User:Skimstr/Janus Cercone

Janus Cercone is an American screenwriter and playwright whose work includes the film, “Leap of Faith”, starring Steve Martin and the subsequent adaptation of that property with composer, Alan Menken, starring Raul Esparza. She is also a partner in Jaman Properties, a real estate development company specializing in high-end residences in Malibu and the west side of Los Angeles.

Ms. Cercone was born in Pittsburgh, Pa. and grew up in Bronxville, New York, where she studied classical violin and competed successfully on a county and state level. After graduating from Bronxville High School, she attended Skidmore College on a full music scholarship. After college, Ms. Cercone worked at A&M Records as Director Of Publicity-East Coast. During her tenure, she worked with artists as varied as Peter Allen, Joe Cocker, Quincy Jones, Nazareth, The Tubes, Peter Frampton and Police.

While at A&M, Ms. Cercone also worked as a singer songwriter, performing with her band at local venues such as The Metro and The Bitter End and doing studio work as a vocalist. After departing A&M, Ms. Cercone moved to Los Angeles where she worked as a studio musician and songwriter, contributing material to numerous records, series television and movies including Emmy winner, “Roe vs. Wade” and Golden Globe winner “Dirty Pictures”.

At the suggestion of her husband, movie producer, Michael Manheim, Ms. Cercone enrolled in Syd Field’s screenwriting class. Her first effort, “Knockout”, was optioned by producer, Jerry Weintraub, launching a career that continues to the present. In 1992, Ms. Cercone’s original spec script, “Leap of Faith” was purchased by Paramount Pictures. Directed by Richard Pearce, the movie starred Steve Martin, Debra Winger and Liam Neeson. Ms. Cercone also associate produced. The movie came out of her experiences traveling with rock bands and from extensive research on con men. She was guided in this process by magician and author, Ricky Jay who also advised on the film.

Ms. Cercone has worked for every major Hollywood studio, writing screenplays and produced features for stars ranging from Oscar winners Michael Douglas to Whoopi Goldberg, and recently completed “Django” for Kennedy/Marshall, to star Johnny Depp.

Her play, “Dead And In Person” was staged by The Manhattan Theatre Club, starring Rosemary Harris, then at The Falcon Theatre, directed by Penny Marshall and starring Jennifer Aniston, Robert Downey Jr. and Christine Taylor. Currently, Ms. Cercone is adapting her movie, “Leap of Faith” as a musical with eight-time Oscar winning composer, Alan Menken. The show, starring Raul Esparza, Brooke Shields and Kendra Kassebaum, received its world premiere at The Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, fall of 2010 and is slated for Broadway, spring of 2012.

Concurrent with her work in the entertainment business, Ms. Cercone and her husband, Michael Manheim have built and renovated ten houses. What began as a hobby, became a business in 2003: Jaman Properties. Applying her skills as a storyteller, Ms. Cercone designs spaces that reflect narrative and character. Buyers for the couple’s houses have included studio heads, CEO's and TV and film stars such as Conan O’Brien, Fran Drescher and Virginia Madsen.

Ms. Cercone lives in Malibu, California.