Andrew Stevens Explained

Andrew Stevens
Birth Name:Herman Andrew Stephens
Birth Date:10 June 1955
Birth Place:Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Occupation:Executive, film producer, film director, actor
Yearsactive:1962–present
Spouse:
    Children:3
    Parents:Stella Stevens

    Andrew Stevens (born Herman Andrew Stephens; June 10, 1955) is an American executive, film producer, director and actor.[1]

    Early life

    Stevens was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the only child of actress Stella Stevens and her former husband Noble Herman Stephens. His mother was 16 when he was born. His parents divorced in 1957.[2] [3]

    Career

    Prior to his producing career, Stevens was a writer, director, and actor. He made his uncredited film debut in Vincente Minnelli's The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963) had a bit role in Shampoo (1975), and went on to appear in cult thrillers such as Massacre at Central High (1976), Vigilante Force (1976) and Day of the Animals (1977), as well as the cult horror film The Fury (1978) starring Kirk Douglas. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his performance in The Boys in Company C (1978), and later starred with Charles Bronson in two films, Death Hunt (1981) and 10 to Midnight (1983).

    In 1975, he auditioned for the role of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars (1977), which eventually went to Mark Hamill.[4]

    He appeared in the miniseries Once an Eagle (1976) and played 17-year-old Andrew Thorpe on the NBC Western series The Oregon Trail. The program filmed only thirteen episodes, seven of which never aired.[5] Also the Canadian television series The New Liars Club.

    Stevens starred in The Bastard (1978) and The Rebels (1979), based on the John Jakes novels. He appeared opposite Dennis Weaver and Susan Dey in the short-lived drama Emerald Point N.A.S., as a playboy/tennis bum in Columbo: Murder in Malibu, and as one of J.R. Ewing's stooges Casey Denault, on Dallas, for two seasons, beginning in 1987. He also played Ted Rorchek in the 1981-82 television series Code Red. He appeared in the miniseries Hollywood Wives (1985). During this time, he also starred in the erotic thriller Night Eyes (1990) and its sequels.

    Producing

    In early 1990, Stevens left the public eye to become an independent entrepreneur writing, producing, directing and financing films for his own companies. He was President/CEO of Franchise Pictures, which produced films for Warner Bros. from 1999 through 2005, including The Whole Nine Yards and its sequel, The Whole Ten Yards, as well as The In-Laws.

    Franchise and its subsidiaries filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on August 19, 2004, after losing a multimillion-dollar fraud case in Los Angeles, and is now defunct.[6]

    Prior to Franchise, Stevens was an owner and president of Royal Oaks Entertainment, which produced and/or distributed seventy pictures over a three-year period including many HBO, Showtime and Sci-Fi Channel world premieres. Prior to Royal Oaks, Stevens' entrée into foreign sales and production company ownership was with Sunset Films International, which amassed a library of 19 titles (including seven in-house productions) during his first year as president of the company. He currently operates Andrew Stevens Entertainment and Stevens Entertainment Group.

    In 2017, he published a screenwriting manual, Screenwriting for Profit: Writing for the Global Marketplace.[7]

    Personal life

    Stevens was married to actress Kate Jackson from 1978 to 1982. He has three children by his second marriage to Robyn Suzanne Scott, which ended in divorce in 2010. Stevens married Diana Phillips Hoogland in 2016.

    Acting, directing, and producing credits

    Year Title Role Notes
    1963The Courtship of Eddie's Fatheractor
    1973Adam-12Rod Foremanactor, one episode Northwest Division
    1975Shampooactor
    1975Las Vegas Ladyactor
    1976Massacre at Central Highactor
    1976Vigilante Forceactor
    1976Once an Eagleactor
    1977Day of the Animalsactor
    1978The Boys in Company Cactor
    1978The Furyactor
    1978The Bastardactor
    1979The Rebelsactor
    1979Beggarman, Thiefactor
    1981Death Huntactor
    1982The SeductionDerek Sanfordactor
    198310 to Midnightactor
    1984Terror in the Aislesarchival footage
    1984Murder, She WroteDavid Tolliveractor in episode Lovers and Other Killers
    1985Hollywood Wivesactor
    1987-1989Dallasactor
    1988Counterforceactor
    1989The Terror Withinactor
    1989The Ranchactor
    1990ColumboWayne Jenningsactor in episode Murder in Malibu
    1990Night Eyesactor
    1991The Terror Within IIDavidactor and director
    1992Night Eyes 2actor
    1992Munchieactor
    1993Night Eyes 3actor
    1994Illicit Dreams
    1994Scorned
    1996
    1997Steel Sharks
    1997Inferno
    1997Crash Dive
    1997The Shooter
    1997Scorned 2
    1998Billy Frankenstein
    1999Fugitive Mind
    1999If... Dog... Rabbit...
    1999The Big Kahunaproducer
    2000Mercy
    2000Animal Factory
    2002Strandedactor
    2003Final Examination
    2004Method
    2004Blessed
    2005Glass Trap
    20057 Seconds
    2005The Marksmanalso actor video
    2005; videoBlack Dawnalso actor
    2006The Detonator
    2007
    2007Half Past Dead 2
    2007; videoalso actor
    2007Missionary Manalso actor
    2009Fire from Belowalso actor
    2010Mongolian Death WormTV – also actor
    2010MandrakeTV
    2010Breaking the Press
    2011Rise
    2022PursuitFrank Diego

    Notes and References

    1. News: 'A Very Legitimate Form of Employment': The Stars of DTV . Los Angeles Times. November 28, 1993. 2011-03-29. Michele. Willens.
    2. Contemporary Theatre, Film & Television (volume #7, and ISSN 0749-064X)
    3. Web site: Actress Stella Stevens, known for "The Nutty Professor," dies at 84 - CBS News . . 17 February 2023 .
    4. Web site: Star Wars Audition Tapes Feature a Very Different Original Trilogy Cast. 5 May 2015 .
    5. Alex McNeil, Total Television, New York: Penguin Books, 1996, fourth ed., p. 629
    6. https://variety.com/2004/film/markets-festivals/elie-s-new-chapter-1117909400/ Elie's new chapter
    7. Web site: Screenwriting for Profit: Writing for the Global Marketplace.