Paul Haggis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paul Haggis
Haggis in 2013
Born	Paul Edward Haggis (1953-03-10) March 10, 1953 (age 72) London, Ontario, Canada
Occupation	Screenwriter producer director
Years active	1975–present
Spouse(s)	Diane Christine Gettas ​ ​ (m. 1977; div. 1994)​ Deborah Rennard ​ ​ (m. 1997; div. 2016)​
Children	4

Paul Edward Haggis, born on March 10, 1953, is a talented Canadian screenwriter, film producer, and director. He is well-known for his work in both movies and television. He helped create two movies that won the Best Picture Oscar in a row: Million Dollar Baby (2004) and Crash (2005). He also directed Crash.

Haggis also co-wrote other famous films like the war movie Flags of Our Fathers (2006). He worked on two James Bond movies, Casino Royale (2006) and Quantum of Solace (2008). On television, he created the series Due South (1994–1999) and helped create Walker, Texas Ranger (1993–2001). Paul Haggis has won many awards, including two Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards, and seven Gemini Awards. He also helped with the song "We Are the World 25 for Haiti".

Early Life and Education

Paul Edward Haggis was born in London, Ontario, Canada. His father was a veteran and an Olympic runner. Paul grew up in a Catholic family and went to Catholic schools. His parents owned a theater in London, where he gained early experience in the entertainment world.

Haggis attended St. Thomas More Elementary School. He later went to Ridley College for secondary school. After a year, his parents moved him to a different school in Muskoka Lakes. There, he learned from a producer of a radio news program. This producer let him watch how news was edited for broadcast.

Inspired by famous directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Haggis studied art at H. B. Beal Secondary School. He even opened a theater in Toronto to show movies that were not easily available. After seeing a film called Blowup in 1974, he went to England to try fashion photography. Later, he returned to Canada to study filmmaking at Fanshawe College. In 1975, Haggis moved to Los Angeles, California, to start his career in writing for movies and TV.

Career Highlights

Paul Haggis began his career writing for many television shows. These included popular cartoons like Richie Rich and Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo. He also wrote for sitcoms such as The Love Boat and The Facts of Life. On The Facts of Life, he also became a producer for the first time.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Haggis wrote for other TV series like thirtysomething and L.A. Law. He helped create the TV shows Walker, Texas Ranger, Family Law, and Due South. He also worked as an executive producer for series like Michael Hayes.

Haggis at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival

Haggis became very well-known in the film industry for his work on the 2004 movie Million Dollar Baby. This film was a big step for him in feature films. He got the idea for the movie from stories written by a boxing trainer named F.X. Toole. Haggis bought the rights to these stories and turned them into the movie's screenplay. Clint Eastwood starred in and directed the film. Million Dollar Baby won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

After Million Dollar Baby, Haggis worked on the 2004 film Crash. He came up with the story himself and then wrote and directed the movie. This gave him more control over the project. Crash was his first time directing a major feature film. The movie received very good reviews when it came out.

Crash was nominated for many Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Haggis won two Academy Awards for the film: Best Picture (as a producer) and Best Writing for the screenplay. With Million Dollar Baby and then Crash, Paul Haggis became the first person to write two Best Picture Oscar-winning films in a row.

Haggis has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 2005. This means he can vote on the Academy Awards. In 2008, he started his own film company called Hwy61 Films.

Personal Life and Activism

Paul Haggis lives in Santa Monica, California. He has four children: three daughters from his first marriage and one son from his second marriage. His younger sister, Jo Francis, is a film editor, and they have worked together on several projects.

In 2009, Haggis started a non-profit group called Artists for Peace and Justice. This organization helps young people in need in Haiti.

Leaving Scientology

Paul Haggis was a member of the Church of Scientology for 35 years. He decided to leave the organization in October 2009. He left because the San Diego branch of the Church of Scientology supported Proposition 8. This was a vote that banned same-sex marriage in California.

Haggis asked the Church's spokesman to speak out against these statements. When the spokesman did not, Haggis said that "Silence is consent." He also had other concerns about Scientology. These included its policy of disconnection, which means members are encouraged to cut ties with people who leave the Church. He also disliked how former members were treated.

In 2015, Haggis was interviewed for the movie Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief. This film featured several former Scientologists sharing their experiences.

Filmography

Film

Executive producer

• Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) (Also story writer)
• Gold (2016)

Television

Acting credit

TV movies

Video game

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Paul Haggis para niños

• List of Canadian directors
• List of film and television directors
• List of film producers
• List of Big Five Academy Award winners and nominees
• List of people who have won multiple Academy Awards in a single year
• List of people from Santa Monica, California
• List of people from London, Ontario
• Scientology and celebrities
• Scientology controversies