GARY HARDWICK (Director/Screenplay) was born the 10 th of 12 children in a working-class family. He was raised in Detroit, where his adventures would become the foundations for his literary career. Hardwick attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he majored in English. There, at age 19, he wrote his first novel, Dark Semester, which remains unpublished. Upon graduation, he returned to Detroit and attended Wayne State Law School. Hardwick served as Wayne State's first African-American class president. While in law school, he began working a curious sideline to pay his bills: stand-up comedy. He performed his way through law school - amidst the likes of Tim Allen, Dave Coulier, Jay Leno, Dennis Miller, Larry Miller, Rosie O'Donnell, Bob Saget, and Jerry Seinfeld. After graduating from Wayne State, Hardwick continued performing stand-up while practicing law in Detroit and/or working for a criminal defense firm, the federal government, and various corporations.
Hardwick moved to California, where he served as an attorney for the United States Department of Justice. Later, he was selected as a Fellow at the Disney Studios, which enabled him to launch his entertainment industry career. He began working in television, writing for such series as "South Central," "Where I Live," "Me and the Boys," "Matt Waters," and "In the House. " On the last-named, which starred Deliver Us from Eva leading man LL Cool J, Hardwick also was an executive producer.
Hardwick's first produced screenplay became the comedy "Trippin'" (directed by David Raynr). He also did (uncredited) rewrite work on Peyton Reed's "Bring It On" - the project on which he first collaborated with Deliver Us from Eva producer Paddy Cullen (and which starred Gabrielle Union); and Mark Brown's "Two Can Play That Game," again with Cullen and Union. His second screenplay also became his directorial debut: "The Brothers," which starred Morris Chestnut, D. L. Hughley, Bill Bellamy, Shemar Moore, and Gabrielle Union (and was produced by Paddy Cullen). The film, released in March 2001, was a boxoffice hit. Hardwick's first published novel, Cold Medina, was issued in 1996 to critical acclaim. It is the first in his series of fictional books about modern Detroit, which also includes Double Dead, (purchased for feature film adaptation by Warner Bros. ) and Supreme Justice, which is currently in bookstores. Hardwick's latest novel is Color of Justice. He is developing "Marvin," an original screenplay that he will direct for MGM; and "Uncle Ray," which he is scripting for Steve Harvey to star in.
JAMES IVER MATTSON and B. E. BRAUNER (Screenplay and Story) The screenwriting team of James Iver Mattson and B. E. Brauner has been collaborating for several years on feature film scripts. In addition to Deliver Us from Eva, they have sold other screenplays to major film companies. The first screenplay that they wrote together, "Fluffy," was also their first sale. Purchased in a pre-emptive bid by Walt Disney Pictures, the comedy is about a man who discovers that his girlfriend's cat is trying to kill him. Another Mattson/Brauner screenplay, "My Romance," will be a Davis Entertainment/Love Spell Entertainment production for Fox 2000. Jennifer Love Hewitt is slated to star (as well as produce through Love Spell). "My Romance" revolves around a woman who is hired to pretend to be a billionaire's mistress. In addition to those live-action projects, the duo worked on the script for the sequel to Disney's animated feature "Mulan. " James Iver Mattson also has worked as a writer in animated television, including scripts for ABC's "Bump in the Night. "
LEN AMATO (Producer) is executive vice president of Baltimore/Spring Creek Pictures. In addition to overseeing the development of the company's feature projects, he recently executive-produced Neil LaBute's "Possession" (also a Focus Features release) and is currently executive-producing Katja von Garnier's "Iron Jawed Angels," for HBO. Amato is also executive producer of Harold Ramis' "Analyze That," following his co-producing the original blockbuster hit "Analyze This" (also directed by Ramis); and was producer of Charles Dutton's directorial debut, "First Time Felon," for HBO.
A Chicago native, Amato started his career in New York as director of development for Robert De Niro's newly formed Tribeca Productions. He then began his association with producers Paula Weinstein and Mark Rosenberg as vice president of their company Spring Creek Productions in New York. In 1998 he relocated to Los Angeles when Weinstein partnered with producer/director Barry Levinson to create Baltimore/Spring Creek Pictures.
