Sharron Miller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sharron Miller
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| Occupation | Director, screenwriter, producer |
Sharron Miller is an American director, producer, and screenwriter for television and movies. She is known as one of the first women to direct many mainstream Hollywood projects in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1984, she made history by becoming the first woman to win the special Directors Guild of America Award (DGA Award) for directing a story-based (not documentary) film.
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Sharron Miller's Career
Sharron Miller was born in Enid, Oklahoma and grew up in Perry, Oklahoma. She started writing and directing short films when she was a teenager. After finishing college at Oklahoma State University in 1971, she studied film at Northwestern University.
Starting in Hollywood
In 1972, Sharron moved to Hollywood. She worked behind the scenes as a script supervisor (making sure the script was followed), a sound editor (working with sounds), and a film editor (putting scenes together). In 1976, she became a professional director for the NBC TV series, The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams. This was a big deal because very few women were directing in Hollywood at that time. She also helped edit the movie Guardian of the Wilderness in 1976. This film told the true story of how Galen Clark and Abraham Lincoln helped save Yosemite from being cut down by logging companies.
Directing Many Shows and Movies
Sharron Miller has written and directed several short films. However, most of her work has been in television, where she has had a long and successful career. She has directed many TV movies and series. Early in her career, she learned from famous acting teachers. She is known for helping actors give really strong performances. Several actors, like Sharon Gless, Cloris Leachman, and Peggy McCay, won Emmy Awards for their roles in projects she directed. Another actor, James Stacy, was nominated for an Emmy under her direction.
Award-Winning Work
In 1983, Sharron Miller won many important awards for an ABC Afterschool Special she produced and directed called The Woman Who Willed a Miracle. She won the DGA Award, two Emmy Awards, the Peabody Award, and the Christopher Award. This true story was about Leslie Lemke, a boy who was blind and had cerebral palsy, but became famous as a musical genius (a savant) who could play the piano. This special is one of the most famous and honored Afterschool Specials ever made.
In 1987, she was nominated for another DGA Award and an Emmy Award. These nominations were for directing two different episodes of the popular series, Cagney & Lacey.
Sharron Miller's Projects
Here are some of the films and TV shows Sharron Miller has worked on.
Films Directed
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer | Editor |
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| 1981 | Cradle Song | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 1978 | The House of the Dead | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| 1976 | Deportee | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 1973 | Down Home | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 1971 | Felice | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Television Shows Directed
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The District | Director |
| 2001–2002 | That's Life | Director, Multiple episodes |
| 1999 | Hyperion Bay | Director, Multiple episodes |
| 1998 | Any Day Now | Director |
| 1997-1998 | Fame L.A. | Director, Multiple episodes |
| 1996 | The Client | Director |
| 1996 | Mr. & Mrs. Smith | Director |
| 1995 | Christy | Director |
| 1994 | Hotel Malibu | Director, Pilot |
| 1993 | Second Chances | Director, Multiple episodes |
| 1992–1993 | Homefront | Director, Multiple episodes |
| 1993 | Sisters | Director |
| 1990–1992 | The Trials of Rosie O'Neill | Director, Multiple episodes |
| 1991 | Father Dowling Mysteries | Director |
| 1990 | The Outsiders | Director, Pilot |
| 1989 | China Beach | Director |
| 1988 | Little Girl Lost | Director, TV movie |
| 1988 | Pigeon Feathers | Director, PBS American Playhouse Drama |
| 1988 | Knightwatch | Director, Also editor |
| 1984–1988 | Cagney & Lacey | Director, Multiple episodes |
| 1986–1987 | L.A. Law | Director, Multiple episodes |
| 1986 | Pleasures | Director, TV movie |
| 1984 | The Paper Chase | Director |
| 1984 | Maximum Security | Director, Also editor |
| 1983-1985 | This is the Life | Director, Multiple episodes |
| 1983 | The Woman Who Willed a Miracle | Director, Also producer, ABC Afterschool Special |
| 1979–81 | In Search of ... | Multiple episodes. Also producer, writer and editor |
| 1976–78 | The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams | Director, Multiple episodes |
Awards and Recognitions
Sharron Miller has received many awards for her directing and producing work.
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Series |
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| 1983 | Peabody Award | Won | Television Special | ABC Afterschool Special "The Woman Who Willed a Miracle" |
| 1983 | Daytime Emmy Award | Outstanding Individual Direction in Children's Programming | ABC Afterschool Special "The Woman Who Willed a Miracle" |
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| Outstanding Children's Entertainment Special | ABC Afterschool Special "The Woman Who Willed a Miracle" |
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| 1983 | Christopher Award | Television Special | ABC Afterschool Special "The Woman Who Willed a Miracle" |
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| 1983 | Film Advisory Board Award of Excellence | Television Special | ABC Afterschool Special "The Woman Who Willed a Miracle" |
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| 1983 | New York International Film and TV Festival | Gold Medal | This Is the Life (Episode "Bon Voyage and Shalom") |
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| 1983 | Directors Guild of America Award | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Shows – Daytime | ABC Afterschool Special "The Woman Who Willed a Miracle" |
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| 1984 | New York International Film and TV Festival | Gold Medal | This Is the Life (Episode "Reprise for the Lord") |
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| 1985 | New York International Film and TV Festival | Gold Medal | This Is the Life (Episode "The Face of Gabriel Ortiz") |
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| 1987 | Viewers for Quality Television Award | Best Director in a Quality Drama Series | Cagney & Lacey (Episode "Turn, Turn, Turn", part 2) |
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| 1987 | Humanitas Prize Certificate |
For Humanizing Achievement in Television |
Cagney & Lacey (Episode "Turn, Turn, Turn", part 2) |
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| 1987 | CINE Golden Eagle Award | Drama | American Playhouse (Episode "Pigeon Feathers") |
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| 1988 | Women in Film Award | Lillian Gish Award for Excellence in Episodic Directing | Cagney & Lacey (Episode "Don't I Know You?") |
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| 1988 | Humanitas Prize Certificate |
For Humanizing Achievement in Television |
Cagney & Lacey (Episode "Don't I Know You?") |
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| 2023 |
Lumine Lifetime Achievement Award |
For significant and sustained contributions to the media industry |
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| 1987 | Primetime Emmy Award | Nominated | Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series | Cagney & Lacey (Episode "Turn, Turn, Turn", part 2) |
| 1987 | Directors Guild of America Award | Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series | Cagney & Lacey (Episode "Turn, Turn, Turn", part 1) |
Memberships
Sharron Miller is a member of these important groups in the entertainment industry:
- Directors Guild of America
- Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
