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Gregg Champion

Gregg Champion (born November 20, 1956, in Los Angeles, California) is an American film director and producer known for his contributions to action-comedies, feature films, and Emmy-nominated television movies. He is the son of renowned dancer-choreographers Gower Champion and Marge Champion. After attending the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, Champion apprenticed under directors including Blake Edwards and John Badham, gaining experience in production and second-unit direction. His early career focused on producing major studio films, with credits including the action thriller Blue Thunder (1983), the science-fiction comedy Short Circuit (1986), and the buddy-cop film Stakeout (1987), where he also handled action sequences as second-unit director. Transitioning to directing, Champion helmed his feature debut Short Time (1990), a comedy starring Dabney Coleman, followed by the Woody Harrelson and Kiefer Sutherland-led Western comedy The Cowboy Way (1994). He gained further acclaim in television with dramas such as the Emmy-nominated The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn (1999) starring Sidney Poitier, the Emmy-nominated Miracle Run (2004) about autistic savant brothers, and Amish Grace (2010), which earned a Christopher Award for its portrayal of the 2006 Nickel Mines Amish school shooting. Additional honors include a 2015 Christopher Award for directing The Gabby Douglas Story (2014), a biopic of the Olympic gymnast.

Early life

Family background

Gregg Champion was born on November 20, 1956, in , . He is the son of (August 22, 1921 – August 25, 1980), a celebrated choreographer and known for his work in musical theater and film, and (September 2, 1919 – October 21, 2020), a renowned dancer, actress, and the live-action model for Disney's in the 1937 animated film. Champion had one sibling, a brother named Blake Champion (c. 1962–1987), who died in a car accident. Raised in the heart of amid his parents' prominent careers in the entertainment industry, Champion grew up surrounded by the vibrant world of , , and film production. Gower and formed a legendary husband-and-wife duo starting in 1947, collaborating professionally on numerous projects that defined the golden age of musicals. Their joint work included starring roles and in the 1951 film , where they performed iconic sequences that showcased their synchronized style and innovative movement. The couple's influence extended to and later directing ventures, with helming the 1969 film adaptation of Hello, Dolly!, a lavish musical starring that earned multiple Academy Award nominations. This professional partnership not only elevated their status in the industry but also created a familial atmosphere steeped in creative collaboration and the , shaping the early environment in which Gregg Champion was immersed.

Education

Gregg Champion attended the () School of Cinema-Television, where he received formal training in film production and directing. Following his graduation from , Champion pursued apprenticeships under prominent directors, including , Nicholas Roeg, and . These mentorships provided intensive, practical exposure to the process, from script development to on-set coordination. During the 1970s and early , Champion accumulated hands-on experience in film through these apprenticeships and related opportunities, honing technical skills essential for directing and roles. This laid the foundational expertise that shaped his subsequent career in the industry.

Career

Early roles

Gregg Champion began his professional career in the film industry during the early , initially serving in assistant and roles on high-profile action and projects. After completing his education at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, he apprenticed under notable directors such as , Nicholas Roeg, and , which provided foundational experience in logistics and action coordination. Champion's early credits included work as an associate and on (1983), a directed by featuring high-stakes aerial action sequences involving a prototype police . In this role, he contributed to production management and oversaw filming, ensuring the seamless integration of complex stunt work and that defined the film's adrenaline-fueled chases. His efforts helped streamline the logistical challenges of the production, which blended sci-fi elements with intense action. He continued in similar capacities on (1986), another Badham-directed sci-fi comedy, where Champion served as associate producer and second unit , focusing on the film's dynamic sequences involving the sentient robot Johnny 5. His responsibilities encompassed coordinating stunts and production elements that amplified the movie's blend of humor and high-energy pursuits, contributing to its commercial success. Champion's apprenticeship background proved instrumental in managing these fast-paced elements efficiently. By 1987, Champion had advanced to co-producer and director on Stakeout, once again under Badham's direction, handling the film's thrilling action set pieces, including foot chases and surveillance-driven confrontations. This project marked a key transition from assistant positions to more prominent producing roles, earning him recognition within Hollywood's action and sci-fi circles for his adept handling of production management and sequence execution. His involvement across these films solidified his reputation for delivering polished, impactful contributions to genre filmmaking.

Feature films

Gregg Champion made his directorial debut with the 1990 action-comedy , starring as a police detective who learns of a terminal diagnosis and begins recklessly pursuing danger on the job to secure a lucrative payout for his family. The film, released by 20th Century Fox, blends humor with high-stakes chases, culminating in the protagonist's desperate bid for pension benefits amid escalating mishaps. Champion followed this with The Cowboy Way in 1994, an action-comedy produced by and starring and as New Mexico ranchers who travel to to deliver a prize bull, only to become entangled in a murder investigation involving their missing business partner. The narrative employs classic buddy-cop dynamics, contrasting rural cowboy instincts with urban chaos through pursuits, shootouts, and comedic cultural clashes. Champion's directorial approach in these films drew from his prior experience as an action director on projects like (1983), (1986), and Stakeout (1987), where he honed skills in choreographing dynamic sequences that prioritize tight pacing and visual rhythm to heighten tension and humor. This background informed his emphasis on fluid stunt work and spatial storytelling, evident in the kinetic car chases of and the blend of rodeo flair with cityscapes in The Cowboy Way. Critically, earned mixed reviews for its uneven tone, with awarding it two out of four stars and praising Coleman's performance while critiquing the script's indecision between comedy and ; it holds a 29% approval rating on based on seven reviews. Commercially, the film was a modest performer, grossing $4.01 million domestically against an unpublicized , opening at number 10 in its debut weekend. The Cowboy Way, budgeted at $35 million, received similarly mixed feedback, lauded for its stunt spectacle but faulted for formulaic humor and plot holes, achieving a 27% score from 15 critics. It underperformed at the box office, earning $20.3 million worldwide, failing to recoup its costs.

