Paul Feig
Paul Feig | |
---|---|
Born | Paul Samuel Feig September 17, 1962 Mount Clemens, Michigan, United States |
Occupation(s) | Film director, actor, producer, screenwriter |
Years active | 1980–present |
Spouse |
Laurie Karon (m. 1994) |
Paul Samuel Feig (/ˈfiːɡ/;[1] born September 17, 1962) is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for directing the 2011 film Bridesmaids, featuring Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy and the 2016 film Ghostbusters also starring Wiig and McCarthy. Feig also directed the comedy films The Heat (2013) starring McCarthy and Sandra Bullock, and Spy (2015) which stars McCarthy, Jason Statham, and Jude Law.
On television he created the critically acclaimed show Freaks and Geeks and directed several episodes of The Office and Arrested Development; plus episodes of 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, Mad Men, Other Space and other television series. Feig has been nominated for two Emmy Awards for writing on Freaks and Geeks and three for directing on The Office. As an actor he is also known for playing Mr. Eugene Pool, Sabrina's science teacher, on the first season of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, as well as Tim, a camp counselor, in the film Heavyweights.
Life and career
Feig was born in and raised in Mount Clemens, Michigan.[2] His mother, Elaine Elizabeth (née Artingstall), was a telephone operator, and his father, Sanford William Feig, owned Ark Surplus on Gratiot Avenue.[3][4][5] Feig's father was born Jewish and converted to Christian Science; Feig's parents met at a church social, and Feig was also raised in Christian Science.[3][6][7]
After a year at Wayne State University, Feig moved to Los Angeles, California and transferred to the University of Southern California. He also worked as a tour guide at Universal Studios Hollywood, embarked on a stand-up comedy act, and landed minor roles on various television shows.[8] Feig also appeared in a number of films, such as Ski Patrol,[9] and in a role alongside Ben Stiller in the 1995 film Heavyweights, in which he played camp counselor Tim. On the first season of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Feig portrayed Mr. Eugene Pool, Sabrina's science teacher.
With Heavyweights co-scripter Judd Apatow, Feig created the short-lived dramedy series Freaks and Geeks, inspired by his experiences at Chippewa Valley High School in Clinton Township, Michigan. The show aired on NBC during the 1999–2000 television season. Eighteen episodes were completed, but the series was canceled after only twelve had aired. Despite the short run, Freaks and Geeks has since maintained a devoted cult following. The show was named in Time magazine's 100 Greatest Shows of All Time,[10] and in summer 2008, Entertainment Weekly ranked Freaks and Geeks as the 13th best show of the past 25 years.[11] Feig was nominated for two Emmys for writing the show's pilot and the season finale.
Feig wrote, directed, and produced the 2015 spy comedy movie Spy for 20th Century Fox, starring Melissa McCarthy.[12] Also in 2015, Feig produced the animated feature The Peanuts Movie for Blue Sky Studios, based on the Peanuts comic strip and characters created by Charles M. Schulz. In 2016, he directed and co-wrote the female driven reboot of the Ghostbusters franchise.[13]
Feig has been married to Laurie Karon since September 23, 1994.
Filmography
Film
Year | Film | Actor | Director | Producer | Writer | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1987 | Zombie High | Yes | Emmerson | |||
Three O'Clock High | Yes | Hall Monitor | ||||
1990 | Ski Patrol | Yes | Stanley | |||
Zoo Radio | Yes | Chester Drawer | ||||
1992 | Deep Dish TV | Yes | ||||
1994 | Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult | Yes | Oscar Audience Member | |||
1995 | The TV Wheel | Yes | Various | |||
Heavyweights | Yes | Tim The Guidance Counselor | ||||
1996 | That Thing You Do! | Yes | KMPC D.J. | |||
My Fellow Americans | Yes | Reporter #2 | ||||
1997 | Life Sold Separately | Yes | ||||
Statical Planets | Yes | |||||
2000 | Bad Dog | Yes | ||||
2002 | Stealing Harvard | Yes | Electrician | |||
2003 | I Am David | Yes | Yes | Yes | American Man | |
2006 | Unaccompanied Minors | Yes | ||||
2007 | Knocked Up | Yes | Fantasy Baseball Guy | |||
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story | Yes | Different DJ (Uncredited) | ||||
2011 | Bad Teacher | Yes | Dad at Car Wash | |||
Bridesmaids | Yes | Yes | Guy at wedding (Uncredited) | |||
2013 | The Heat | Yes | Yes | Doctor (Uncredited) | ||
