Terry George

Terence "Terry" George (born 20 December 1952) is an Irish screenwriter and director. Much of his film work (e.g. The Boxer, Some Mother's Son, and In the Name of the Father) involves "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland.

He was nominated for two Oscars: Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (1993; In the Name of the Father), and Best Writing, Original Screenplay (2004; Hotel Rwanda). On 26 February 2012, he received an Oscar in the live action short film category for The Shore.

George was born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland. In 1971, aged 18, he was arrested for suspicion of paramilitary republican activity. He later became involved with the Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP), political wing of the INLA. In 1975, he was driving with armed members of the group when British soldiers stopped them, although George claims he was not carrying a weapon. All were arrested and he was sentenced to six years imprisonment in Long Kesh Prison ("The Maze"). Other prisoners at the same time included Gerry Adams and Patsy O'Hara, the third to die in the 1981 hunger strikes. He was released in 1978 for good behaviour. He briefly attended Queens University Belfast.

In 1981 he, his wife, Rita (née Margaret Higgins), and their infant daughter, moved to New York City. George's wife and daughter later became United States citizens but he faced deportation proceedings. He was finally allowed to remain in the US following a lobbying campaign by Irish-American supporters, and was granted an "O" visa. He and his wife also have a United States-born son, Seamus.

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