SHAWN THOMPSON Shawn’s first foray into show biz came as a circus performer, dangling by his ankles from a burning rope some fifty feet in the air while struggling to free himself from a straight jacket. Since then, everything else has seemed like a cakewalk. From those auspicious beginnings, Shawn migrated into stand-up comedy, then acting, and finally writing and directing with his first feature film, “Dinner At Fred’s” for George Harrison’s storied Handmade Films. Today, Shawn is regarded as one of Canada’s preeminent single camera directors, garnering two wins and an astonishing sixteen Gemini award, Canadian Comedy award, and Directors Guild Award nominations. Shawn’s directorial talents recently were tapped to establish ground breaking new series in both comedy and drama, including the quirky international cult hit “Puppets Who Kill,” last year’s ratings smash “Murdoch Mysteries” for Granada Television, critical darling “Less Than Kind” staring Maury Chaykin, and HBO Canada’s edgy new crime drama “The Line,” starring Edward Asner, Sharon Lawrence, and Linda Hamilton. As an actor Shawn studied with legendary acting teacher Uta Hagen and has worked with an eclectic range of talent from Rod Steiger to John Waters, for whom Shawn originated the role of “Corny Collins” in John’s cult hit “Hairspray.” Besides features, Shawn’s writing credits include sketch comedy (“The Newz,”) sit-coms (“An American in Canada,”) science fiction (“The Outer Limits,”) as well as producing and writing televised Galas for the world famous “Montreal Comedy Festival.” Most recently Shawn, along with partner Eric McCormack (“Will & Grace,”) optioned the best selling thriller “No Time for Goodbye,” which they are adapting as a major motion picture to be helmed by Shawn. Shawn Alex Thompson is represented by Brent Jordan Sherman @
Shawn Thompson
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CREATIVE IDEAS
