Ron Underwood

Biography

Ron Underwood (born November 6, 1953) is an American film and television director known for combining comedy, fantasy, science fiction, adventure, and family entertainment. He is best known for directing Tremors (1990), City Slickers (1991), Heart and Souls (1993), Speechless (1994), and Mighty Joe Young (1998). He has also built an extensive career directing television films and episodes of popular series.

Early Life and Education

Born Ronald Brian Underwood in Glendale, California, Underwood developed an interest in filmmaking at a young age and began making short films while still in school. During his high school years, he spent time in Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, as an exchange student. He initially studied pre-med at Occidental College but eventually decided to pursue filmmaking and transferred to the University of Southern California, where he studied cinema and anthropology. He later completed a fellowship at the American Film Institute.

Early Career

After completing his education, Underwood worked in educational and industrial filmmaking. He directed more than 100 short films and gained valuable experience in directing, editing, and production. He also worked on feature-film productions, including Futureworld (1976), and served as an assistant director on Tourist Trap (1979).

His breakthrough in television came with The Mouse and the Motorcycle (1986), an adaptation of Beverly Cleary's children's novel. The production earned a Peabody Award and an Emmy nomination. Its sequel, Runaway Ralph, brought Underwood another Daytime Emmy nomination. These successes helped establish him as a capable director before he moved into feature filmmaking.

Feature-Film Career

Underwood made his feature directorial debut with Tremors in 1990. The science-fiction comedy horror film starred Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Michael Gross, and Reba McEntire. Although it was initially a modest box-office performer, the film became a highly regarded cult classic and eventually developed into a successful franchise.

His next film, City Slickers (1991), became a major commercial success. Starring Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby, and Jack Palance, the comedy followed three friends who take part in a cattle drive while dealing with personal problems. The film became one of the year's biggest hits, and Palance won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Underwood subsequently directed the fantasy comedy Heart and Souls (1993), starring Robert Downey Jr., and the romantic comedy Speechless (1994), starring Michael Keaton and Geena Davis. He returned to large-scale adventure filmmaking with Mighty Joe Young (1998), a remake of the 1949 film. Starring Bill Paxton and Charlize Theron, the movie received an Academy Award nomination for its visual effects.

In 2002, he directed the science-fiction comedy The Adventures of Pluto Nash, starring Eddie Murphy. He later directed Stealing Sinatra (2003), a television film based on the kidnapping of Frank Sinatra Jr., and Back When We Were Grownups (2004). His subsequent feature, In the Mix (2005), starred Usher and Chazz Palminteri.

Television Career

Alongside his film work, Underwood developed a substantial television career. He has directed episodes of series including Monk, Boston Legal, Ugly Betty, Heroes, Grey's Anatomy, Burn Notice, Once Upon a Time, Desperate Housewives, Nashville, Scandal, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Good Fight, Big Shot, Fear the Walking Dead, Evil, Watson, and Elsbeth.

He has also directed numerous television movies, including Santa Baby, Holiday in Handcuffs, and The Year Without a Santa Claus. His television work has demonstrated his ability to move between comedy, family entertainment, drama, fantasy, and genre programming.