Fisher Stevens

Fisher Stevens (born Steven Fisher; November 27, 1963) is an American actor, director, producer and writer. As an actor, he is best known for his portrayals of Ben Jabituya in Short Circuit (renamed "Ben Jahveri" in the sequel), Chuck Fishman on the 1990s television series Early Edition, and villainous computer genius Eugene "The Plague" Belford in Hackers. His most recent successes include winning the 2010 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for The Cove and the 2008 Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary Feature for Crazy Love. In addition, he has directed the Leonardo DiCaprio-produced documentary Before the Flood, executive produced by Martin Scorsese, which screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and by National Geographic on October 21, 2016.

Fisher Stevens
Stevens in 2016
Born
Steven Fisher

(1963-11-27) November 27, 1963
OccupationActor, director, producer, writer
Years active1981–present

Early life

Fisher Stevens was born Steven Fisher in Chicago, the son of Sally, a painter and AIDS activist, and Norman Fisher, a furniture executive.[1]

Stevens grew up in the Chicago, Illinois area, living in Hyde Park, Highland Park, and Evanston[2] and describes himself as a "white Jewish kid from Chicago."[3] His parents divorced when he was 13, after which he moved to New York with his mother.[2] In the past, Stevens battled with Hodgkin's disease.[1]

At age 16, Stevens landed his first movie role, acting in the horror film The Burning. He completed one year at New York University before deciding to pursue acting full time.[2]

Career

He co-founded the Naked Angels Theater Company with longtime friends Rob Morrow, Nicole Burdette, Pippin Parker, Charles Landry, Nancy Travis and Ned Eisenberg in 1986. He also co-founded Greene Street Films, a film-production company located in Tribeca, New York City, in 1996. Stevens performed as Edgar Allan Poe on Lou Reed's album The Raven in 2003. He is an accomplished harmonica player.

As an actor, he is known for his roles as Chuck Fishman on Early Edition, Seamus O'Neill on Key West, Eugene "The Plague" Belford in Hackers, Iggy in Super Mario Bros., Hawk Ganz in The Flamingo Kid, and his role as Ben Jabituya/Jahveri in Short Circuit and Short Circuit 2, respectively.[3] His television credits include Columbo, Frasier, Friends, Law & Order, Key West, Damages, and Lost. He appeared on two episodes of the television series Numb3rs.[4]

Fisher also has a Broadway and off-Broadway career spanning nearly three decades. He played Jigger Craigin in the 1994 Lincoln Center revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel. He had an early success in the 1982 Broadway production of Torch Song Trilogy playing David, the adopted son of the gay protagonist played by the show's writer Harvey Fierstein, and the original Broadway production of Brighton Beach Memoirs, where he succeeded Matthew Broderick in the starring role of Eugene. Throughout his career, he has acted in and directed more than 50 stage productions.[5]

In 2010, Fisher co-founded a new media and documentary film company, Insurgent Media, with Andrew Karsch and Erik H. Gordon.

In June 2010, Stevens made his major theatrical directing debut with John Leguizamo's one-man show, Ghetto Klown (originally called Klass Klown), which eventually ran on Broadway from March to July 2011.[6][7] The two had appeared together in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at The Public Theater about 20 years earlier. On July 13, 2012, PBS debuted Tales From a Ghetto Klown, a documentary about the development of the show which prominently features Stevens.[8]

In 2010, Stevens won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for co-producing The Cove.[9]

He directed the 2012 crime story Stand Up Guys, starring Al Pacino and Christopher Walken. He teamed up with Alexis Bloom to direct the film Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1981The BurningWoodstock
1983Baby It's YouStage Manager
1984The Brother from Another PlanetCard Trickster
1984The Flamingo KidHawk Ganz
1985My Science ProjectVince Latello
1986Short CircuitBen Jabituya
1986The Boss' WifeCarlos Delgado
1988Short Circuit 2Ben Jahveri
1989Bloodhounds of BroadwayHotfoot Harry
1990Point of ViewPerformer
1990Reversal of FortuneDavid Marriott
1991The Marrying ManSammy
1991Mystery DateDwight
1992LiftJoeShort
1992Bob RobertsRock Bork
1992HeroDir. of Channel 4 Crash FeatureCameo
1993When the Party's OverAlexander
1993Super Mario Bros.Iggy
1994Nina Takes a LoverPaulie
1994Only YouLarry
1995Cold FeverJack
1995HackersThe Plague
1996The Pompatus of LoveSitcom Star
1997Four Days in SeptemberMowinkel
1999TaxmanKenneth Green
1999The Tic CodeMorris
2000Sam the ManSam Manning
2000Lisa Picard is FamousFisher Stevens
20013 A.M.Haplin
2001Prison SongProsecutor
2001PiñeroPublic Theatre Cashier
2002UndisputedRatbag
2003Kill the PoorStuffed Shirt
2003Uptown GirlsFisher Stevens
2003Anything ElseManager
2003Easy SixOfficer Donny
2003ReplyBlu (voice)
2004On the CouchGaryShort
2005FactotumManny
2005UndiscoveredGarret Schweck
2005Slow BurnAlan Turlock
2006Kettle of FishBruce
2007Red AngelDavidShort
2007AwakeDr. Puttnam
2010FakeTom Kozinski
2010Rio Sex ComedyFish/Tourist Guide
2010Rising StarsMo
2010The ExperimentArchaleta
2010Henry's CrimeEddie's Vibes
2012One for the MoneyMorty Beyers
2012LOLRoman
2013Movie 43Vrankovich/Minotaur
2014The Grand Budapest HotelM. Robin
2014Mission BlueHimselfDocumentary
2014United PassionsCarl Hirschmann
2016Hail, Caesar!Communist Writer
2018Isle of DogsScrap (voice)
2019Motherless BrooklynLou
2021The French DispatchLegal AdvisorCompleted

