John Byrum

John Byrum is an American film director and writer known for The Razor's Edge Heart Beat Duets and Inserts.

Raised in Winnetka,Illinois, on the North Shore of Chicago, Byrum studied at New York University in the late 1960's. His instructors included Haig Manoogian and graduate student Martin Scorsese,and classmates Oliver Stone and Eric Jenkins. At NYU he co-wrote "Item 72-D, The Adventures of Spa and Fon" with director Edward Summer.

As a student, Byrum interned with Jim Henson on early appearances of The Muppets and was eventually hired by Henson as one of the original writers of Sesame Street. Hollywood took notice of Byrum's original script Insets and he was tappped to write scripts Harry & Walter Go To New York and the Diana Ross vehicle Mahohgany. Byrum is infamous for passing on writing the film Jaws in order to work with his idol Tony Richardson on Mahogany. Byrrum directed his first feature film Inserts with stars Richard Dreyfuss, Jessica Harper, Veronica Cartwight, Stephen Davies, and Bob Hoskins. Among Byrum's other produced films are Heat Beat starring Nick Nolte, John Heard, and Sissy Spacek, and The Razor's Edge starring Bill Murray, Catherine Hicks, Theresa Russell, and James Keach. Byrum created, wrote and produced television series included "Middle Ages" starring Peter Riegert, Michael O'Keefe, Amy Brennamen, and William Russ, as "South of Sunset" starring Glenn Frey of The Eagles fame, and "Winnetka Road" starring Ed Begley, Jr., Meg Tilley, and Josh Brolin. Byrum's television movie Out of Season starred Ted Levine as a Hunter Thompson-like character who is elected mayor of a Colorado skii resort. Co-stars included Jamie Sheridan, Judith Hoag, Adam Baldwin, and Lisa Kudrow. John Byrum resides in both California and Connecticut with his wife Karin Reznack.