Paul Haggis

Haggis began to work as a writer for television programs, including The Love Boat, One Day at a Time, Diff'rent Strokes, and The Facts of Life. With The Facts of Life, Haggis also gained his first credit as producer. During the 1980s and 1990s, Haggis wrote for television series including thirtysomething, The Tracey Ullman Show, FM, Due South, L.A. Law, and EZ Streets. He helped to create the television series Walker, Texas Ranger; Family Law; and Due South. Haggis served as executive producer of the series Michael Hayes and Family Law. He gained recognition in the film industry for his work on the 2004 film Million Dollar Baby, which Allmovie described as a "serious milestone" for the writer/producer, and as "his first high-profile foray into feature film". Haggis had read two stories written by Jerry Boyd, a boxing trainer who wrote under the name of F.X. Toole. Haggis later acquired the rights to the stories, and developed them into the screenplay for Million Dollar Baby. Clint Eastwood portrayed the lead character in the film. Eastwood also directed the film, and used the screenplay written by Haggis. Million Dollar Baby received four Academy Awards including the Academy Award for Best Picture. After Million Dollar Baby, Haggis worked on the 2004 film Crash. Haggis came up with the story for the film on his own, and then wrote and directed the film, which allowed him greater control over his work. Crash was his first experience as director of a major feature film. Highly positive upon release, critical reception of Crash has since polarized, although Roger Ebert called it the best film of 2005. Crash received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Director, in addition to four other Academy Award nominations. Haggis received two Academy Awards for the film: Best Picture (as its producer), and Best Writing for his work on the screenplay. With Million Dollar Baby and then Crash, Haggis became the first individual to have written Best Picture Oscar-winners in two consecutive years. Haggis said that he wrote Crash to "bust liberals", arguing that his fellow liberals were not honest with themselves about the nature of race and racism because they believed that most racial problems had already been resolved in American society.

Works

Walker

Cordell Walker, a widower and father of two with his own moral code, returns home to Austin after being undercover for two years, only to discover there's harder work to be done at home.

Release Date: 2021-01-21

Department: Writing

Job: Original Series Creator

Episode Count: 38

Vote Count: 367

5B

At the heart of the HIV/AIDS crisis and widespread hysteria, a single number and letter designated a ward on the fifth floor of San Francisco General Hospital, the first in the country designed specifically to deal with AIDS patients. The unit's nurses' emphasis on humanity and consideration of holistic well-being was a small miracle amidst a devastating crisis and the ensuing panic about risk and infection.

Release Date: 2018-11-04

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Vote Count: 11

Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath

Leah Remini, along with high level former Scientology executives and Church members, explores individual accounts from ex-Church members and their families through meetings and interviews with Leah. Each episode features stories from former members whose lives have been affected by the Church's harmful practices, even well after they left the organization.

Release Date: 2016-11-29

Character: Self

Episode Count: 2

Vote Count: 66

Show Me a Hero

Mayor Nick Wasicsko took office in 1987 during Yonkers' worst crisis when federal courts ordered public housing to be built in the white, middle class side of town, dividing the city in a bitter battle fueled by fear, racism, murder and politics.

Release Date: 2015-08-16

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Episode Count: 6

Vote Count: 180

Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief

GOING CLEAR intimately profiles eight former members of the Church of Scientology, shining a light on how they attract true believers and the things they do in the name of religion.

Release Date: 2015-01-25

Character: Self - Interviewee

Vote Count: 818

MLE

MLE ('My Little Eye') is based on a true story - Julie Robert, (nope, not Julia Roberts, as she corrects on a daily basis) is a broke actor who just lost her only gig. Stranded in a new country with her trouble-making friend Camila, and struggling to find a sane new agent, Julie finds herself taking on spy work from a strange family. What seems fun at first turns life belly-up for Julie (spy name, Emily) - the awkward, amateur spy.

Release Date: 2015-01-24

Character: Director

Vote Count: 1

Third Person

An acclaimed novelist struggles to write an analysis of love in one of three stories, each set in a different city, that detail the beginning, middle and end of a relationship.

Release Date: 2014-06-20

Department: Writing

Job: Screenplay

Vote Count: 609

Late Night with Seth Meyers

Seth Meyers, who is "Saturday Night Live’s" longest serving anchor on the show’s wildly popular "Weekend Update," takes over as host of NBC’s "Late Night" — home to A-list celebrity guests, memorable comedy and the best in musical talent. As the Emmy Award-winning head writer for "SNL," Meyers has established a reputation for sharp wit and perfectly timed comedy, and has gained fame for his spot-on jokes and satire. Meyers takes his departure from "SNL" to his new post at "Late Night," as Jimmy Fallon moves to "The Tonight Show".

