R. J. Cutler

R. J. Cutler (born 1962; Great Neck) is an American filmmaker, documentarian, television producer and theater director. His work includes the documentary films The War Room, A Perfect Candidate, Thin, The September Issue, The World According to Dick Cheney and Listen to Me Marlon; the non-fiction television series Black. White., American High, Freshman Diaries and 30 Days; the prime time drama series Nashville; the scripted podcast, The Oval Office Tapes; and the feature film If I Stay. Cutler's first film, The War Room, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and he is the recipient of numerous awards including two Emmy Awards, two Peabody Awards, a GLAAD Award, two Cinema Eye Awards, and two Television Academy Honor Awards. In 2009, the Museum of Television and Radio held a five-day retrospective of his work.

Works

Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry Live Premiere Event

The Live Premiere Event for "Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry", Includes an exclusive, intimate performance and conversation with Eilish, discussion with director R.J. Cutler and other special surprises

Release Date2021-02-28

Charactersd Self

Vote Count2

Nashville

Rayna Jaymes and Juliette Barnes face personal and professional challenges as they navigate their paths as artists and individuals. Surrounding them, and often complicating their lives, are their family, friends and, in some cases, lovers, as well as the up-and-coming performers and songwriters trying to get ahead in the business.

Release Date2012-10-10

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Episode Count43

Vote Count244

Fight for Glory: 2024 World Series

Experience the battle of juggernauts like never before as the Yankees and Dodgers revive MLB's most iconic playoff rivalry. With intimate access to superstar players, managers, and their families, witness the sacrifices it takes to claim baseball's throne.

Release Date2025-03-27

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Episode Count3

Vote Count4

If I Stay

Mia Hall, a talented young cellist, thought the most difficult decision she would ever have to make would be whether to pursue her musical dreams at prestigious Juilliard or follow her heart to be with the love of her life, Adam, a rock singer/guitarist. However, a car wreck changes everything in an instant, and now Mia's life hangs in the balance. Suspended between life and death, Mia faces a choice that will decide her future.

Release Date2014-08-21

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Vote Count4263

Murf the Surf: Jewels, Jesus, and Mayhem in the USA

Murf the Surf: Jewels, Jesus, and Mayhem in the USA

Ths true crime docuseries pulls back the curtain on America’s most infamous jewel thief, Jack Roland Murphy, who played a key role in the 1964 burglary of the jewel collection of New York’s American Museum of Natural History.

Release Date2023-02-05

DepartmentWriting

JobWriter

Episode Count4

The World According to Dick Cheney

How did a college dropout who was arrested for a DUI twice in the same year become the single-most-powerful nonpresidential political figure in American history? Filmmakers R. J. Cutler and Greg Finton answer that question and others in what is sure to be the definitive film about the fascinating life and legacy of Dick Cheney.

Release Date2013-01-18

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Vote Count10

Belushi

Using previously unheard audiotapes recorded shortly after John Belushi’s death, director R.J. Cutler’s documentary feature examines the too-short life of the once-in-a-generation talent who captured the hearts and funny bones of devoted audiences.

Release Date2020-05-16

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Vote Count53

The Disappearance of Shere Hite

Shere Hite’s 1976 bestselling book, The Hite Report, liberated the female orgasm by revealing the most private experiences of thousands of anonymous survey respondents. Her findings rocked the American establishment and presaged current conversations about gender, sexuality, and bodily autonomy. So how did Shere Hite disappear?

Release Date2023-11-17

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Vote Count7

Dear...

An inventive and cinematic approach to biographies of the most iconic figures in society today by using letters written by those whose lives have been changed through their work.

Release Date2020-06-05

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Episode Count20

Vote Count7

The September Issue

A documentary chronicling Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's preparations for the 2007 fall-fashion issue.

Release Date2009-08-28

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Vote Count115

Esports World Cup: Level Up

Esports World Cup: Level Up follows the most ambitious Esports tournament ever staged—1,500 players, 22 titles, $60 million on the line. From rising prodigies to battle-tested legends, the race for the first-ever Club Championship unfolds in Riyadh. Just because something doesn’t have a history… doesn’t mean it can’t be historic.

Release Date2025-06-06

DepartmentCreator

JobCreator

Vote Count5

The Met Ball

The story of the 2007 Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute Ball.

Release Date2010-02-23

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry

This documentary offers a deeply intimate look at extraordinary teenager Billie Eilish. Award-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler follows her journey on the road, onstage, and at home with her family as the writing and recording of her debut album changes her life.

