Who is David Benioff? A look at Amanda Peet’s husband’s career who co-created ‘Game of Thrones’

On ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’, Amanda Peet was accompanied by her smart friend DB Weiss, who she described as a 'sort of brother' and 'surrogate husband'
PUBLISHED JAN 6, 2021
Amanda Peet and David Benioff (Getty Images)
Amanda Peet and David Benioff (Getty Images)

Besides Amanda Peet’s intellectual acuity, what caught the attention of the audience during her appearance on ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’ was a fact she revealed about her husband David Benioff. She was accompanied by her smart friend DB Weiss, who she described as a “sort of brother” and “surrogate husband”. However, she didn’t quite need his help or lifelines, as she effortlessly went on to answer all the questions asked by the host Jimmy Kimmel. 

David Benioff and Amanda Peet (Getty Images)

While introducing her friend, she said he was also friends with her husband and the duo know each other well as they worked together on ‘Game of Thrones’! Surprising much? Read on to know more.

Who is David Benioff and what does he do?

David Benioff is an American screenwriter, television writer, director and producer, who is best known for serving as the showrunner on HBO's 'Game of Thrones'. Among his known works are also the 2004 film 'Troy' and 2009's 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine'. 

David Benioff (Getty Images)

He began his writing career by penning down his first novel 'The 25th Hour', which was later adapted into a film of the same name. He worked on the screenplay for 'Kite Runner' and then became interested in George R.R. Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' and began working with D.B Weiss to create 'Game of Thrones'. 

When the show began airing in 2011, Benioff and Weiss served as the executive producers, showrunners and wrote of the show. They have also directed two episodes of 'Game of Thrones'. While Benioff was credited for episode 3 of season 3, Weiss was credited for episode 1 of season 4. The duo's first project on Netflix was for the stand up special 'Leslie Jones: Time Machine'. 

David Benioff decided against is father's footsteps

Although Benioff's creativity is commendable, he comes from a financial background.  His father, Stephen Friedman, is the former chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs, where he worked for nearly 30 years. When it was time for him to choose his profession he decided to walk away from a Wall Street career and enrolled in Dartmouth College. 

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (Getty Images)

Later, he went to Trinity College Dublin to study Irish literature, where he met his friend and fellow-creator of 'Game of Throne' Weiss. 

As far as his personal life is concerned, Benioff has been married to Peet since 2006 and they have three children together. The family reportedly divides time between their two homes in Beverly Hills and Manhattan. 

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