Charles Stuart Kaufman (/ˈkɔːfmən/; born November 19, 1958) is an American filmmaker and novelist. He wrote the films Being John Malkovich (1999), Adaptation (2002), and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). He directed the films Synecdoche, New York (2008), Anomalisa (2015), and I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020). In 2020, Kaufman made his literary debut with the release of his first novel, Antkind.
Kaufman started his career in comedy writing for National Lampoon from 1983 to 1984. He then wrote for various comedy series, including Get a Life (1990–1992), The Edge (1992–1993), The Trouble with Larry (1993), The Dana Carvey Show (1996), and Ned and Stacey (1995–1997).
One of the most celebrated screenwriters of his era, Kaufman has received an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Independent Spirit Awards, and a Writers Guild of America Award. Film critic Roger Ebert called Synecdoche, New York "the best movie of the decade" in 2009. Three of Kaufman's scripts appear in the Writers Guild of America's list of the 101 greatest movie screenplays ever written.

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