PADDY CULLEN (Producer) produced Gary Hardwick's directorial debut, "The Brothers. " Her feature producing credits also include David Zucker's "The Guest" (as executive producer), Mark Brown's "Two Can Play That Game," Peyton Reed's "Bring It On" (as executive producer), Doug Liman's "Go" (as co-producer), Meg Richman's "Under Heaven" (as co-producer), and P. J. Hogan's "My Best Friend's Wedding" (as associate producer). She most recently completed work on Peyton Reed's "Down with Love" (as executive producer), starring Ewan McGregor and Renée Zellweger. Earlier in Cullen's career, she was production supervisor on Stephen Gyllenhaal's "A Dangerous Woman," James Cameron's blockbuster "True Lies," Jocelyn Moorhouse's "How to Make an American Quilt," and Hart Bochner's "High School High. " She holds a B. A. from the University of Arizona.
PAULA WEINSTEIN (Executive Producer) oversees Baltimore/Spring Creek Pictures, in which she is partnered with director/producer Barry Levinson. She is currently producing Levinson's "Envy" and Joe Dante's "Looney Tunes: Back in Action"; and executive-producing Katja von Garnier's "Iron Jawed Angels," for HBO. Her most recent films as producer include "Analyze That," directed by Harold Ramis; and Neil LaBute's "Possession" (also released by Focus Features); the blockbuster hit films "The Perfect Storm," directed by Wolfgang Petersen, and "Analyze This," directed by Harold Ramis; and Barry Levinson's "An Everlasting Piece," "Liberty Heights," and "Bandits. " Weinstein is currently developing the features "The Captain and the Shark" and "In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex. " For television, she most recently executive-produced the CBS telefilm "Crossed Over: A Murder/A Memoir," starring Diane Keaton and Jennifer Jason Leigh, and directed by Bobby Roth; and the CBS miniseries "Salem Witch Trials," starring Kirstie Alley, Shirley MacLaine, and Peter Ustinov, and directed by Joseph Sargent. During her expansive 25-year career in the entertainment industry, she has worked with virtually every major film studio. One of the entertainment community's most dedicated political activists, Weinstein is as well known for her involvement in social issues as she is for her production acumen. Raised in Europe, she began her career working as an assistant film editor in New York City. She then worked as special events director in the office of Mayor John Lindsay.
Upon relocating to Los Angeles in 1973, Weinstein signed on as a talent agent for what was to become International Creative Management (ICM). She later worked at the William Morris Agency, where her client portfolio included Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland. In 1976, Weinstein joined Warner Bros. as vice president of production. She subsequently moved over to 20 th Century Fox as senior vice president of worldwide production, where she oversaw films such as Colin Higgins' "Nine to Five" and Stuart Rosenberg's "Brubaker. " In 1979, she relocated to The Ladd Company, collaborating on such films as "Body Heat" (Lawrence Kasdan's directorial debut). After two years there, she moved to United Artists as president of the motion picture division, where she supervised all productions. Among these were John Badham's "WarGames" and Barbra Streisand's "Yentl. " In 1984, Weinstein inaugurated her own production company, WW Productions. She also married producer Mark Rosenberg, who, like her, was a veteran of the film industry. In 1987, she assumed the title of executive consultant to MGM's worldwide motion picture division, while continuing to produce her own projects. Among the projects that she produced were Euzhan Palcy's "A Dry White Season" (for which Marlon Brando was nominated for an Academy Award) and Steve Kloves' "The Fabulous Baker Boys" (which received four Academy Award nominations and was jointly produced with Sydney Pollack's Mirage Productions).
In 1989 Weinstein and Rosenberg received the Bill of Rights Award from the Southern California Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). In 1990, the couple created Spring Creek Productions together. Weinstein executive-produced "Citizen Cohn," directed by Frank Pierson and starring James Woods as the notorious McCarthy-era lawyer. The HBO telefilm won four Emmy Awards and three CableAce Awards; and was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards. Peter Weir's "Fearless" (for which Rosie Perez was nominated for an Academy Award) was the first Spring Creek project that Weinstein and Rosenberg produced together. Spring Creek's second feature was "Flesh and Bone," which also marked Weinstein's second feature with writer/director Steve Kloves and Mirage Productions. The film's cast included, in the role that brought her to the attention of the film industry, Gwyneth Paltrow. When Rosenberg suffered a fatal heart attack in November 1992, the Mark Rosenberg Legal Center of South Central Los Angeles was established in memoriam by the ACLU Foundation. Weinstein later produced Lasse Hallström's "Something to Talk About"; and executive-produced the HBO telefilm "Truman," directed by Frank Pierson and starring Gary Sinise, which went on to win the Emmy Award for Best Movie made for television.
