Zach Helm photo

Zach Helm

Zachariah "Zach" Helm is an American writer and film director.

As a playwright Helm has had two plays produced; Last Chance for a Slow Dance and Good Canary, the latter having its 2007 world premiere in Paris under the direction of John Malkovich. The play received six Moliére nominations, the most of that year and also won France's Crystal Globe award for Best Play.

His debut screenplay, Stranger than Fiction, was directed by Marc Forster and was released on November 10, 2006 and Helm received the National Board of Review award and the PEN USA award for best screenplay.

His directorial debut Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium was released in November 2007.

Helm was raised in Pike, California. He is married to actress Kiele Sanchez.


“In fact, Harold had never once paid attention to his watch other than to find out the time. And, honestly, it drove his watch crazy.”
Zach Helm
Read more
“As Harold took a bite of Bavarian sugar cookie, he finally felt as if everything was going to be ok. Sometimes, when we lose ourselves in fear and despair, in routine and constancy, in hopelessness and tragedy, we can thank God for Bavarian sugar cookies. And, fortunately, when there aren't any cookies, we can still find reassurance in a familiar hand on our skin, or a kind and loving gesture, or subtle encouragement, or a loving embrace, or an offer of comfort, not to mention hospital gurneys and nose plugs, an uneaten Danish, soft-spoken secrets, and Fender Stratocasters, and maybe the occasional piece of fiction. And we must remember that all these things, the nuances, the anomalies, the subtleties, which we assume only accessorize our days, are effective for a much larger and nobler cause. They are here to save our lives. I know the idea seems strange, but I also know that it just so happens to be true.”
Zach Helm
Read more
“Dr. Jules Hilbert: Hell Harold, you could just eat nothing but pancakes if you wanted.Harold Crick: What is wrong with you? Hey, I don't want to eat nothing but pancakes, I want to live! I mean, who in their right mind in a choice between pancakes and living chooses pancakes?Dr. Jules Hilbert: Harold, if you pause to think, you'd realize that that answer is inextricably contingent upon the type of life being led... and, of course, the quality of the pancakes. ”
Zach Helm
Read more
“Sometimes, when we lose ourselves in fear and despair, in routine and constancy, in hopelessness and tragedy, we can thank God for Bavarian sugar cookies. And, fortunately, when there aren't any cookies, we can still find reassurance in a familiar hand on our skin, or a kind and loving gesture, or subtle encouragement, or a loving embrace, or an offer of comfort, not to mention hospital gurneys and nose plugs, an uneaten Danish, soft-spoken secrets, and Fender Stratocasters, and maybe the occasional piece of fiction. And we must remember that all these things, the nuances, the anomalies, the subtleties, which we assume only accessorize our days, are effective for a much larger and nobler cause. They are here to save our lives. I know the idea seems strange, but I also know that it just so happens to be true.”
Zach Helm
Read more