Douglas Wood (engineer)
Douglas Wood is a studio executive, writer, actor, instructor and consultant. Currently, Wood divides his time between writing for television and film, and acting as Executive V.P. of Creative Affairs for the Animation Lab, a feature animation studio to be built in Israel, for which he is also Executive Producer on THE WILD BUNCH animated movie (working title.)
Wood created National Geographic’s second animated children’s TV series, MAMA MIRABELLE’S HOME MOVIES, currently in production. He wrote the series tie-in children’s book, WHEN MAMA MIRABELLE COMES HOME which will be published by Random House later this year. He also created and wrote for the Playhouse Disney series, [LITTLE EINSTEINS], which currently airs on the Disney Channel. Wood’s other TV series writing credits include the Playhouse Disney series, [HANDY MANNY] and [JOHNNY AND THE SPRITES], and the [Discovery Kids] series, [TODD WORLD].
Wood was the Story Editor on the third season of the popular [Playhouse Disney] series, [JOJO’S CIRCUS] for which he’s written numerous episodes and prime-time specials. He also created the concept for and oversaw 18 interstitial segments for Playhouse Disney featuring Jojo leading interactive yoga positions for children. The show he wrote for the P[layhouse Disney Live!] stage can be seen at [Disney’s California Adventure. ]
Wood wrote the DVD animated features, CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE (THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN), starring Frankie Muniz, William H. Macy, Lacey Chabert and Felicity Huffman and the best-selling Warner Bros. mystery, SCOOBY-DOO AND THE MONSTER OF MEXICO.
Wood’s screenplay, AS IS, a comedy-drama set in the funky subculture of garage sales and flea markets was recently optioned by Colleen Camp Productions and has Penelope Spheeris attached to direct.
As an executive, Wood was V.P. of Production and Creative Affairs at Universal, Turner Pictures and Warner Bros. where he oversaw the development of films including the Annie Award-winning IRON GIANT and CATS DON’T DANCE as well as the live-action/animated feature, OSMOSIS JONES, with Bill Murray and Chris Rock.
Wood began his executive career at Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment. As Director of Animation he developed the feature films, WE’RE BACK! and BALTO. He was involved in the development of the Emmy-winning Warner Bros. television series, TINY TOON ADVENTURES and ANIMANIACS for which he was also Story Editor.
Wood also contributed to the development of the CBS series, BACK TO THE FUTURE, FIEVEL’S AMERICAN TAILS, and the prime-time Christmas special, A WISH FOR WINGS THAT WORK, based on the characters of Pulitzer-prize-winning cartoonist, Berkeley Breathed of Bloom County fame.
While at Amblin, Wood was a mentor for aspiring screenwriters through the Chesterfield Screenwriting Project and currently offers on-line script consulting services at www.WriteWoodScreenplayConsulting.com.
Prior to his executive career, Wood was an actor and writer. He wrote and performed original material as a member of Chicago’s famed comedy troupe, Second City. This led to seven years as one-half of the comedy duo, the Fine Line. The Fine Line performed incisive sketches at comedy clubs all across the country including The Improv, The Comedy Store, and the Playboy clubs, as well as two appearances on the MERV GRIFFIN SHOW. This led to a position as staff writer and series regular on the MOTOWN REVUE WITH SMOKEY ROBINSON, a musical/comedy series on NBC.
The Fine Line turned their act into an Equity stage show and had successful runs at Chicago’s Goodman and Victory Gardens theatres, as well as the Beverly Hills Playhouse. Wood was nominated for an Emmy award for Best Comedy Special for Cable, and received Outstanding Actor Awards from both Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Committee and Dramalogue for his performances.
Wood’s regional acting includes roles in Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s production of PHILADELPHIA, HERE I COME! with John Malkovich, Joan Allen, John Mahoney and Gary Cole; the Jefferson award-winning Midwest premiere of CLASS ENEMY for the Next Theatre Company; and the Midwest premiere of the Pulitzer prize-winning drama, THE SHADOW BOX at Chicago’s Forum Theatre.
He has also conducted specialized improvisation workshops for animators and artists at California Institute of the Arts as well as the Bezalal Academy of Arts and Design at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; for professional writers in a writing program sponsored by CBS; for aspiring actors at AIA Actors Studio; and for veteran actors as well as non-pros at the Motion Picture and Television Fund (“Old Actor’s Home”).
