Sir Tom Stoppard (born Tomáš Straüssler, 1937) is an acclaimed British playwright and screenwriter, known for his intellectual and witty writing. In cinema, he has established himself as one of the most refined contemporary screenwriters.

He won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for *Shakespeare in Love* (1998), co-written with Marc Norman. Among his most celebrated works are also his contributions to the screenplay of *Brazil* (1985) and film adaptations of novels such as J.G. Ballard's *Empire of the Sun* (1987) and *Anna Karenina* (2012). The only film he directed was the adaptation of his celebrated play *Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead* (1990).

His style is characterized by brilliant dialogue, wordplay, an intricate narrative structure, and the exploration of philosophical themes, often set in historical or literary contexts.