Release Date: 2014-02-25

Character: Self

Episode Count: 1

Vote Count: 104

Casting By

This essential new documentary pays tribute to the legacy of the late, legendary casting director Marion Dougherty and shines a light on one of the most overlooked and least understood crafts in filmmaking.

Release Date: 2012-11-01

Character: Self

Vote Count: 39

Miss Representation

The film MISS REPRESENTATION exposes how American youth are being sold the concept that women and girls’ value lies in their youth, beauty and sexuality. Explores the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America, and challenges the media's limited portrayal of what it means to be a powerful woman. It’s time to break that cycle of mistruths.

Release Date: 2011-01-20

Character: Self

Vote Count: 85

The Next Three Days

A married couple's life is turned upside down when the wife is accused of murdering her boss. Her husband John would spend the next few years trying to get her released, but there's no evidence that negates the evidence against her. When the strain of being separated from her husband and son gets to her, John decides to find a way to break her out.

Release Date: 2010-11-18

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Vote Count: 2910

Mulholland Drive - Ein Hollywood-Mythos

Documentary about the Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles.

Release Date: 2010-02-20

Character: Self

We Are the World 25 For Haiti

In late 2009, it was suggested to writer Lionel Richie and producer Quincy Jones that a re-cut version of "We Are the World" be re-released under the title "Live 25". Following the 7.0 Mw earthquake in Haiti in early 2010, which devastated most of the country and killed thousands of people, it was agreed the song would be re-recorded by the new generation of music artists, in the hope of reaching a new generation and benefitting the people of Haiti. Like the marketing of "We Are the World", a music video was made. Academy Award-winning film director Paul Haggis said he finished the video 12 hours early. Haitian film students were part of production crew. The official film for the song is formatted similar to the original, opening the song with the recording artists' signatures around the title, then them performing their parts in the recording studio including Michael Jackson through archive footage. The video is intercut with clips showing people in Haiti after the earthquake.

Release Date: 2010-02-12

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Vote Count: 3

Kopf oder Zahl

Release Date: 2009-04-23

Department: Crew

Job: Thanks

Vote Count: 6

Quantum of Solace

Betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 fights the urge to make his latest mission personal. Pursuing his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and M interrogate Mr. White, who reveals that the organization that blackmailed Vesper is far more complex and dangerous than anyone had imagined.

Release Date: 2008-10-29

Department: Writing

Job: Screenplay

Vote Count: 8010

The Road to Casino Royale

Documentary that traces the tangled rights to Ian Fleming's "Casino Royale," the first James Bond story, which took over a half century to reach the screen in recognizable form.

Release Date: 2008-10-21

Ian Fleming's Incredible Creation

A documentary about Ian Fleming.

Release Date: 2008-10-21

Crash

Crash is an American television drama series that tells the story of how the lives of how several very diverse Southern Californians intersect.

Release Date: 2008-10-17

Department: Production

Job: Producer

Episode Count: 26

Vote Count: 15

The Evolution of Clint Eastwood

Follow Eastwood's career from television star to matinee idol to Oscar-winning director in this wide-ranging documentary.

Release Date: 2008-06-03

Character: Self

Vote Count: 3

The Business End: Violence in Cinema

An unflinching look at the ongoing debate on violence in movies and its effect on the audience.

Release Date: 2008-06-03

Character: Self

Vote Count: 2

In the Valley of Elah

A career officer and his wife work with a police detective to uncover the truth behind their son's disappearance following his return from a tour of duty in Iraq.

Release Date: 2007-09-14

Department: Production

Job: Producer

Vote Count: 1016

The Black Donnellys

Meet the Donnelly brothers: Tommy, Jimmy, Kevin and Sean. There is nothing these four Irish brothers wouldn't do to protect each other, and for them that means lying, cheating, stealing and, occasionally, calling the cops. Narrated by wannabe gangster Joey "Ice Cream," this gritty series bears witness to the Donnelly brothers' sudden involvement in organized crime, focusing on how they go from boys to mobsters, and showing how their new life affects their relationships with friends, family and lovers.

Release Date: 2007-02-26

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Episode Count: 13

Vote Count: 66

Letters from Iwo Jima

The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.

