A well-trained supporting player of A-list movies and lead in lower budget projects, the attractive, blond Stockwell has often been cast as a rambunctious youth or tough guy with secrets. Although he had done some amateur theater, Stockwell began acting professionally while still a student at Harvard, commuting between Cambridge, Massachusetts and NYC to appear in the CBS daytime drama "Guiding Light". He also made his feature film debut while still in college: a small role in Andrew Bergman's "So Fine" (1981). Numerous modestly priced films geared toward the youth market followed. Stockwell was Keith Gordon's buddy in the haunted car drama, "Christine", based on the Stephen King novel and joined Tom Cruise on a teen jaunt in Mexico in "Losin' It" (both 1983). By the time he and Cruise next co-starred, their roles were reversed with Stockwell decidedly in support of the superstar playing Cougar, the F-14 pilot who grounds himself thus giving Cruise's a shot at being "Top Gun" (1986). The actor also had a rather high profile turn as the high school teen out to create a time machine in "My Science Project" (1985). The low budget shop Cannon Films gave Stockwell the opportunity to write and direct features. He starred as the leader of a group of teenage vigilantes in the suspense thriller "Dangerously Close" (1986) which he co-wrote with Scott Fields and Marty Ross. Fields and Stockwell went on to become a screenwriting team, although only one other effort has been produced: "Under Cover" (1987), a pallid effort about a cop investigating a high school drug ring, which also marked Stockwell's directorial debut. He returned to the other side of the camera in the direct-to-video drama "Born to Ride" and the Italian-produced feature "Miliardi" (both 1991). He headlined the "Rashomon"-inspired indie, "I Shot a Man in Vegas" (1994) and played a cameo role as a White House staff member in Oliver Stone's "Nixon" (1995).
On TV, Stockwell was Billy Hazard, a Northern soldier fighting in the American Civil War, in the ABC miniseries "North and South" (1985) and co-starred as a member of the "Billionaire Boys Club" (NBC, 1987), a group of arrogant young investment partners who turn to murder. He has also been seen in the TV-movies "Quarterback Princess" (CBS, 1983), as Helen Hunt's boyfriend, and alongside Stefanie Powers and Robert Wagner in "Hart to Hart: Crimes of the Hart" (NBC, 1994).
In the early 90s, Stockwell had all but abandoned acting in favor of pursuing a music career as front man for the band The Brood. When he did return to movies and TV, he worked infrequently preferring to develop his burgeoning reputation as a screenwriter and director. He penned the darkly humorous script for HBO's "Breast Men" (1997), about the inventors of silicone implants which became his calling card. He wrote and directed the equally well-received drama "Cheaters" (HBO, 2000), about a teacher who uses an illegally obtained copy of test questions to level the playing field in an academic competition. His taut, nicely nuanced script snagged an Emmy nomination. Stockwell went on to helm "crazy/beautiful" (2001), a contemporary spin on "Romeo and Juliet" starring Kirsten Dunst and Jay Hernandez, and write the screenplay for "Rock Star" (also 2001), about an ordinary guy who harbors a desire to play in a heavy metal band.
Profession(s):
Actor, screenwriter, director
Sometimes Credited As:
John Stockwell Samuels IV
Education
Collegiate School New York, New York
St Paul's Preparatory School Concord, New Hampshire
Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts BA visual and environmental studies
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art London, England
The National Theatre London, England voice
School of the Arts, New York University New York, New York acting
Actors Workshop
2006 Directed the horror film, "Turistas" about a group of young backpackers whose vacation turns deadly
2005 Directed "Into the Blue" starring Paul Walker and Jessica Alba
2002 Directed Kate Bosworth as a hard-core surfer in "Blue Crush"
2001 Wrote and directed the feature "crazy/beautiful", starring Kirsten Dunst
2001 Penned the screenplay for "Rock Star", starring Mark Wahlberg in the based-on-fact tale of an ordinary guy who aspires to be a heavy metal musician
2000 Wrote and directed the HBO original film "Cheaters"; received Emmy nomination for teleplay
1997 Scripted the well-received black comedy "Breast Men" (HBO); also had small role
1995 Appeared as a White House staff member in Oliver Stone's "Nixon"
1994 Returned to TV in supporting role in the NBC mystery "Hart to Hart: Crimes of the Hart"
1987 Made directorial debut with "Under Cover" for Cannon Films; co-wrote script with Fields
1987 Co-starred with Judd Nelson in the NBC miniseries "Billionaire Boys Club"
1986 Reteamed with Cruise in "Top Gun" as as Cougar
1986 Co-wrote screenplay (with Fields) for "Dangerously Close" produced by Cannon Films; also starred
1985 Co-starred as Billy Hazard in ABC miniseries, "North and South"
1985 Starred in the comedy "My Science Project"
1983 First screen collaboration with Tom Cruise, co-starring in the teen sex comedy "Losin' It" as Spider
1983 Primetime TV debut in the busted pilot "Too Good to be True" (ABC)
1983 TV-movie debut, "Quarterback Princess" (CBS)
1983 Had featured role in the John Carpenter horror movie "Christine"
1981 Made feature film debut in "So Fine"
Raised in Galveston, Texas and NYC
Received first theatrical experience in "garage theater" production of "The Sound of Music" in Galveston, Texas
While still in college, won first professional work as cast member on CBS daytime drama "Guiding Light"
Formed writing partnership with Scott Fields
Was rhythm guitarist and lead singer with The Brood, a New York based rock group
