Fisher Stevens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fisher Stevens
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![]() Stevens in 2025
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Born |
Stephen Fisher
November 27, 1963 |
Education | New York University |
Occupation | Actor, director, producer, writer |
Years active | 1981–present |
Spouse(s) |
Alexis Bloom
(m. 2017) |
Children | 2 |
Fisher Stevens (born Stephen Fisher on November 27, 1963) is an American actor, director, and producer who has worked on many famous movies and TV shows. You might know him as the funny scientist Ben Jahveri in the robot movies Short Circuit and Short Circuit 2.
Besides acting, Stevens is a talented documentary filmmaker. He even won an Academy Award for producing the powerful film The Cove. He also directed other important documentaries, like Before the Flood with Leonardo DiCaprio.
Stevens has appeared in many popular films, including Hackers and several movies by director Wes Anderson, like The Grand Budapest Hotel and Asteroid City. On TV, he played memorable characters in shows like Early Edition, The Blacklist, and the hit HBO series Succession.
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From Chicago to New York
Fisher Stevens was born as Stephen Fisher in Chicago, Illinois. He described himself as a "white Jewish kid from Chicago." His parents divorced when he was 13, and he moved to New York City with his mother.
His love for acting started early. At just 16, he got his first role in the horror movie The Burning. After studying for a year at New York University, he decided to become a full-time actor. When he joined the actors' union, he had to change his name to "Fisher Stevens" because another actor was already named Steven Fisher.
A Career in Hollywood
Stevens has had a long and successful career in movies, television, and theater. He helped start a theater company and a film production company, showing his passion for all parts of entertainment.
Famous Acting Roles
As an actor, Stevens is famous for playing a wide range of characters. One of his most beloved roles was Ben Jahveri in the 1980s movies Short Circuit and its sequel. He also played the villain Eugene "The Plague" Belford in the cult classic Hackers and Iggy Koopa in the Super Mario Bros. movie.
His television work includes playing Chuck Fishman in the series Early Edition. He has also appeared in popular shows like Friends, Lost, and The Mentalist. More recently, he played the clever lawyer Marvin Gerard on The Blacklist and the communications executive Hugo Baker in Succession.
Behind the Camera
Stevens is not just an actor; he is also a respected director and producer, especially of documentaries.
In 2010, he won an Academy Award for producing The Cove. This film exposed the secret capture and killing of dolphins in Japan and brought worldwide attention to the issue.
He also directed the climate change documentary Before the Flood, working with actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio. In 2021, he directed the movie Palmer, starring Justin Timberlake. Most recently, he directed the popular Netflix series Beckham, about the life of the famous soccer player David Beckham.
Personal Life
From 1989 to 1992, Stevens was in a relationship with actress Michelle Pfeiffer. He later married his filmmaking partner, Alexis Bloom, in 2017. They have two children together.
Stevens is also a survivor of Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer.
Selected Work and Awards
Throughout his career, Fisher Stevens has been part of many successful projects and has won several major awards for his work.
Key Film and TV Roles
- Ben Jahveri in Short Circuit (1986) and Short Circuit 2 (1988)
- Iggy Koopa in Super Mario Bros. (1993)
- Eugene "The Plague" Belford in Hackers (1995)
- Chuck Fishman in Early Edition (1996–2000)
- George Minkowski in Lost (2008–2010)
- Marvin Gerard in The Blacklist (2015–2022)
- Hugo Baker in Succession (2019–2023)
Notable Directing and Producing Projects
- The Cove (2009) - Producer
- Stand Up Guys (2012) - Director
- Before the Flood (2016) - Director
- Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds (2016) - Director
- Palmer (2021) - Director
- Beckham (2023) - Director
Major Awards
- Academy Awards: Won for Best Documentary Feature for The Cove in 2009.
- Primetime Emmy Awards: Won for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series for Beckham in 2024.
- Screen Actors Guild Awards: Won twice for Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series for Succession in 2022 and 2024.