Release Date: 2006-12-09

Department: Production

Job: Producer

Vote Count: 2104

Casino Royale

Le Chiffre, a banker to the world's terrorists, is scheduled to participate in a high-stakes poker game in Montenegro, where he intends to use his winnings to establish his financial grip on the terrorist market. M sends Bond—on his maiden mission as a 00 Agent—to attend this game and prevent Le Chiffre from winning. With the help of Vesper Lynd and Felix Leiter, Bond enters the most important poker game in his already dangerous career.

Release Date: 2006-11-14

Department: Writing

Job: Screenplay

Vote Count: 10953

Becoming Bond

A documentary which shows the creation of Casino Royale (2006).

Release Date: 2006-11-07

Character: Self

Vote Count: 1

Flags of Our Fathers

There were five Marines and one Navy Corpsman photographed raising the U.S. flag on Mt. Suribachi by Joe Rosenthal on February 23, 1945. This is the story of three of the six surviving servicemen - John 'Doc' Bradley, Pvt. Rene Gagnon and Pvt. Ira Hayes - who fought in the battle to take Iwo Jima from the Japanese.

Release Date: 2006-10-19

Department: Writing

Job: Screenplay

Vote Count: 1878

The Last Kiss

Michael has a great job, has his 4 best friends, and is in love with a beautiful girl at 30. He loves Jenna but his life seems predictable until someone else enters his life. It seems that everybody's having relationship problems.

Release Date: 2006-09-10

Department: Writing

Job: Screenplay

Vote Count: 381

The Dialogue: An Interview with Screenwriter Paul Haggis

Oscar-winning writer, director and producer Paul Haggis (Crash) reflects on his remarkable journey from television to feature film in this lively conversation conducted in the same spirit as "Inside the Actors Studio." The program is part of a series of in-depth talks between industry professionals and more than two dozen successful screenwriters, who candidly discuss their careers and their varied approaches to the writing craft.

Release Date: 2006-06-19

Character: Himself

Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire

Walker investigates a murder connected with a missing government weapon. In addition, he tries to track down a teen on the run from a crime syndicate.

Release Date: 2005-10-16

Department: Writing

Job: Screenplay

Vote Count: 67

Crash

In post-Sept. 11 Los Angeles, tensions erupt when the lives of a Brentwood housewife, her district attorney husband, a Persian shopkeeper, two cops, a pair of carjackers and a Korean couple converge during a 36-hour period.

Release Date: 2005-05-06

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Vote Count: 3594

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is an American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish American comedian Craig Ferguson, who is the third regular host of the Late Late Show franchise. It follows Late Show with David Letterman in the CBS late-night lineup, airing weekdays in the US at 12:37 a.m. It is taped in front of a live studio audience from Monday to Friday at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California, directly above the Bob Barker Studio. It is produced by David Letterman's production company Worldwide Pants Incorporated and CBS Television Studios. Since becoming host on January 3, 2005, after Craig Kilborn and Tom Snyder, Ferguson has achieved the highest ratings since the show's inception in 1995. While the majority of the episodes focus on comedy, Ferguson has also addressed difficult subject matter, such as the deaths of his parents, and undertaken serious interviews, such as one with Desmond Tutu, which earned the show a 2009 Peabody Award.

Release Date: 2005-01-03

Character: Self

Episode Count: 1

Vote Count: 101

Million Dollar Baby

Despondent over a painful estrangement from his daughter, trainer Frankie Dunn isn't prepared for boxer Maggie Fitzgerald to enter his life. But Maggie's determined to go pro and to convince Dunn and his cohort to help her.

Release Date: 2004-12-05

Department: Production

Job: Producer

Vote Count: 9818

Kulturplatz

Release Date: 2004-09-01

Character: Self

Episode Count: 1

Vote Count: 1

Entourage

Film star Vince Chase navigates the vapid terrain of Los Angeles with a close circle of friends and his trusty agent.

Release Date: 2004-07-18

Episode Count: 1

Vote Count: 564

Mister Sterling

Mister Sterling is an American television serial drama created by Lawrence O'Donnell that ran from January to March in 2003. It starred Josh Brolin as an idealistic United States Senator, and featured Audra McDonald, William Russ, David Noroña, and James Whitmore as members of his staff. Despite mostly positive reviews, the show, which aired on NBC on Friday nights, was cancelled after 10 episodes after the show only ranked 58th in the yearly ratings Although it had numerous similarities to The West Wing in style and tone, it was not set in the same universe as O'Donnell's other political show. It is unknown if a cross-over would have ever occurred had Mister Sterling not been cancelled; however Steven Culp played presidential aspirant Sen. Ron Garland on Mister Sterling and House Speaker Jeff Haffley on The West Wing, and Democrats appeared to be in the majority in the US Senate on Mr Sterling, while in The West Wing consistent Republican control of both Houses of Congress was a key plot point. James Whitmore was nominated for a 2003 Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for playing former Governor Bill Sterling, the senator's father.