Release Date2021-02-26

DepartmentWriting

JobWriter

Vote Count323

Thin

The story of four women suffering from anorexia and bulimia in South Florida.

Release Date2006-10-21

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Vote Count21

The War Room

A behind-the-scenes documentary about the Clinton for President campaign, focusing on the adventures of spin doctors James Carville and George Stephanopoulos.

Release Date1993-11-03

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Vote Count66

Marc by Sofia

An intimate, unconventional portrait of Marc Jacobs, crafted by Sofia Coppola to capture the genius and singular universe of the iconic American designer.

Release Date2025-09-01

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

The Return of the War Room

Those who played prominent roles in Clinton's 1992 Presidential campaign return to discuss how politics and the media have changed since that time.

Release Date2008-10-13

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Vote Count3

Listen to Me Marlon

With exclusive access to his extraordinary unseen and unheard personal archive including hundreds of hours of audio recorded over the course of his life, this is the definitive Marlon Brando cinema documentary. Charting his exceptional career as an actor and his extraordinary life away from the stage and screen with Brando himself as your guide, the film will fully explore the complexities of the man by telling the story uniquely from Marlon's perspective, entirely in his own voice. No talking heads, no interviewees, just Brando on Brando and life.

Release Date2015-07-29

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Vote Count163

A Perfect Candidate

The filmmakers follow Oliver North's unsuccessful 1994 bid for a Virginia Senate seat, focusing on North's campaign strategist, Mark Goodin, and a Washington Post reporter. Mudslinging ensues.

Release Date1996-06-19

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Vote Count7

30 Days

30 Days is a reality television show on the FX cable network in the United States, created and hosted by Morgan Spurlock. In each episode, Spurlock, or some other person or group of people, spend 30 days immersing themselves in a particular lifestyle with which they are unfamiliar, while discussing related social issues. As in Spurlock's film, Super Size Me, there are a number of rules unique to each situation which must be followed during each such experiment. At least one episode each season has featured Spurlock as the person spending the month in the particular lifestyle. Season one premiered on June 15, 2005, and its respective DVD set was released July 11, 2006. The second season premiered on July 26, 2006. Season 3 of 30 Days premiered on June 3, 2008. FX said on November 6 that it would not be renewing the series for a fourth season, effectively canceling the show. The show has recently been picked up for re-air by Planet Green, though no new episodes have been ordered. In the United Kingdom, the program is broadcast on More4 and Channel 4. In Australia, the program is broadcast on Network Ten and Lifestyle Channel. It currently airs in Canada on Independent Film Channel and Canal Vie. It also airs on FX in Latin America. In Norway it airs on TV 2. In Sweden it airs on TV4 and Kanal 9.

Release Date2005-06-15

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Episode Count18

Vote Count13

Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul

In this docuseries, a scrappy electronic cigarette startup becomes a multibillion-dollar company until an epidemic causes its success to go up in smoke.

Release Date2023-10-11

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Episode Count1

Vote Count17

Martha

Told in her own words, this candid documentary charts the unstoppable rise, sudden fall and hard-won comeback of lifestyle icon Martha Stewart.

Release Date2024-08-31

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Vote Count32

10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America

10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America is a ten-hour, ten-part television miniseries that aired on the History Channel from April 9 through April 14, 2006. The material was later adapted and published as a book by the same title.

Release Date2006-04-09

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Episode Count1

Vote Count1

Elton John: Never Too Late

Sir Elton John looks back on his life and the astonishing early days of his 50-year career in this emotionally charged, full-circle journey. As he prepares for his final concert in North America at Dodger Stadium, Elton takes us back in time and recounts his struggles with adversity, abuse, and addiction, and how he overcame them to become the icon he is today.

Release Date2024-11-15

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Vote Count42

Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium

A once-in-a-lifetime live, global original concert event offering fans from around the world a front-row seat to witness the groundbreaking magic of the Rocket Man back at Dodger Stadium and showcasing Elton John as audiences have never seen him before, paying tribute to the icon and the seminal moment in 1975 that cemented his global success.

Release Date2022-11-20

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Vote Count23

American High

American High is an American documentary television show about the lives of fourteen students at Highland Park High School, located in the city of Highland Park, Illinois. The series originally aired on Fox and was canceled after four episodes. It was later picked up by PBS and aired in its entirety. The series was created by R. J. Cutler, an award winning documentary filmmaker. The show received the 2001 Emmy Award for Outstanding Non-Fiction Program. The theme song "American High", was written and performed by Bouncing Souls. An earlier Fox Network documentary series from 1991, Yearbook also covered the lives of suburban Chicago high school students.

