PAUL RUDNICK, American screenwriter/playwright, born; playwright, screenwriter and novelist. His plays include I Hate Hamlet, Jeffrey, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told and “Valhalla“. He also writes for Premiere magazine under the pseudonym “Libby Gelman-Waxner”. Rudnick grew up in Piscataway Township, New Jersey. 

Rudnick has worked as an uncredited script doctor on movies including The Addams Family and The First Wives Club. He was credited as the pseudonym Joseph Howard for his work on Sister Act, which was originally intended as a vehicle for Bette Midler; the screenplay went through many changes, and by the time it became re-fashioned for Whoopi Goldberg he refused to have his real name associated with it. He received sole writing credit for Addams Family Values, In & Out, and the screen version of his play Jeffrey.

In January 2017, it was announced that Rudnick will write the lyrics and book for a Broadway musical adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada along with Elton John as composer. Covid had other ideas.