Release Date: 2003-01-10

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 1

Vote Count: 1

Family Law

Family attorney and mom Lynn Holt has had to scramble to keep her family and her law firm together since her husband left her and took most of their joint law practice with him. Although the attorneys are carting plenty of life's baggage, they're all determined to make the most of this unexpected second chance—and make each month's mortgage payment.

Release Date: 1999-09-20

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 8

Vote Count: 11

Michael Hayes

Michael Hayes is a TV series that ran on CBS from 1997 to 1998. It stars David Caruso and Ruben Santiago-Hudson. David Caruso plays in the title role as Michael Hayes. Hayes is an Irish Catholic ex-New York City police officer appointed acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York State. This series was Caruso's first attempt at a comeback on television, after he infamously left NYPD Blue a few years earlier and a failed launch into movies, when both Kiss of Death and Jade were box office and critical failures. Despite this, Michael Hayes was cancelled at the end of its first season, and Caruso slowly continued into supporting roles in film and guest spots on television before reaching new heights once again with CSI: Miami, which ran from 2002 until 2012.

Release Date: 1997-09-15

Department: Creator

Job: Creator

EZ Streets

EZ Streets is an American television drama series created by Paul Haggis. It premiered on CBS on October 27, 1996 with a two hour pilot telefilm. The series stars Ken Olin, Joe Pantoliano, and Jason Gedrick.

Release Date: 1996-10-27

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 4

Vote Count: 5

Due South

Constable Benton Fraser, an officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, is attached to the Canadian consulate but works with Chicago Police Department to solve crimes.

Release Date: 1994-09-22

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 9

Vote Count: 73

Due South

The movie that the TV series was spun off from. When a legendary Canadian Mountie is murdered, his son (and fellow RCMP) Constable Benton Fraser follows the trail of his killers to Chicago, where he teams up with a local cop to bring them to justice. However, he soon finds that the trail leads closer to home than he ever imagined.

Release Date: 1994-04-23

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Vote Count: 5

Red Hot

In 1959, a young Soviet musician risks everything to pursue his newfound love of American rock 'n' roll.

Release Date: 1993-06-23

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Vote Count: 1

Walker, Texas Ranger

Modern-day Texas Ranger, Cordell Walker's independent crime-solving methods have their roots in the rugged traditions of the Old West. Walker's closest friend is former Ranger, C.D. Parker, who retired after a knee injury, and now owns "C.D.'s," a Country/Western saloon/restaurant. Rookie Ranger, James "Jimmy" Trivette is an ex-football player who bases his crime-solving methods on reason and uses computers and cellular phones. Alex Cahill is the Assistant DA who shares a mutual attraction with Walker, but often disagrees with his unorthodox approach to law enforcement.

Release Date: 1993-04-21

Department: Creator

Job: Creator

Vote Count: 498

You Take the Kids

You Take the Kids is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from December 1990 to January 1991. The series stars Nell Carter, who also performed the theme song "Nobody's Got It Easy". You Take the Kids, which was perceived as being the black answer to Roseanne due to its portrayal of a working-class African-American family, featured Carter as a crass, no-nonsense mother and wife.

Release Date: 1990-12-15

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Episode Count: 1

Vote Count: 1

City

City is an American sitcom which aired on CBS from January 29, 1990 until June 8, 1990. The series was a new starring vehicle for Valerie Harper, which went into development not long after she and husband Tony Cacciotti won their lawsuit against Lorimar Telepictures over her dismissal from her NBC sitcom Valerie. City was created by Paul Haggis, and like Ms. Harper's previous series, was also executive produced by Cacciotti.

Release Date: 1990-01-29

Department: Production

Job: Producer

Episode Count: 13

The Return of the Shaggy Dog

The Return of the Shaggy Dog is a 1987 two-part television movie midquel to the 1959 feature film, The Shaggy Dog, set before the events of The Shaggy D.A..

