Rob Tapert | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Tapert in 2018 | |
| Born | Robert Gerard Tapert (1955-05-14)May 14, 1955 (age 70) Royal Oak, Michigan, U.S. |
| Other names | Robert G. Tapert |
| Alma mater | Michigan State University |
| Occupation(s) | Film and television producer, screenwriter, television director |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | robtapert |
Robert Gerard Tapert (/ˈtæpərt/;[1] born May 14, 1955) is an American film and television producer, writer and director. He is best known for co-creating the television seriesXena: Warrior Princess.
Tapert first became involved with filmmaking while attendingMichigan State University where he was studying economics. Through his friend and roommateIvan Raimi, Tapert would meet future longstanding filmmaking partnersSam Raimi andBruce Campbell.
Tapert and director Sam Raimi experimented on several short films before endeavoring on their first feature-length picture, a graphic horror film titledThe Evil Dead, which Tapert produced, Raimi directed, and Bruce Campbell starred. It was a success with the crowd at theCannes Film Festival in France, and a glowing review from horror authorStephen King saw the film given a cinematic release in the USA, and later internationally.[2]
Although not a favorite of critics at the time, it gained a cult following and was later critically acclaimed as a horror classic. The film spawned afranchise of five films and a television series, of which Tapert has been involved as a producer in all of them.
Tapert continued on to produce numerous other films, typically involving Raimi and/or Campbell in some capacity, such asCrimewave,Easy Wheels,Darkman,Hard Target,Timecop,The Quick and the Dead,A Simple Plan, andThe Gift.
Tapert co-founded film production companyGhost House Pictures in 2002. Their first release,The Grudge, grossed nearly $200 million internationally.[3] They followed up that success withBoogeyman,Rise,The Messengers,30 Days of Night,Drag Me to Hell which Raimi directed,The Possession,[4] and a remake ofTobe Hooper's seminal filmPoltergeist.[5]
In 2013, Tapert and Raimi tapped Uruguayan directorFede Álvarez, after seeing his short,Ataque de pánico!, to reimagineThe Evil Dead.[6] Diablo Cody contributed a polish to help Americanize the script.[7]
Tapert would re-collaborate with Álvarez and writerRodo Sayagues in 2016 on the breakout filmDon't Breathe that grossed $157 million worldwide.[8] He returned as producer in its2021 sequel.
In the 1990s, Tapert produced and/or wrote several television series, includingHercules: The Legendary Journeys,M.A.N.T.I.S.,Spy Game, andAmerican Gothic. Tapert also co-created the prequel seriesYoung Hercules that starredRyan Gosling.
DuringHercules, Tapert created the character ofXena which he later spun off into a separate series,Xena: Warrior Princess. The franchise has been referred to as ground-breaking and the character as a feminist and lesbian icon.[9][10][11]Xena: Warrior Princess has been credited by many, includingBuffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon, with blazing the trail for a new generation of female action heroes such as Buffy, Max ofDark Angel, Sydney Bristow ofAlias, and the Bride in Quentin Tarantino'sKill Bill.[12] After serving as Lucy Lawless's stunt double onXena, stunt womanZoë E. Bell was recruited to be Uma Thurman's stunt double in Tarantino'sKill Bill. By helping to pave the way for female action heroes in television and film,Xena also strengthened the stunt woman profession.[13]
In 2008, Tapert producedLegend of the Seeker, the television adaptation of the popularSword of Truth books byTerry Goodkind for ABC Studios.
Tapert followed with the Roman epicSpartacus for Starz in 2010,[14] includingSpartacus: Blood and Sand,Spartacus: Gods of the Arena,Spartacus: Vengeance, andSpartacus: War of the Damned.
Tapert's most recent television project isAsh vs Evil Dead based on theEvil Dead film franchise that premiered on Starz in 2015.[15]
.jpg)
Tapert has two sisters, Dorothy and Mary Beth Tapert. He has been married to actressLucy Lawless since March 28, 1998;[16] the couple has two sons.[17] Lawless played the title character inXena: Warrior Princess.
Producer
Executive producer
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | The Happy Valley Kid | N/A | Short film |
| It's Murder! | |||
| 1980 | The Blind Waiter | The Deaf Manager | Short film |
| 1981 | The Evil Dead | Local Yokel | Uncredited |
| Torro. Torro. Torro! | N/A | Short film | |
| 1982 | Cleveland Smith: Bounty Hunter | ||
| 1984 | Going Back | Man with Glasses in Bar | Uncredited |
| 1985 | The Sappy Sap | N/A | Short film |
| 1986 | Crimewave | Bar patron in Rialto | Uncredited |
| 1987 | Evil Dead II | Airport Worker |
Other roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | It's Murder! | Sound utility | Uncredited |
| 1978 | Within the Woods | Presenter | Short film |
Producer
Executive producer
| Year(s) | Title | Director | Writer | Executive Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Darkman | No | No | Yes | TV movie |
| 1994–1995 | M.A.N.T.I.S. | No | No | Yes | 23 episodes |
| 1994–1999 | Hercules: The Legendary Journeys | Yes | Yes | Yes | Wrote and directed episode "Once a Hero" |
| 1995–1998 | American Gothic | No | No | Yes | 22 episodes |
| 1995–2001 | Xena: Warrior Princess | Yes | Yes | Yes | Wrote 15 episodes Directed 4 episodes |
| 1997 | Spy Game | No | No | Yes | 13 episodes |
| 1997 | Amazon High | No | Story | No | TV movie |
| 1998–1999 | Young Hercules | No | Yes | Yes | Wrote 3 episodes |
| 2000 | Jack of All Trades | No | No | Yes | 22 episodes |
| 2000–2001 | Cleopatra 2525 | No | Yes | Yes | Wrote episode "Quest for Firepower" |
| 2005 | Alien Apocalypse | No | Uncredited | No | TV movie |
| 2008–2010 | Legend of the Seeker | No | No | Yes | 44 episodes |
| 2009 | 13: Fear Is Real | No | No | Yes | 8 episodes |
| 2010 | Zombie Roadkill | No | No | Yes | 6 episodes |
| 2010–2013 | Spartacus | No | No | Yes | 39 episodes |
| 2015–2018 | Ash vs Evil Dead | No | No | Yes | 30 episodes |
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Hercules: The Legendary Journeys | Crowd Member (uncredited) | Episode "Gladiator" |
| 1997 | Xena: Warrior Princess | Himself | Episode "The Xena Scrolls" |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Evil Dead: Regeneration | Supervising producer |
Tapert produced the stage musicalPleasuredome as a love story to 1980's New York City incorporating songs from the era. The play, which was based on Tapert's personal experiences,[18] successfully premiered in 2017 to critical acclaim and sold-out crowds in Tapert's home of Auckland, New Zealand and starsLucy Lawless.[19]
57,000 tickets were sold during its first 13-week run.[20]
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help);Cite uses generic title (help)