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1980One Life to LiveUnknown role
1983Ryan's HopeHenry Popkin
1984CBS Schoolbreak SpecialGary GordonSeason 1, episode 4
1986Tall Tales & LegendsIndian ChiefEpisode: Ponce de Leon
1989ColumboAlex BradyEpisode: Murder, Smoke and Shadows
1990The Young RidersBulldogEpisode: Bull Dog
1991General Motors TheatreWally ZuckermanEpisode: It's Called the Sugar Plum
1993Key WestSeamus O'Neill13 episodes
1995FriendsRogerEpisode: The One with the Boobies
1995Homicide: Life on the StreetJonathan HeineEpisode: Autofocus
1995Law & OrderRoss FinemanEpisode: Angel
1996The Right To Remain SilentDale MeyersonTelevision Movie
1996–2000Early EditionChuck Fishman48 episodes
2000The HungerMax ArmstrongEpisode: The Suction Method
2001FrasierDr. Sheldon MoreyEpisode: The Wizard and Roz
2001100 Centre StreetBen BerkowitzEpisode: Queenie's Running
2001JeniferDr. Aaron SandersTelevision Movie
2002Is It College Yet?(voice)Television Movie
2002HackDonnie FrancoEpisode: Favors
2003The Lives They LivedNarratorTelevision Movie
2004Hope & FaithNick SpinelliEpisode: The Diner Show
2004Dr. VegasCharlieEpisode: Dead Man, Live Bet
2004–2007Law & Order: Criminal IntentPerformer2 episodes
2008It's Always Sunny in PhiladelphiaLyle KormanEpisode: Paddy's Pub: The Worst Bar in Philadelphia
2008–2010LostGeorge Minkowski6 episodes
2009MediumNeal GreybridgeEpisode: Medium is the Message
2009Numb3rsJohn Buckley2 episodes
2009The Green TeemJack FisherTelevision Movie
2010Ugly BettyMr. ZEpisode: Back in her Place
2010The MentalistTolman BuntingEpisode: 18-5-4
2011CalifornicationZig SemetauerEpisode: Monkey Business
2011DamagesTherapist4 episodes
2012–2016Law & Order: Special Victims UnitVarious2 episodes
2015ElementaryMarty WardEpisode: Under My Skin
2015–2020The BlacklistMarvin Gerard7 episodes
2016The Night OfSaul the Pharmacist3 episodes
2017Red OaksJerryEpisode: "Summer in the City"
2017Vice PrincipalsBrian Biehn4 episodes
2017–2020The Good FightGabriel Kovac3 episodes
2019–presentSuccessionHugo Baker5 episodes

Director

YearTitleNotes
1995Call of the Wylie
1996Phinehas
1998–1999Early Edition2 episodes
2002Just a Kiss
2007Crazy Loveco-directed with Dan Klores
2010–2011John Leguizamo - Ghetto Klownopened on Broadway March 2011
2012Stand Up Guys
2016Before the Flood[10]
2016Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds
2019And We Go Green
2021Palmer

Producer

YearTitleNotes
2000Sam the Man
2001The Château
2001Piñero
2002Swimfan
2003Uptown Girls
2004Yes
2005Slow Burn
2006A Prairie Home Companion
2006Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos
2006Wedding Daze
2007Crazy Love
2007Meet Bill
2007Feast of Love
2007Awake
2008The Midnight Meat Train
2009The Grean Teem
2009Balls Out: Gary the Tennis Coach
2009Tenderness
2009The Cove
2011Blank City
2011Hollywood Renegade
2011Bad Trip
2011Mission Blue
2012Beware of Mr. Baker
2015Racing Extinction
2016Sky Ladder: The Art of Cai Guo-Qiang
2016Before the Flood
2020Tiger King

Writer

Narrator

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result
2009
Academy AwardBest Documentary FeatureThe CoveWon
2012
Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Documentary SeriesAmerican MastersNominated
2016
Exceptional Merit in Documentary FilmmakingRacing ExtinctionNominated
2017
Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie ReynoldsNominated
Outstanding Directing for a Documentary ProgramNominated
2016
Cannes Film FestivalGolden EyeNominated
2016
Toronto International Film FestivalPeople's Choice AwardBefore the FloodNominated

References

  1. Lipton, Michael A. (July 13, 1992). "The Two Lives of Catwoman – Couples, Batman Returns, Fisher Stevens, Michelle Pfeiffer". People. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  2. Johnson, Steven (June 26, 1986). "FISHER STEVENS SCOOTS INTO THE LIMELIGHT 'SHORT CIRCUIT' ROLE PUTS CHICAGO NATIVE ON FAST TRACK". Chicago Tribune. p. 11.
  3. Steve Weinstein (August 2, 1988). "Shooting Stars: 'Short Circuit's' Stevens No Foreigner to Ethnic Roles". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 7, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  4. Fisher Stevens at IMDb
  5. "Biography for Fisher Stevens". Internet Movie Database.
  6. Hurwitt, Robert (June 3, 2010). "John Leguizamo goes deeper, darker in 'Klown'". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
  7. Isherwood, Charles (March 22, 2011). "A Queens Guy Toughs It Out in Hollywood". The New York Times. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
  8. Aucoin, Don (July 12, 2012). "In 'Tales From a Ghetto Klown,' Broadway minus the glitz". The Boston Globe.
  9. "Nominees & Winners for the 82nd Academy Awards | Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences". Oscars.org. Archived from the original on April 8, 2010. Retrieved April 7, 2011.
  10. "Before the Flood [programme note]". Toronto International Film Festival. 2016. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
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