She next executive-produced the HBO telefilms "The Cherokee Kid" (directed by Paris Barclay) and "First Time Felon" (Charles Dutton's directorial debut). Weinstein then teamed up in 1998 with Barry Levinson. The latter's production company, Baltimore Pictures, Inc. , was combined with Spring Creek Productions to form Baltimore/Spring Creek Pictures. A founding member of the Hollywood Women's Political Committee, Weinstein was honored by the National Urban League Guild at their Beaux Arts Ball in 1990. When Nelson Mandela made his first official visit to the United States, Weinstein served as the official representative from the Hollywood community and supervised all elements of his visit to Los Angeles. She was recently honored by Women in Film with a Crystal Apple Award, which recognized her extraordinary contribution to the entertainment community.
BARRY LEVINSON (Executive Producer) received the 1988 Academy Award for Best Director for "Rain Man. " The film also received Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor (Dustin Hoffman), and Best Original Screenplay (Ronald Bass and Barry Morrow); and four additional Academy Award nominations. Three years later, "Bugsy," which Levinson directed and produced, was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. The film won two, in the categories of Art Direction/Set Decoration and Costume Design. Born and raised in Baltimore, the writer/producer/director has used his hometown as the setting for four features: "Diner" (1982), the semi-autobiographical comedy-drama that marked his directorial debut; "Tin Men" (1987); "Avalon" (1990); and "Liberty Heights" (1999). He is writing about Baltimore anew in an upcoming novel entitled 66. After attending American University in Washington, D. C. , Levinson moved to Los Angeles. There, he began acting, as well as writing and performing comedy routines. He wrote for several television variety shows, including "The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine," "The Lohman and Barkley Show," "The Tim Conway Show," and the legendary "The Carol Burnett Show. " A meeting with Mel Brooks led to collaborations with the filmmaker on the features "Silent Movie" and "High Anxiety" (which Levinson co-wrote). The latter film also marked Levinson's big-screen acting debut. As screenwriter, Levinson has received three Academy Award nominations, for "…And Justice for All" (1979), "Diner," and "Avalon" (which received three additional Academy Award nominations).
Levinson's other directorial credits include "The Natural" (four Academy Award nominations), "Young Sherlock Holmes" (one Academy Award nomination), "Good
Morning, Vietnam" (one Academy Award nomination - the first for Robin Williams), "Toys" (two Academy Award nominations), "Jimmy Hollywood," "Disclosure," "Sleepers" (one Academy Award nomination), "Sphere," "Wag the Dog" (two Academy Award nominations), "An Everlasting Piece," "Bandits," and the upcoming "Envy" (which stars Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Rachel Weisz, and Christopher Walken).
Before 1998, Levinson produced films through his production company, Baltimore Pictures, Inc. In addition to the films that he directed, these films included Robert Redford's "Quiz Show" (nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture), Mike Newell's "Donnie Brasco," and Joe Dante's HBO telefilm "The Second Civil War. "
At the beginning of 1998, he partnered with Paula Weinstein to form Baltimore/Spring Creek Pictures. Together, they have produced the blockbuster hits "The Perfect Storm" (directed by Wolfgang Petersen) and "Analyze This" (directed by Harold Ramis); "Possession" (directed by Neil LaBute and released by Focus Features); and the Levinson-directed "Liberty Heights," "An Everlasting Piece," "Bandits," and "Envy. "
Separately, Levinson continues to work in television, partnered with Tom Fontana in the Levinson/Fontana Co. He returned to his native Baltimore to executive-produce, on location, the "Homicide: Life on the Street" television series. His work on the critically acclaimed drama earned him an Emmy Award for Best Individual Director of a Drama Series. The series also received three Peabody Awards, two Writers Guild Awards, and an Excellence in Quality Television Founders Award for the 1994 and 1995 seasons. In 1996, the series won the Susan Reynolds Award for outstanding portrayal of sexual responsibility as well as a PRISM Commendation. In 1998, the series garnered TCA Awards for program of the year and drama of the year.
The Levinson/Fontana Co. 's next production was, for HBO, the acclaimed prison-set series "Oz," which debuted in July 1997 and continued each year with original episodes, with a series finale set for early 2003. "Oz" was followed in 2000 by the critically acclaimed police drama "The Beat," which aired on UPN. The company most recently produced the HBO telefilm "Shot in the Heart" (directed by Agnieszka Holland); is in pre-production on another HBO telefilm, "Born Again" (to be directed by Bob Balaban); and has an overall production deal with HBO through 2003.
Levinson was cited as one of Variety's "Billion Dollar Directors," and received ShoWest's Director of the Year Award, in 1998. He was honored in February 1999 with a Creative Achievement Award by the 13 th Annual American Comedy Awards. Three months later, the American University of Washington, D. C. conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa, for his distinguished work in the field of communications and his defining impact on the motion picture and television industry. In February 2002 he received, at the American Cinema Editors (A. C. E. ) Awards, the "Golden Eddie" Filmmaker of the Year Award.
