James Joseph Orr (born March 23, 1953) is a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short sto ...

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

and producer of

motion pictures A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

. Orr's screenplay credits include ''

Three Men and a Baby ''Three Men and a Baby'' is a 1987 American comedy film directed by Leonard Nimoy. It stars Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson as three bachelors as they attempt to adapt their lives to de facto fatherhood with the arrival of the ...

'', ''

Tough Guys ''Tough Guys'' is a 1986 American action comedy film directed by Jeff Kanew and starring Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Eli Wallach, Charles Durning, Dana Carvey, and Darlanne Fluegel. It is the eighth film of Touchstone Pictures, and the fina ...

'' and '' Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit'', whilst his director credits include ''

Mr. Destiny ''Mr. Destiny'' is a 1990 American fantasy comedy film directed by James Orr, and starring Jim Belushi, Linda Hamilton, Michael Caine, Jon Lovitz, Courteney Cox, Jay O. Sanders and Rene Russo. It is heavily inspired by the 1946 film '' It's ...

'' and '' Man of the House''.

Biography

Born in

Noranda, Quebec Rouyn-Noranda (; 2021 population 42,313) is a city on Osisko Lake in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec, Canada. The city of Rouyn-Noranda is coextensive with a territory equivalent to a regional county municipality (TE) and census d ...

in 1953, he grew up in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, Ontario. He attended the

Carleton School of Journalism The School of Journalism and Communication is a department within the Faculty of Public Affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is the oldest four-year journalism program in Canada. The journalism program is recognized as one ...

Carleton University Carleton University is an English-language public university, public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1942 as Carleton College, the institution originally operated as a private, non-denominational evening college to se ...

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada, where he became the editor of '' The Charlatan''

student newspaper A student publication is a media outlet such as a newspaper, magazine, television show, or radio station Graduate student journal, produced by students at an educational institution. These publications typically cover local and school-related new ...

during the 1973–1974 term. Orr then went to the undergraduate film school at

York University York University (), also known as YorkU or simply YU), is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, and it has approximately 53,500 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, ...

in Toronto, and in 1977 he became the first Canadian to be accepted as a Director Fellow in the

AFI Conservatory The AFI Conservatory is a private non-profit graduate film school in the Hollywood Hills district of Los Angeles. Students (called "Fellows") learn from the masters in a collaborative, hands-on production environment with an emphasis on stor ...

of the

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. In the mid-1980s, Orr had a relationship with actress

Jamie Rose Jamie Rose (born November 26, 1959) is an American actress and acting coach. Born in New York City, Rose was raised in Southern California, where she began her career as a child actor, first appearing in commercials. She made her feature film de ...

. They married in 1986, but later divorced in 1988. From 1997 to 1998, Orr had a relationship with actress

Farrah Fawcett Farrah Fawcett (born Ferrah Leni Fawcett; February 2, 1947 – June 25, 2009) was an American actress. A four-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee and six-time Golden Globe Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she played a ...

, who had co-starred with

Chevy Chase Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He became the breakout cast member in the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1976), where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment b ...

and

Jonathan Taylor Thomas Jonathan Taylor Thomas (; born September 8, 1981) is an American actor and director. He is known for portraying Randy Taylor on ''Home Improvement'' and voicing young Simba in Disney's 1994 animated feature film ''The Lion King'' and Pinocchio ...

in '' Man of the House'', a film that he directed and wrote the screenplay for. The relationship ended when Orr was arrested, charged, and later convicted of beating Fawcett during a 1998 fight. Since the 1980s, Orr has been an avid wine collector and has participated in several wine auctions. This interest proved useful when, in September 2010, wine critic

James Suckling James Cameron Suckling (born September 29, 1958) is an American wine and cigar critic and former Senior Editor and European Bureau Chief of ''Wine Spectator'' as well as European Editor of '' Cigar Aficionado''. Suckling is internationally regar ...

announced the launch of his new video-based website featuring content taped in locations across the world, created in collaboration with Orr.Lechmere, Adam, ''Decanter.com'' (September 16, 2010)
Benedict XVI, Decanter.com, Robinson: first to taste new Suckling wine
/ref> Orr has also indulged his passion for

cigar A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and Fermentation, fermented tobacco leaves made to be Tobacco smoking, smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct comp ...

s by writing and directing the low-budget feature ''Blowing Smoke'', as well as making a documentary on the Fuente Family called ''The Fuente Family: An American Dream'', and a documentary on Cuban cigars called ''Cigars: The Heart and Soul of Cuba''.

Filmography

References

External links

* * Living people Film directors from Quebec AFI Conservatory alumni Canadian male screenwriters Film producers from Quebec 1953 births People from Rouyn-Noranda Screenwriters from Quebec Canadian people convicted of assault Canadian comedy film directors {{Canada-screenwriter-stub