From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Michael L. Tolkin (born October 17, 1950) is an American filmmaker and novelist. He has written numerous screenplays, including The Player (1992), which he adapted from his 1988 book by the same name, and for which he received the 1993 Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay. A follow-up book, The Return of the Player, was published in 2006. Tolkin was born in New York City, New York, the son of Edith (née Leibovitch), a studio executive and film i ...