Stuart Regen
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
A prominent West Hollywood art dealer, Stuart Regen became interested in motion pictures while living in Hollywood. His first film project was serving as associate producer on the 1990 drama "Bright Angel," featuring Dermot Mulroney, Lili Taylor and Sam Shepard. His passion for film was especially ignited after he picked up a copy of John O'Brien's semi-autobiographical novel "Leaving Las Vegas." Struck by the cover and later by the content, Regen was determined to make this story of a suicidal alcoholic into a motion picture. He met with O'Brien and paid several thousand dollars for the movie rights. Major studios turned down the film, and Regen had a long fight to get the project going. The author of the optioned novel shot himself to death in 1994, before the film went into production. Regen and his partner teamed up with the independent Lumiere Films to make "Leaving Las Vegas" (1995), directed by Mike Figgis and starring Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue. The film was both a critical and commercial success, earning four Oscar nominations and earning Cage a Best Actor statue.
Although his excursions into film were successful, art was always Regen's primary focus. Born and raised in New York City, he studied arts administration at Skidmore College before working at the alternative art space PS 1 in Long Island City, New York. He then went to the Rudolf Zwirner Gallery in Cologne, Germany and later took a job in Santa Monica at the Fred Hoffman Gallery. Regen remained in California, and in 1989 opened the Stuart Regen Gallery in West Hollywood, later renamed Regen Projects Gallery. He played an art teacher in the 1996 coming of age drama "Foxfire," bringing his two creative lives together. In 1998, Regen died at the age of 39 after a battle with cancer.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Life Events
1989
Opened the Stuart Regen Gallery in West Hollywood, California
1990
Was associate producer for the film drama "Bright Angel", starring Dermot Mulroney, Lili Taylor and Sam Shepard
1992
Renamed his gallery Regen Projects Gallery
1995
Was executive producer of the successful and critically-acclaimed film "Leaving Las Vegas", directed by Mike Figgis
1996
Appeared as an art teacher in the drama "Foxfire"
Family
Companions