2015 | Spy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Drunken Guest at Paris Hotel (Uncredited) |
The Peanuts Movie | Yes | |||||
2016 | Ghostbusters | Yes | Yes | |||
2017 | Mother/Daughter | Yes | ||||
Ferdinand | Yes | Yes | Picador (voice) | |||
TBA | Untitled The Intouchables remake | Yes | Announced | |||
Play-Doh | Yes | Announced |
Television
Year | Film | Actor | Director | Producer | Writer | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1986 | The Facts of Life | Yes | *"The Ratings Game"
Ron | |||
1988–1989 | Dirty Dancing | Yes | As Norman Bryant
11 Episodes | |||
1990 | thirtysomething | Yes | As Focus Group Member
| |||
1990 | It's Garry Shandling's Show | Yes | As Chester Bass
| |||
1991 | Good Sports | Yes | As Leash
| |||
1991 | Get a Life | Yes | As Mark
| |||
1992–1993 | The Edge | Yes | As Various Characters
7 Episodes | |||
1992–1993 | The Jackie Thomas Show | Yes | As Bobby Wynn
18 Episodes | |||
1993 | Roseanne | Yes | As Pete
| |||
1994 | The Good Life | Yes | As Video Clerk
| |||
1994 | Hardball | Yes | As Agent #1
| |||
1996 | The Louie Show | Yes | As Dr. Jake Anderson
6 Episodes | |||
1996–1997 | Sabrina, the Teenage Witch | Yes | As Mr. Eugene Pool
26 Episodes | |||
1997 | Men Behaving Badly | Yes | As Nelson
| |||
1997 | Ellen | Yes | As Peterson
| |||
1998 | The Drew Carey Show | Yes | Worker #1
| |||
1999 | Freaks and Geeks | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | As Alexander the Guitarist (Uncredited)
|
2005 | The Office | Yes | Yes | Directed Episodes: | ||
2004 & 2005 | Arrested Development | Yes | Yes | As Magician in "Sword of Destiny"
Directed Episodes: | ||
2007 | Mad Men | Yes | Directed Episodes:
| |||
2005 & 2007 | Weeds | Yes | Episodes Directed:
| |||
2007 | 30 Rock | Yes | Episodes Directed: | |||
2009 | Parks and Recreation | Yes | Episodes Directed: | |||
2009 | Bored to Death | Yes | Episodes Directed:
| |||
2009 | Nurse Jackie | Yes | Yes | As Mr. Spagnolo in *"Monkey Bits"
Episodes Directed:
| ||
2014 | Maron | Yes | As Warren in *"Therapy" | |||
2014 | Hell's Kitchen | Dining room guest in the Season 13 premiere | ||||
2015 | Other Space | Yes | Yes |
Episodes Written:
|
Bibliography
- Kick Me: Adventures in Adolescence (ISBN 0-609-80943-1, 2002)
- Superstud: Or How I Became a 24-Year-Old Virgin (ISBN 1-4000-5175-4, 2005)
- Ignatius MacFarland: Frequenaut! (ISBN 0-316-16663-4, 2008)
- Ignatius MacFarland: Frequency Freakout! (2010)
References
- ^ Smith, Krista (5 January 2012). "Paul Feig on the BridesmaidsSequel, Female Comedy, and His S.N.L. Dreams". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ^ Associated Press (October 9, 2014). "Michigan's Paul Feig to direct female-led 'Ghostbusters'". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
- ^ a b "The Trouble With Paul Feig". The New York Times. 28 September 2008.
- ^ "Director Paul Feig is a genius at portraying awkwardness".
- ^ "The Windsor Star - Google News Archive Search".
- ^ Robert, Daniel (2006-05-04). "Interviews > Paul Feig Director Of Unaccompanied Minors". Suicidegirls.com. Retrieved 2012-03-28.
- ^ Schilling, Mary Kaye (28 June 2013). "The King of the Lady Gross-out".
- ^ Bowe, John (September 26, 2008). "The Trouble With Paul Feig". The New York Times Magazine.
- ^ James, Caryn (January 13, 1990). "Ski Patrol (1989) Review/Film; Meanwhile, Pops Is Back At the Lodge". The New York Times.
- ^ Poniewozik, James (2007-09-06). "The Abbott and Costello Show | All-TIME 100 TV Shows | Entertainment". TIME.com. Retrieved 2012-03-28.
- ^ Connolly, Kelly (2012-03-20). "The New Classics: TV | TV". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2012-03-28.
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(help) - ^ Sneider, Jeff (18 June 2013). "Paul Feig Developing Female James Bond Comedy 'Susan Cooper'". thewrap.com. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
- ^ Zuckerman, Esther (October 8, 2014). "Paul Feig explains his vision for a female-led 'Ghostbusters'". Entertainment Weekly.
External links
- 1962 births
- Living people
- Male actors from Michigan
- American male film actors
- American film directors
- American people of Jewish descent
- American stand-up comedians
- American male television actors
- American television directors
- American television producers
- American television writers
- Male television writers
- American male writers
- People from Mount Clemens, Michigan
- People from Royal Oak, Michigan
- University of Southern California alumni
- Wayne State University alumni
- Film directors from Michigan
- English-language film directors
- Directors Guild of America Award winners
- American male screenwriters