Billy Ray author page

Billy Ray biography

Billy Ray is an American screenwriter, director and author. He wrote the screenplay for The Hunger Games (2012) and was nominated for an Academy Award for his adapted screenplay for Captain Phillips (2013). His credits as writer-director include Shattered Glass and Breach, and his television work includes creating and writing the miniseries The Comey Rule.

Ray’s debut young adult novel, Burn the Water, will be published by Scholastic in 2026. The book launches a planned duology and reimagines Romeo and Juliet as a dystopian romance set in a flooded future London.

Alongside screen and book work he has hosted the industry podcast Strike Talk, discussing the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes with creatives and union leaders.

Ray won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Captain Phillips in 2014.