John David Coles

A director and producer known for his discerning taste, John David Coles specializes in character-driven stories for TV and film. He got his start in the business as an apprentice editor under directors Arthur Penn and Francis Ford Coppola, working on the latter's 1983 youth drama "Rumble Fish" and his period drama "The Cotton Club," where he graduated to assistant film editor. He began his own directorial career working on TV directing episodes of series and made-for-TV films such as "Darrow," an historical recreation starring Kevin Spacey. Another early effort was the well-received feature "Signs of Life," starring Beau Bridges. His breakthrough, however, came in 1999 when he began directing episodes of the hit romantic comedy "Sex and the City." This led to many other high-profile directorial assignments, including Aaron Sorkin's White House drama "The West Wing," the critically acclaimed crime drama "Thief," and the cult satire "Desperate Housewives." Coles has also been executive producer for several shows he has worked on, most notably the popular procedural "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."