didn't have a video camera, like Ricky does... There's a Buddhist notion of the miraculous within the mundane, and I think we certainly live in a culture that encourages us not to look for that." Ball has also discussed how his Buddhism has shaped themes in Six Feet Under and True Blood, both of which he has substantially contributed to. Ball is gay and has been called "a strong voice for [the] LGBT community". In 2008 he made Out magazine's annual list of the 100 most impressive gay men and women. Accolades For his work in television and film, Ball has received critical acclaim and numerous awards and nominations, including an Academy Award, an Emmy a Golden Globe, and awards from the Writers, Directors, and Producers Guilds. Awards 2000 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay – American Beauty 2000 Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay-Motion Picture – American Beauty 2000 Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay – American Beauty 2002 Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Drama Series – Six Feet Under 2002 Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series – Six Feet Under 2004 Producers Guild of America Award for Dramatic Series – Six Feet Under Nominations 2000 BAFTA Film Award for Best Original Screenplay – American Beauty 2002 Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement – Six Feet Under 2004 Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement – Six Feet Under 2006 Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series – Six Feet Under 2006 Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series – Six Feet Under 2006 Writers Guild of America Award for Best Dramatic Series – Six Feet Under 2009 Writers Guild of America Award for Best New Series – True Blood 2010 Producers Guild of America Award for Dramatic Series – True Blood Works Television Film Theatre References Further reading External links 1957 births Living people American Buddhists 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights Film directors from Georgia (U.S. state) American male screenwriters American television directors American television writers Best Original Screenplay Academy Award winners Florida State University alumni American gay writers LGBT Buddhists Gay dramatists and playwrights Gay screenwriters Primetime Emmy Award winners Showrunners American LGBT screenwriters American LGBT dramatists and playwrights Writers from Atlanta Writers Guild of America Award winners Best Screenplay Golden Globe winners Directors Guild of