ALEXANDER GRUSZYNSKI (Director of Photography) has worked extensively in both film and television. He was the cinematographer on Gary Hardwick's first film as director, "The Brothers. " His film credits as director of photography include four features for director Andrew Fleming: "Threesome," "The Craft," "Dick," and the upcoming "Till Death Do Us Part"; as well as Mark Brown's "Two Can Play That Game," Ringo Lam's "Maximum Risk," Patrick Read Johnson's "Angus," Darnell Martin's "I Like It Like That" and Ron Underwood's cult classic "Tremors. " Gruszynski's telefilm work as cinematographer includes Thomas Schlamme's "Kingfish: A Story of Huey P. Long," Martin Campbell's "Cast a Deadly Spell," Jack Sholder's "By Dawn's Early Light," and Donna Deitch's acclaimed miniseries "The Women of Brewster Place. "
EARL WATSON, A. C. E. (Film Editor), a native of Los Angeles, studied cinema and television at Los Angeles City College. He was the film editor on Gary Hardwick's debut feature "The Brothers. " Watson's first major feature film editing credit was on "House Party. " His collaboration with director Reginald Hudlin continued on "Boomerang," "The Great White Hype," the television pilot "The Last Days of Russell," and, most recently, "The Ladies' Man. " His additional credits as editor include Mark Brown's "Two Can Play That Game," Tamra Davis' "CB4," Mario Van Peebles' "Panther," Paris Barclay's HBO telefilm "The Cherokee Kid," and David Raynr's "Trippin'" (written by Gary Hardwick). Watson also has extensive television and sound editing experience. He is a member of the Motion Picture Editors Guild, the American Cinema Editors, the Directors Guild of America, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
DEBRAE LITTLE (Costume Designer) learned to channel her creativity and her gift for fashion through the uses of style and color that she gleaned from her mother, an accomplished seamstress. Having initially studied business and journalism, Little decided to apply her passion for costume design to her career path, and enrolled in UCLA's fashion program. She began her fashion career designing clothes for theatre as well as styling apparel for a variety of artists, ranging from Placido Domingo to Samuel L. Jackson. Her goal was to design costumes for film and television. Some 13 years later, Little has attained that goal in all areas of film and television. Her feature film credits include John Whitesell's upcoming "Malibu's Most Wanted," Gary Hardwick's "The Brothers," Mark Brown's "Two Can Play That Game," and Paul and Chris Weitz' "Down to Earth. " For television, she has designed costumes for several series: the upcoming "Mister Sterling," "Linc's," "Smart Guy," "Men, Women, and Dogs," and "In the House" (starring Deliver Us from Eva leading man LL Cool J).
MARCUS MILLER (Music), one of the most respected jazz bass performers and producers in the music industry, has also scored a range of motion pictures in different genres. He previously worked with Gary Hardwick on "The Brothers. " Miller's long relationship with legendary jazz musician Miles Davis led to his first feature scoring work, on Mary Lambert's "Siesta. " Next, with "House Party," Miller began an ongoing collaboration with director Reginald Hudlin; their subsequent films together have included "Boomerang," "The Great White Hype," "The Ladies Man," and "Serving Sara. " For Spike Lee's "School Daze," he wrote the dance hit "Da Butt. " He composed the scores for Jeff Pollack's "Above the Rim," Keenen Ivory Wayans' "A Low Down Dirty Shame," Randall Miller's "The Sixth Man," Terry L. Noss and Richard Rich's animated feature "The Trumpet of the Swan," and Mark Brown's "Two Can Play That Game. " He also scored Jennifer Fox's PBS documentary miniseries "An American Love Story," and is currently working on the score for a basketball documentary produced by Peter Afterman. Miller's career in jazz encompasses solo albums as well as studio performance and production work for other artists. His most recent solo album, "M2," won the 2001Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album; and he and Luther Vandross shared a 1991 Grammy Award for R&B Song of the Year for "Power of Love/Love Power. " Miller has collaborated with Vandross on eight of the singer's albums. For Miles Davis, he produced three albums: "Tutu," "Amandla," and "Siesta. " Miller has produced four albums for David Sanborn, among them the 1999 Grammy Award-winning "Inside. " With drummer Lenny White, he formed the funk-based band The Jamaica Boys. Miller has played bass on over 400 recordings, by, among others, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Mariah Carey, Elton John, McCoy Tyner, Jackie McLean, Chaka Khan, Joe Sample, and Grover Washington, Jr.
