Peter Spears (born November 29, 1965) is an American

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

and filmmaker. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and raised in

Overland Park, Kansas Overland Park ( ) is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas. Located in Johnson County, Kansas, it is one of four principal cities in the Kansas City metropolitan area and the most populous suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. As ...

. Spears is best known for winning an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

for producing ''Nomadland'' at the

93rd Academy Awards The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released from January 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021, at Union Station in Los Angeles. The ceremony was held on April 25, 202 ...

ceremony in 2021. The film also won the BAFTA, Golden Globe, PGA Award, and the Golden Lion at the 2021 Venice Film Festival. Spears also produced the critically acclaimed 2017 film '' Call Me by Your Name'', and was

nominated A candidate, or nominee, is the prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position; for example: * to be elected to an office — in this case a candidate selection procedure occurs. * ...

for the Academy Award for Best Picture. He directed the underground cult-favorite short film '' Ernest and Bertram'', which portrayed ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) ...

'' characters

Bert and Ernie Bert and Ernie are two Muppet characters who appear together in numerous skits on the long-running PBS/HBO children's television show, ''Sesame Street''. Originated by Frank Oz and Jim Henson, the characters are currently performed by puppeteer ...

as gay lovers in a loose parody of

Lillian Hellman Lillian Florence Hellman (June 20, 1905 – June 30, 1984) was an American playwright, prose writer, memoirist and screenwriter known for her success on Broadway, as well as her communist sympathies and political activism. She was blacklisted aft ...

's '' The Children's Hour''. Spears also developed the

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

'' Nightmare Café'' and ''

John from Cincinnati ''John from Cincinnati'' is an American drama television series, set against the surfing community of Imperial Beach, California. It aired on HBO from June 10 to August 12, 2007. Overview ''John from Cincinnati'' is the result of a collaborativ ...

''.

Career

In 2020, Spears founded his own production company, Cor Cordium. The company has multiple projects in development across film and television, including the upcoming ''

Bones and All ''Bones and All'' is a 2022 romantic horror film directed by Luca Guadagnino from a screenplay by David Kajganich, based on the 2015 novel ''Bones & All'' by Camille DeAngelis. The film stars Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet as a pair of ...

'', which reunites Spears with filmmaker

Luca Guadagnino Luca Guadagnino (; born 10 August 1971) is an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. His films are often characterized by their emotional complexities, sensuality and sumptuous visuals. He is also known for his frequent collaboration ...

and

Timothée Chalamet Timothée Hal Chalamet (; ; born December 27, 1995) is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and three BAFTA Film Awards. Chalamet began his career as a t ...

. In addition to his career as a film director and producer, Spears is also an actor, having appearing in films such as '' Call Me By Your Name'', '' Something's Gotta Give'', '' The Opposite of Sex,'' and ''

Father of the Bride Part II ''Father of the Bride Part II'' is a 1995 American comedy film starring Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, and Martin Short. It is a sequel to '' Father of the Bride'' and a remake of the 1951 film '' Father's Little Dividend'', the sequel to the origi ...

'', as well as several television series, including '' Friends'' and '' E.R.'' He was most recently seen in the film ''

Sublet A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the user (referred to as the ''lessee'') to pay the owner (referred to as the ''lessor'') for the use of an asset. Property, buildings and vehicles are common assets that are leased. Industrial ...

,'' directed by

Eytan Fox Eytan Fox ( he, איתן פוקס; born on August 21, 1964) is an Israeli film director. Biography Eytan Fox was born in New York City. His family immigrated to Israel when he was two. His father, Seymour Fox, was a Conservative rabbi and a prof ...

. Spears also co-founded OutSet: The Young Filmmakers Project, a collaboration between the Outfest Film Festival and the

Los Angeles LGBT Center The Los Angeles LGBT Center (previously known as the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center) is a provider of programs and services for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. The organization's work spans four categories, including health, soc ...

. The 6-month film lab selects a group of diverse 16-to-24-year-old emerging filmmakers to share their stories through film, by embarking on courses in screenwriting, pre-production, production and post-production, mentored by industry experts. The program culminates in the filmmakers' final thesis projects presented at the Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival.

Personal life

Spears is married to talent agent Brian Swardstrom, and the couple splits their time between upstate New York and California.

Filmography

As actor

Film

Television

As writer

As director

As producer

Film

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Spears, Peter 1965 births Living people 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American male actors 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American male actors 21st-century LGBT people American film producers American gay actors American male film actors American male television actors Film producers from Kansas Film producers from Missouri Film producers from New York (state) Filmmakers who won the Best Film BAFTA Award Golden Globe Award-winning producers Jewish American male actors LGBT Jews LGBT people from Missouri LGBT people from New York (state) LGBT producers Male actors from Kansas Male actors from Kansas City, Missouri Male actors from New York City Northwestern University alumni People from Overland Park, Kansas People from Rancho Mirage, California Producers who won the Best Picture Academy Award