Release Date2000-08-02

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Episode Count14

Vote Count1

Untitled Olivia Newton-John Documentary

Explores the life and career of Olivia Newton-John.

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Black. White.

Black. White.

Black. White. was a reality television show on FX. It premiered on Wednesday March 8, 2006 at 10 p.m. Eastern. The series followed two families of three, one white, and the other black. Through studio-quality make-up, the two families—the Wurgels and the Sparks—traded races and experienced what life is like in the other family's shoes. The show was produced and created by Ice Cube, R. J. Cutler and the show's theme song was "Race Card", performed by Ice Cube and produced by Warren G. The series had six episodes.

Release Date2006-03-08

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Episode Count6

The Real Roseanne Show

The Real Roseanne Show

The Real Roseanne Show is a reality show that aired briefly in 2003 about actress and comedian Roseanne Barr hosting a cooking show, called Domestic Goddess. It premiered on ABC on August 6, 2003 to 5.5 million viewers. Domestic Goddess was scheduled to air September 20, 2003 but was canceled after Barr declared the pilot unfit to broadcast and due to her having an emergency hysterectomy, which made reshoots impossible. It would have aired on ABC Family. Although 13 episodes were ordered, The Real Roseanne Show was consequently canceled the same day after airing only two episodes.

Release Date2003-08-06

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Episode Count8

Untitled R. J. Cutler Camp Century Documentary

A documentary about Camp Century, a U.S. military installation built in Greenland at the height of the Cold War. Officially billed at the time as, “Nothing to see here, folks – we’re just studying the feasibility of ice-cap military outposts,” the site’s true purpose was only revealed decades later: a secret nuclear missile complex buried underneath the Greenland ice sheet.

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

The Kingmaker

Documentary centering on the controversial political career of Imelda Marcos, the former first lady of the Philippines whose behind-the-scenes influence of her husband Ferdinand's presidency rocketed her to the global political stage.

Release Date2019-11-08

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Vote Count28

Lee Soo Man: The King of K-Pop

From the traditional town of Jeonju, South Korea came the man that changed the world with music. Lee Soo-man, the artist who became an innovator, orchestrated one of the most viral global phenomena, K-Pop.

Release Date2025-05-02

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Vote Count8

Making Dazed

This documentary reunites the cast of the 1993 film "Dazed and Confused", and features behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the film. A decade after the hit comedy's release, director Richard Linklater reunited the cast -- Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey and Adam Goldberg -- to celebrate the ten year anniversary of the film that helped launch their careers. Now you can watch the cast look back on the movie that changed their lives and on the decade that has passed since.

Release Date2005-03-01

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Vote Count2

Untitled Louvre Heist Documentary

An in-depth and in real time delve into the jewel heist that took place on 19 October 2025 and saw men disguised as construction workers break into the Louvre’s Galerie d’Apollon through a second floor window and shatter display cases, grabbing pieces of the French Crown Jewels, including tiaras, necklaces and other jewelry valued at over $100 million. The men then fled on motorbikes.

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Greatest American Dog

Greatest American Dog was an American reality television show on CBS. It debuted on July 10, 2008 and was hosted by Jarod Miller with judges Victoria Stilwell, Allan Reznik, and Wendy Diamond. The winner was given the title of "Greatest American Dog" and a prize of $250,000.

Release Date2008-07-10

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Episode Count10

Vote Count1

Cracking the Code: Phil Sharp and the Biotech Revolution

The 1977 discovery of RNA splicing by Dr. Phillip A. Sharp, Kentucky farm boy turned Nobel-prize winning scientist, set the stage for a revolution in molecular biology, enabling research into a new class of medicines predicated on recombinant DNA techniques ranging from the development of synthetic insulin and human growth hormone to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Release Date2025-02-05

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Freshman Diaries

Freshman Diaries

Captures the time of life when you leave home and find yourself and experience a bit of the world outside your childhood. anyway, the kids in the show are great and fun and even if they are different from you, what they are going through is pretty universal and if you can't relate to it then you have no imagination whatsoever. anyway, i can't wait to see the rest of the series and only wish there was more "reality tv" like this as real life is pretty interesting when you actually deal with it and interact with other people.

Release Date2003-08-31

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Episode Count10

Anita Liberty

Anita's boyfriend Mitchell dumped her after 3.5 years for Heather. All she can think about is humiliating him, mostly in poems that are bitter, banal, and hilarious.

Release Date1997-01-18

DepartmentWriting

JobWriter

Vote Count2

Fish

Release Date2011-08-02

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector