Joan Tewkesbury (born April 8, 1936) is an American film and television director, screenwriter, producer and actress. She had a long association with the celebrated director Robert Altman, and wrote the screenplays for two of his films, Thieves Like Us (1974) and Nashville (1975). Nashville has been called "Altman's masterpiece",[2] and Tewkesbury's screenplay was widely honored including a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay. Beyond the work with Altman, Tewkesbury has directed a