Douglas Wood is a member of SAG, AFTRA, AEA, WGA and ASCAP.
Douglas Wood (born 30th June 1941), Australian construction engineer, was held hostage in Iraq between May and June 2005.
Wood was born in Melbourne, but before starting his own company he had worked for the United States Bechtel Corporation, a construction firm, and had lived in California with his wife of 25 years.
In May 2005 Wood was working in the reconstruction of Iraq on two contracts: the first, building a military site at Fallujah [citation needed] and the second, renovating buildings inside the secure "Green Zone". [citation needed]A DVD announcing his capture by a group claiming ties to the Iraqi insurgency was released on 2 May.
The DVD featured footage of Wood pleading for his life and appealing to President George W. Bush and Australian Prime Minister John Howard to withdraw their forces from Iraq.
Wood was taken hostage 48 hours before his captors released the DVD. On 4 May Foreign Minister Alexander Downer appeared on the Arabic television news channel Al Jazeera directly appealing to the captors to release Wood.
The kidnappers had set a deadline of 5am Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) on May 10, for the Howard government to pull Australian troops out of Iraq, at which point they had threatened to kill Wood, but the deadline came and went with no action from the kidnappers.
Sheik Taj El-Din Hilaly, an Australian Islamic leader, carried a ransom from the Wood family which he claimed was a "charitable donation to the people of Iraq".
Hilaly arrived in Baghdad in early May and attempted to negotiate the release of Wood. In a video Hilaly had offered to exchange himself as a hostage for Wood. Due to heavy fighting that began later in May, Hilaly was unable to make contact with the captors. Wood's condition and whereabouts were uncertain for several days. But on June 5, Hilaly announced that he had been able to see Wood, that he had been given vital medication, and that he was still working toward obtaining Wood's release. The veracity of these claims was later challenged. Wood maintains he never met Hilaly and was unaware of his activities.
While in captivity he was kept on bread and water, was denied medical care, and despite the Geneva conventions he was repeatedly beaten, and saw other hostages shot dead in front of him. Two Iraqis who worked for his company and were captured with him were murdered by the hostage-takers and their bodies left on a rubbish tip.
Release and after
On June 15, Wood was freed following a raid on a house in Baghdad by Iraqi and US troops. Taj El-Din Hilaly's spokesperson, however, said that Wood was voluntarily released due to a co-operative effort that included Hilaly's negotiating. This claim appears to be incorrect. The spokesperson also said that Hilaly's trip to Iraq in May had prevented Wood's captors executing him. This claim may be true, but has not been verified.
After his release Wood signed a television deal with an Australian television network, Network Ten, giving them an exclusive interview for a reported AUD$400,000. The interview was aired on June 26. During the interview, Wood explained he was in Iraq on behalf of his contracting business in the construction industry. Wood has also signed a book deal.
Wood met John Howard, the Prime Minister of Australia, in July 2005 and apologised for his statements, made while under duress, calling on Australia and the United States to withdraw their occupation forces from Iraq. He said that his release by Iraqi forces proved that the Coalition efforts to build up the Iraqi security forces were working.
Since his release Wood has been the subject of a campaign of denigration by some people who opposed the war in Iraq. He has been accused of corruption, war profiteering and of trading on his fame as a captive. Among his critics have been Andrew Jaspan, editor of The Age, a Melbourne newspaper, who described Wood as "boorish" for calling his captors "arseholes," and said that despite being denied medical care Wood had been "well treated" while in captivity.
In August it was reported that Wood was in declining health and was almost blind as a result of not being able to take his glaucoma medication while in Iraqi captivity. It was also reported that Wood and his wife would be returning to live in Australia.
Upon his return to Australia, Wood told the media of his love of the Geelong Football Club and one of the first things he asked when released was how their season went. He consequently became a celebrity patron of the club and was invited into the rooms to sing the song after a big win at the club's home ground in Geelong.
External links
- New Zealand Herald story on Downer's statement
- Transcript of Wood's statement
- Reuters wire story
- Deadline for Wood expires with no apparent action (May 10)
- Wood's family and destination of money
- Douglas Wood alive and well says Sheik (June 5)
- Sheik 'has seen only footage'
- Report of military operation releasing Wood from The Age (June 16).
- Hilay's spokesman in Australia claims rescue was part of a negotiated "release" from ABC Radio (June 16).
- Wood apologises for troop comments (June 20)
- Douglas Wood splits with wife (May 22)