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.
Profession(s):
director, producer
Sometimes Credited As:
Family
daughter:Reilly Marie Anspaugh (born June 3, 1996 in Utah; mother, Roma Downey)
daughter:Vanessa Christine Anspaugh (mother, Tamara Kramer)
father:Lawrence Earl Anspaugh
wife:Roma Downey (married on November 24, 1995; Downey filed for divorce in March 1998)
wife:Tamara Kramer (married on April 13, 1974; divorced)
Directors Guild of America Award Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series "Personal Foul" episode of "Hill Street Blues" 1982
Emmy Outstanding Drama Series "Hill Street Blues" 1982 - 1983
Emmy Outstanding Drama Series "Hill Street Blues" 1981 - 1982
Golden Globe Award Best Series (Drama) "Hill Street Blues" 1981 - 1982
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
2002 Returned to directing features with "Wisegirls", starring Mira Sorvino and Mariah Carey
1995 Directed "Moonlight and Valentino" based on the play by Ellen Simon
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
1988 Directed "Fresh Horses" starring Molly Ringwald and Andrew McCarthy
1986 Feature film directing debut, "Hoosiers"
1985 Gave up producing responsibilities but continued directing episodes of "Hill Street Blues"
1982 TV directing debut with "Hill Street Blues"
1981 TV series producing debut, "Hill Street Blues"; served as an associate producer
1979 TV-movie producing debut, "Vampire"
1970 - 1974 Taught school in Aspen, Colorado
Underwent treatment for a bipolar disorder
Worked as an associate producer on the short-lived CBS detective series, "Paris"
