Gratuitous Brunette: Edward Burns

Although the output of his career has yet to compel me to partake of it - except for the Virgin Comics' series Dock Walloper, co-written with Jimmy Palmiotti, and soon to get the big screen treatment - the fact of his career has long held my interest; a proponent of low-budget film-making, Edward Burns has proven that budget doesn't make a good movie, story and acting and location do.

Beginning with 1995's The Brothers McMullen, the former production assistant has managed to retain an enormous amount of creative control over his finished product precisely because he hasn't allowed himself to become beholden to the studios for massive amounts of cash. In 1996, he wrote, directed and starred in the ensemble drama She's The One with Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz, and Amanda Peet, which he followed in 2001 with Sidewalks of New York - shot for just $1 million in only 17 days. Looking For Kitty (2004) was shot in about the same time for $200,000 with a digital camcorder.

Despite being an indie darling, making such gritty, on-the-fly work for very little money, Burns has starred in a few of those lavish productions he himself has eschewed making, including Saving Private Ryan, Life or Something Like It, and 27 Dresses.

Born on this day in 1968 and married since June 2003 to my favourite supermodel and his future fellow Gratuitous Brunette Christy Turlington, together they have two children - Grace, born in 2003, and Finn, born in 2006.
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