorial side for Francis Coppola’s RUMBLE FISH and THE COTTON CLUB. His feature directorial debut, SIGNS OF LIFE, starred Beau Bridges, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Mary Louise Parker. The film won the International Critics Prize at Deauville and launched a prolific and versatile directing career. Other long form credits include RISING SON with Matt Damon and Brian Dennehy, DARROW with Kevin Spacey and THE GOOD FIGHT with Christine Lahti.
Coles was nominated for an Emmy and a PGA award for his work as an Executive Producer and Director on Netflix’s HOUSE OF CARDS. His recent directing credits include the Disney+ original series THE RIGHT STUFF, the Emmy Award-winning HOMELAND, the Epix original series BERLIN STATION, 11/22/63 for Hulu, and Amazon’s MAD DOGS. Other credits include BATES MOTEL, POWER, DAMAGES, JUSTIFIED, SEX AND THE CITY, and THE WEST WING. Executive Producer credits include THE SINNER, THIEF, ELEMENTARY, UNFORGETTABLE, 3LBS, LAW AND ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT, NEW AMSTERDAM, and WONDERLAND.
Coles continues to write and create original dramas through Talking Wall Pictures, which produced the CBS drama SONGS IN ORDINARY TIME (based on the Oprah Book Club pick) starring Sissy Spacek and Beau Bridges and co-created and executive produced the series CRASH AND BURN. Talking Wall has developed numerous projects with HBO, CBS, New Line, IFC, Bravo and worked with numerous distinguished writers, including Academy Award nominated Mike Weller (HAIR), Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright (QUILLS), Kate Robin (SIX FEET UNDER) and Ann Peacock (NIGHTS IN RODANTHE).
In the theatre world, Coles was a member of the Circle Rep Lab and an alumnus of Wynn Handman at the American Place Theater. His Off-Broadway credits include directing the critically acclaimed play THE IMPOSTOR starring Austin Pendleton and Calista Flockhart, as well as JOHNNY SUEDE, starring Tom DiCillo. He is a Sundance Director’s Lab Alumni, and has taught graduate programs at Columbia and Stony Brook University.
