Biographie
Sam Irvin is an experienced director, producer, screenwriter, author, journalist, and educator in film and television.
Beginning his career as Brian De Palma’s assistant on "Dressed to Kill," Irvin has directed numerous films such as "Guilty as Charged" (featuring Rod Steiger, Lauren Hutton, Heather Graham, Isaac Hayes), "Acting on Impulse" (with C. Thomas Howell, Linda Fiorentino, Nancy Allen, Paul Bartel, Isaac Hayes, Cassandra Peterson), "Out There" (starring Billy Campbell, Rod Steiger, Billy Bob Thornton, Jill St. John, Paul Dooley, Robert Picardo, Julie Brown), "Fat Rose and Squeaky" (Louise Fletcher, Cicely Tyson, Julie Brown, Lea DeLaria), "Magic Island" (Zachery Ty Bryan, French Stewart, Isaac Hayes, Martine Beswick), "Oblivion" and its sequel "Oblivion 2: Backlash" (George Takei, Julie Newmar, Isaac Hayes, Meg Foster, Maxwell Caulfield), "A Very Cool Christmas" (George Hamilton, Donna Mills), "Deadly Skies" (Antonio Sabato Jr., Rae Dawn Chong, Michael Moriarty), "Proof of Innocence" (Joely Fisher, Denise Richards, Patrick Muldoon, Jim O'Heir, Debra Wilson), "My Santa" (Samaire Armstrong, Matthew Lawrence, Julie Brown, Jim O'Heir, Paul Dooley), and "Kiss of a Stranger" (Mariel Hemingway, Dyan Cannon, David Carradine), for which he also penned the original screenplay.
He has produced over a dozen films, including co-executive producing Bill Condon’s Academy Award-winning "Gods and Monsters" (starring Ian McKellen, Brendan Fraser, Lynn Redgrave).
In television, Irvin directed all three seasons of the supernatural series "Dante’s Cove" (featuring Tracy Scoggins, Charlie David, Thea Gill, Stephen Amell, Booboo Stewart, Reichen Lehmkuhl) and co-wrote its theme song. He also directed every episode of the comedy series "From Here! On OUT" (Terry Ray, T. J. Hoban, Juliet Mills, Suzanne Whang, Julie Brown) and several episodes of Comedy Central’s "Strip Mall" (Julie Brown, Cindy Williams, Stella Stevens, Maxwell Caulfield, Jim O'Heir, Carolyn Hennesy).
His debut book, "Kay Thompson: From Funny Face to Eloise," was published by Simon & Schuster and recognized by Kirkus Reviews and the Theatre Library Association Awards as one of the year’s best biographies. During his research on Kay Thompson’s life, Irvin served as a historical consultant for the Tony Award-winning Broadway show "Liza’s at the Palace," a recreation of Thompson's nightclub act performed by her goddaughter Liza Minnelli. He also produced and annotated the 3-CD compilation "Think Pink! A Kay Thompson Party" (Sepia Records).
Irvin teaches graduate directing courses as an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts and lives in Los Angeles.
Detailed Biography:
Born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina, Irvin’s passion for filmmaking began at age eight during a family trip to California where he witnessed a complex filming sequence of Blake Edwards’s "The Great Race" at Warner Brothers. Inspired, he started creating Super 8mm horror shorts, featuring his younger brother Tim as Dracula.
Growing up surrounded by movie theaters owned by his family—his grandfather managed Wilby-Kincey Theaters and his father co-owned Irvin-Fuller Theaters—Irvin worked in various theater roles from popcorn vendor to organizer of horror movie matinees. In college, he served as Advertising and Publicity Manager for Irvin-Fuller Theaters, orchestrating a record-breaking year-long run of "Silver Streak" at Columbia’s Gamecock Cinema.
As a teenager, he published "Bizarre," a fanzine dedicated to fantasy, horror, and sci-fi films, conducting in-person interviews with genre icons such as Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Diana Rigg, and others, including visits to England.
Irvin graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts. He was the campus newspaper’s film critic, won a student film award for his thesis short, and chaired the university’s Film Committee.
In 1977, he interned on Brian De Palma’s "The Fury" in Chicago as a production assistant and extra, writing a detailed journal published in Cinefantastique magazine. He also secured an exclusive interview with Amy Irving discussing her relationship with Steven Spielberg.