Television work

Gregg Champion transitioned to directing television projects in the late 1990s, following his work on feature films, with a focus on inspirational dramas that often addressed social issues such as loss, , , and . His television output primarily consisted of made-for-TV movies for networks like , , and Lifetime, as well as episodes of action series, emphasizing character-driven narratives with uplifting resolutions. Champion's television directorial debut was the 1999 CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame film The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn, starring Sidney Poitier as a reclusive carpenter fighting to keep his land from developers, which earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for Dianne Wiest in a supporting role. One of his early television highlights was the 2001 CBS movie The Last Brickmaker in America, starring Sidney Poitier as a widowed brickmaker who finds purpose by mentoring a troubled boy amid personal grief and economic hardship. This film marked his entry into inspirational storytelling, drawing from his prior experience in handling ensemble casts and emotional depth. In 2004, he directed Miracle Run for Lifetime Television, a drama based on the true story of a single mother (Mary-Louise Parker) raising autistic twins and advocating for their education and independence despite societal barriers. Champion continued with crisis-oriented narratives in 14 Hours (2005), a production depicting the real-life evacuation of Hermann Hospital during Tropical Storm Allison's flooding in , where staff and patients confront life-threatening chaos. For this film, he received a recognizing excellence in media that affirms the highest values of the human spirit. His direction earned another for Amish Grace (2010), a Lifetime Movie Network film portraying an community's path to after a 2006 , which became the network's highest-rated original movie with 4.02 million viewers. In 2011, Champion helmed Field of Vision, a Lifetime drama about a star () who uncovers against a new student via mysterious video footage, exploring themes of and in . He capped this phase with The Gabby Douglas Story (2014), another Lifetime biopic chronicling the gymnast's () journey from economic struggles to gold in , including her relocation for elite training; the film garnered four NAACP Image Award nominations, including for Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie, and Champion received a 2015 Christopher Award for his direction. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Champion also directed multiple episodes of the series , contributing to its action-packed episodes centered on and , such as the installment "A Woman's Place," which addressed workplace discrimination. His television work often featured collaborations with networks specializing in , issue-driven content, reflecting a deliberate shift toward smaller-scale productions that highlighted and .

Personal life

Immediate family

Gregg Champion has been married to Jennifer Champion since 2010. Together, they have two daughters, Elysse and Annabelle. Champion also has an older daughter, Alana Champion, and a son, Dylan , from a prior relationship with Christine Champion; Alana is an established model and known for her work in editorials and . The Champion family has maintained a close-knit dynamic centered in the area, with Champion, Jennifer, and their children residing in Pacific Palisades prior to recent events. In January 2025, their home and the children's schools were destroyed in the Palisades wildfires, prompting a community-wide evacuation and rebuilding effort that underscored the family's resilience and local support network. Alana, pursuing her career independently in modeling and entertainment, represents the family's ongoing ties to , distinct from Champion's parents' of and .

Later activities

Following the conclusion of his active directing work in 2014, Gregg Champion shifted his focus to mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs and contributing to the recovery community. In June 2015, he was appointed Mentor in Residence at the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, where he co-taught a 400-level Venture Management course at the Marshall School of Business and provided career to over 100 millennial students seeking internships and jobs in . Champion also took on consulting roles in branding and creative production during this period, leveraging his film expertise to advise major television networks, consumer brands, and professional sports teams on storytelling and marketing strategies. Additionally, he participated in industry panels and speaking engagements, such as his 2017 TEDx talk "Discovering Your 'It' Factor," where he drew on his production background to discuss personal branding and career pivots. In interviews reflecting on his career trajectory, Champion has emphasized how his transition from feature films to television in the early 2000s prepared him for broader applications of narrative and skills in non-entertainment fields, ultimately leading to his work in . He has described this evolution as a natural extension of his experiences, stating in a 2025 podcast that "from directing stories on screen to directing lives in , it's all about shifting to ." As of 2025, at age 68, Champion maintains a semi-retired status from traditional film production, selectively pursuing recovery-focused initiatives as co-founder and program director of Start Up Recovery, a Los Angeles-based center he established in 2017 that integrates clinical treatment, entrepreneurship training, and mentorship for individuals in early sobriety. Despite challenges like the January 2025 Palisades Fire, which destroyed three of the program's recovery facilities, he relocated operations to Santa Monica and continues facilitating retreats, private , and speaking events to support long-term recovery breakthroughs.

References

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