Release Date: 1987-11-01

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Vote Count: 6

thirtysomething

Thirtysomething is an American television drama about a group of baby boomers in their late thirties. It was created by Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick for MGM/UA Television Group and The Bedford Falls Company, and aired on ABC. It premiered in the U.S. on September 29, 1987. It lasted four seasons, with the last of its 85 episodes airing on May 28, 1991. The title of the show was designed as thirtysomething by Kathie Broyles, who combined the words of the original title, Thirty Something. In 1997, "The Go Between" and "Samurai Ad Man" were ranked #22 on TV Guide′s 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time. In 2002, Thirtysomething was ranked #19 on TV Guide′s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time, and in 2013 TV Guide ranked it #10 in its list of The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time.

Release Date: 1987-09-29

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 3

Vote Count: 25

Together We Stand

Together We Stand, also known as Nothing Is Easy, is an American television series that aired on the CBS network from 1986 to 1987. It was written by Stephen Sustarsic and directed by Andrew D. Weyman. Together We Stand is about a married couple, David and Lori Randall, and their array of adopted children from all walks of life. According to producer Sherwood Schwartz, the plot for this show was originally written as a spin-off from The Brady Bunch called Kelly's Kids. In the January 4, 1974 episode of The Brady Bunch, which served as a backdoor pilot, the Bradys' neighbors plan on adopting one child but end up adopting three boys, all of different ethnicities.

Release Date: 1986-09-22

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 1

Vote Count: 3

L.A. Law

L.A. Law is an American television legal drama series that ran for eight seasons on NBC from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it contained many of Bochco's trademark features including a large number of parallel storylines, social drama and off-the-wall humor. It reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s, and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot-topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights, homophobia, sexual harassment, AIDS, and domestic violence. The series often also reflected social tensions between the wealthy senior lawyer protagonists and their less well-paid junior staff. The show was popular with audiences and critics, and won 15 Emmy Awards throughout its run, four of which were for Outstanding Drama Series.

Release Date: 1986-09-15

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 2

Vote Count: 71

CBS Storybreak

Hosted by Captain Kangaroo's Bob Keeshan, the episodes are half-hour animated adaptations of some of the most beloved children's books published at the time of airing, including How to Eat Fried Worms. Other episodes included Dragon's Blood and Ratha's Creature.

Release Date: 1985-03-30

Department: Writing

Job: Teleplay

Episode Count: 1

Vote Count: 2

Who's the Boss?

A former professional baseball player, along with his preteen daughter, moves into New York advertising executive Angela Bower's house to be both a housekeeper and a father figure to her young son. Tony 's laid-back personality contrasts with Angela's type-A behavior.

Release Date: 1984-09-20

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 1

Vote Count: 275

Mr. Merlin

Mr. Merlin is an American sitcom that ran for one season, from 1981 to 1982, about Merlin the wizard, who is immortal, living in modern-day San Francisco, and disguised as Max Merlin, a mechanic. Mr. Merlin was produced by Larry Rosen and Larry Tucker, working as the Larry Larry Company, in association with Columbia Pictures Television.

Release Date: 1981-10-07

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 1

Vote Count: 5

The Facts of Life

Mrs. Edna Garrett, housemother and dietitian at the Eastland School, teaches a group of girls in her charge how to solve those problems that every teenager has to face.

Release Date: 1979-08-24

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 13

Vote Count: 94

Diff'rent Strokes

The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackson, two African American boys from Harlem who are taken in by a rich white Park Avenue businessman named Phillip Drummond and his daughter Kimberly, for whom their deceased mother previously worked. During the first season and first half of the second season, Charlotte Rae also starred as the Drummonds' housekeeper, Mrs. Garrett.

Release Date: 1978-11-03

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 3

Vote Count: 279

The Love Boat

Passengers who search for romantic nights aboard a beautiful ship travelling to tropical or mysterious countries, decide to pass their vacation aboard the "Love Boat", where Gopher, Dr. Bricker, Isaac, Julie, and Captain Stubing try their best to please them, and sometimes help them fall in love. Things are not always so easy, but in the end, love wins.

Release Date: 1977-09-24

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 1

Vote Count: 184

One Day at a Time

The misadventures of a divorced mother, two teenage daughters, and new building superintendent in Indianapolis.

Release Date: 1975-12-16

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 3

Vote Count: 57

The Oscars

An annual American awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements in the film industry. The various category winners are awarded a copy of a statuette, officially the Academy Award of Merit, that is better known by its nickname Oscar.

Release Date: 1953-03-19

Character: Self

Episode Count: 1

Vote Count: 71