He served as Associate Producer and Production Manager on De Palma’s "Home Movies," then as De Palma’s assistant on "Dressed to Kill." He collaborated with De Palma on development projects including "Blow Out" and "Prince of the City."
Irvin left his assistant role to produce "The First Time," a coming-of-age comedy executive produced by Robert Shaye and released by New Line Cinema.
In the 1980s, he was Vice President of Marketing for United Artists Classics, Spectrafilm, and Vestron, winning Hollywood Reporter Key Art Awards for posters of Truffaut’s "Confidentially Yours" and Verhoeven’s "The Fourth Man," and promoting the successful New York run of "Diva."
His directorial debut was the 1985 dark comedy short "Double Negative," which premiered at Sundance and was praised by Janet Maslin of The New York Times. It was included as a bonus feature on the 2013 European Blu-Ray release of De Palma’s "The Fury."
Irvin’s feature directing credits include award-winning and notable films such as:
- "Guilty as Charged," winner of the Gold Special Jury Award at Houston Worldfest.
- "Out There," a Showtime Original Movie.
- "Acting on Impulse," a Showtime Original Movie.
- "Fat Rose and Squeaky," a Showtime Original Movie.
- "A Very Cool Christmas" (aka "Too Cool for Christmas").
- "Deadly Skies" (aka "Force of Impact").
- "Elvira’s Haunted Hills," which won the Audience Award at the Provincetown International Film Festival.
- "My Santa."
- "Proof of Innocence."
- "Kiss of a Stranger," based on his original screenplay.
- "Oblivion" and "Oblivion 2: Backlash," cult sci-fi westerns, with "Oblivion" winning the Gold Award at Houston Worldfest.
- "Magic Island," a Disney Channel fantasy.
His television work includes episodes of Comedy Central’s "Strip Mall," all episodes of "From Here! On OUT," and three full seasons of "Dante’s Cove," for which he also co-wrote the international hit theme song "Dying to Be with You."
Irvin directed prominent televised events such as the 100th Anniversary of the World Series opening montage for Fox Television (featuring Sheila E.), segments for the 2004 Super Bowl (including sketches with Eugene Levy, Will Smith, Drew Barrymore, and Jimmy Fallon), and the 2007 Sugar Bowl Fox Sports opening titled "Dueling Musicians."
In Romania, Irvin directed "Garcea si oltenii," a spin-off of a popular sketch comedy show that became the highest-grossing film in Romanian history at that time, surpassing "Titanic." He also directed "I Will Return a Man," a rock opera by Romanian band Vama Veche, broadcast live from Bucharest’s National Theater.
Producer credits include:
- Associate Producer and Production Manager on Brian De Palma’s "Home Movies."
- Co-executive Producer of Bill Condon’s Academy Award-winning "Gods and Monsters," also co-directing the DVD documentary "The World of Gods and Monsters: A Journey with James Whale."
- Co-producer of Greg Berlanti’s "The Broken Hearts Club."
- Co-executive Producer and second unit director on Bob Clark’s "I’ll Remember April."
- Co-executive Producer of "Big Monster on Campus" (aka "Boltneck: Teen Frankenstein").
- Associate Producer of "The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human."
- Co-producer of "Error in Judgement" and "When Time Expires."
- Associate Producer of "Sticky Fingers."
- Producer of "The First Time," with Brian De Palma as Creative Consultant.
Irvin’s biography "Kay Thompson: From Funny Face to Eloise" (Simon & Schuster, 2010) received acclaim from Kirkus Reviews, the Theatre Library Association, Robert Osborne, Leonard Maltin, Liz Smith, and Michael Feinstein. It chronicles the life of Kay Thompson, mentor to Judy Garland, vocal coach to Frank Sinatra and Lena Horne, lover of Andy Williams, and godmother to Liza Minnelli.
In connection with this work, Irvin was historical consultant for the Tony Award-winning "Liza’s at the Palace," produced and annotated the 3-CD set "Think Pink! A Kay Thompson Party," and appeared in Paramount’s documentary "Kay Thompson: Think Pink!" included in the DVD of "Funny Face."
As a journalist, Irvin has contributed articles to Little Shoppe of Horrors magazine, including an interview with Richard O’Brien of "Rocky Horror" fame.
He currently teaches graduate directing courses at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts and lives in Los Angeles with his partner, Gary Bowers, whom he has been with since 1982.
