Private Reiben: Edward Burns is a fast-rising filmmaker who has just signed a multi-year, first-look deal with DreamWorks. As an actor, he is next set to star as an NBA basketball player who discovers he has a heart condition but can't give up the game in "Trillion," for director Gary Felder.

Burns was lauded by both critics and audiences for his very first film, "The Brothers McMullen," which premiered at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Grand Jury Prize. Burns wrote, directed and starred in the film, which he shot on a budget of $25,000 and went on to gross over $10 million, making it the most profitable film in terms of percentages. "The Brothers McMullen" was also named Best First Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards.

His follow-up feature was the romantic comedy "She's the One," which he again wrote and directed and in which he also starred with Jennifer Aniston and Cameron Diaz. His most recent film as a writer, director and actor was "No Looking Back," a drama also starring Lauren Holly and Jon Bon Jovi. In conjunction with the release of "No Looking Back," Hyperion published Three Screenplays by Edward Burns, a collection of the screenplays for his aforementioned films, with an introduction by Burns.

Burns was raised on Long Island, New York, and studied film at Hunter College before making "The Brothers McMullen." After the film won the Grand Jury Prize at Robert Redford's Sundance Film Festival, Redford was so impressed with Burns' talents that he served as executive producer on both "She's the One" and "No Looking Back."

"Saving Private Ryan" marks the first time Burns has acted under another director or spoken dialogue he did not write himself.


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