Grant Heslov

Grant Heslov (born May 15, 1963) is an American producer, actor, director, and screenwriter best known for his long-term creative partnership with George Clooney, including co-founding the production company Smokehouse Pictures in 2006.

Heslov was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in the nearby Palos Verdes area, where he developed an early interest in acting during high school. He attended the University of Southern California, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theater in 1986, and later co-founded a theater company with classmates to gain producing experience.

He grew up in the Palos Verdes area of Los Angeles County in a Jewish household, where his Ashkenazi Jewish heritage shaped his early environment. His father, Arthur Heslov, worked as a dentist, while his mother, Kerrie Heslov (née Rosen), was a businesswoman. Heslov was the youngest of three sons, with two older brothers, Steven and Michael.