David Anspaugh
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Biography
Filmography
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Biography
This Emmy-winning TV producer-director ("Hill Street Blues") has also had considerable experience helming TV commercials and series ("St. Elsewhere," "Miami Vice") and subsequently feature films. Anspaugh began shooting 16mm sports films while at The University of Indiana before attending USC's School of Film and Television. After four years teaching high school in Colorado, he started his TV career as associate producer on the ABC movies "Vampire" (1979) and "Fighting Back" (1980), both produced by MTM. He went on to become associate producer on that company's acclaimed cop show "Hill Street Blues" (NBC) in 1981; by the time he left the show in 1985, Anspaugh had worked his way up to producer and director, winning producing Emmys in 1982 and 1983. Anspaugh returned to directing with episodes of "St. Elsewhere" and "Miami Vice," and the TV-movies "The Last Leaf" (syndicated, 1984), "Deadly Care" (CBS, 1987) and "In the Company of Darkness" (CBS, 1993).
Anspaugh made a smooth, engaging big screen directing debut with "Hoosiers" (1986), a nostalgic college basketball drama starring Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper. His follow-up feature, the little-seen "Fresh Horses" (1988), was less impressive, but five years later he re-teamed with the writer of "Hoosiers" and ventured back to collegiate sagas with "Rudy" (1993), a deliberately modest but appealing true story of a college student who overcomes his short stature to become a successful quarterback for Notre Dame. A sharp change of pace was "Moonlight and Valentino" (1995), which the director laughingly called "an estrogen-driven" film, as opposed to his former sports-related "testosterone films." Scripted by Ellen Simon and based on her own experiences, "Moonlight and Valentino" focused on a woman coping with her new status as a widow. His feature output was slowed in the late 90s due in part to a highly publicized battle with depression which was reportedly a factor in the break-up of his marriage to actress Roma Downey.
Filmography
Director (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Director (Special)
Cast (Special)
Life Events
1970
Taught school in Aspen, Colorado
1979
TV-movie producing debut, "Vampire"
1981
TV series producing debut, "Hill Street Blues"; served as an associate producer
1982
TV directing debut with "Hill Street Blues"
1985
Gave up producing responsibilities but continued directing episodes of "Hill Street Blues"
1986
Feature film directing debut, "Hoosiers"
1988
Directed "Fresh Horses" starring Molly Ringwald and Andrew McCarthy
1993
Directed Sean Astin in "Rudy," based on the true story of Daniel 'Rudy' Ruettiger who's dream was to play football at Notre Dame
1995
Directed "Moonlight and Valentino" based on the play by Ellen Simon
2002
Returned to directing features with "Wisegirls", starring Mira Sorvino and Mariah Carey
2005
Directed "The Game of Their Lives" based on the true story of the 1950 US soccer team who, against all odds, beat England in the small town of Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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