Born on September 21, 1941, in Birmingham, Alabama, and named Patricia Neal, Fannie Flagg attended the University of Alabama, the Pittsburgh Playhouse, and the Town and Gown Theatre. Although she is best known as a novelist and screenwriter, she began her career in Birmingham, in 1964. She was an actress, comedienne, producer, and writer, first in Birmingham in 1964, when she was the producer of The Morning Show (WBRC-TV) and later when she was associated with such shows as Candid Camera and Harper Valley. Other works include Coming Attractions: A Wonderful Novel (1981) and the recording My Husband Doesn't Know I'm Making This Phone Call (1971). However, Flagg's greatest claim to fame came… when the screenplay for the film Fried Green Tomatoes, which she, together with Jon Avnet, adapted from her novel, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, won an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay in 1991.