Background
Gray was born in New York City. His father was once an electronics contractor.
Gray was born in New York City. His father was once an electronics contractor.
Gray attended the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, where his student film, "Cowboys and Angels", helped him get an agent and the attention of producer Paul Webster, who encouraged him to write a script which he could produce.
He is of Russian Jewish descent, with grandparents from Ostropol. In 2000, Miramax released his second film, The Yards, a film noir written and shot in 1998. His third film, We Own the Night, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg, played in competition at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival in May, receiving widely divergent reviews from international critics.
We Own the Night was released theatrically in the United States on October 12, 2007.
He wrote the screenplay for Guillaume Canet"s 2013 film Blood Ties with Canet. In August 2015, it was announced that Warner Bros tapped Gray to write and direct White Devil, a film based on the life of John Wills.
In November 2012 he was selected as a member of the main competition jury at the 2012 International Film Festival of Marrakech.