Melissa Mathison

Mathison's screenwriting career began with an adaptation of Walter Farley's children's novel The Black Stallion (1979). Directed by Carroll Ballard, the film follows a shipwrecked boy and his bond with a wild horse, and it established her ability to write from a child's perspective.

She next wrote E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), working from a story by Steven Spielberg. The film, about a lonely boy who shelters a stranded alien, became a blockbuster and earned Mathison an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

Her later credits included The Indian in the Cupboard (1995), based on Lynne Reid Banks's novel, and Kundun (1997), Martin Scorsese's drama about the Dalai Lama. She adapted Roald Dahl's The BFG for Spielberg; the film was released in 2016, after her death.

In 1983 Mathison married Harrison Ford, with whom she had two children; the marriage ended in divorce in 2004. She died in 2015 of neuroendocrine cancer.

Melissa Mathison was born on June 3, 1950 in Los Angeles, California, United States. In Cardology (Destiny Cards), June 3, 1950 corresponds to the Ace of Spades, making the Ace of Spades her Birth Card.

In numerology, the name adds another layer to the birth-date profile. The letters of a person’s name are used to explore inner motivation, personality, expression, and the qualities they bring into relationships and everyday life. Explore how her original name Melissa Mathison influences her life and personality.