Burr Steers
Encyclopedia
Burr Gore Steers is an American actor, screenwriter and director.
His father, Newton Ivan Steers, Jr.
(1917–1993), was a Republican
congressman from Maryland
. His mother, Nina Gore Auchincloss (born 1935), was the daughter of stockbroker and lawyer Hugh D. Auchincloss
, as well as a stepsister of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
and a half-sister of the writer Gore Vidal
. Steers is a relative of vice president Aaron Burr
. Steers' great-grandfather, Thomas Gore
, served as Oklahoma's first Democratic senator, from 1907 until 1921 and from 1931 until 1937, while his great-great-grandfather, Oliver Burr Jennings
, was a founder of Standard Oil
. Steers' godfather is former Virginia Senator John Warner
.
His brother Hugh Auchincloss Steers
(1963–1995) was an American figurative painter whose later works often focused on AIDS
as a theme. He has another brother, Ivan Steers, and five stepsiblings from his mother's second marriage to editor Michael Whitney Straight
.
Steers grew up living in Bethesda, MD and Georgetown, DC. There, he attended St. Albans School in Washington, DC. Steers was expelled from both Hotchkiss School
and Culver Military Academy
. He later earned a GED
and attended New York University
.
's films, playing Roger (or "Flock of seagulls") in Pulp Fiction
and providing one of the radio voices in Reservoir Dogs
. He also has appeared in The Last Days of Disco
, Fix and Gore Vidal's Billy the Kid.
He wrote and directed Igby Goes Down
in 2002, an acidic urban coming of age film that starred Kieran Culkin and Susan Sarandon
. Steers also was the screenwriter of the film How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
, which starred Kate Hudson
and Matthew McConaughey
. He has directed episodes of the television series Weeds
, The L Word
, and Big Love
. Steers also directed the 2009 teen comedy film, 17 Again
starring Zac Efron
. In 2010, Steers directed the drama Charlie St. Cloud, also starring Efron.
Personal life
Steers was born in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
His father, Newton Ivan Steers, Jr.
Newton Steers
Newton Ivan Steers, Jr. , a Republican, was a U.S. Congressman who represented Maryland's 8th congressional district from January 3, 1977 to January 3, 1979.-Early life:...
(1917–1993), was a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
congressman from Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. His mother, Nina Gore Auchincloss (born 1935), was the daughter of stockbroker and lawyer Hugh D. Auchincloss
Hugh D. Auchincloss
Hugh Dudley Auchincloss, Jr. was an American stockbroker and lawyer who became the second husband of Janet Lee Bouvier, the mother of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.-Biography:...
, as well as a stepsister of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier "Jackie" Kennedy Onassis was the wife of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and served as First Lady of the United States during his presidency from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. Five years later she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle...
and a half-sister of the writer Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal is an American author, playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and political activist. His third novel, The City and the Pillar , outraged mainstream critics as one of the first major American novels to feature unambiguous homosexuality...
. Steers is a relative of vice president Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr, Jr. was an important political figure in the early history of the United States of America. After serving as a Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, Burr became a successful lawyer and politician...
. Steers' great-grandfather, Thomas Gore
Thomas Gore
Thomas Gore was a Democratic politician. He was blind and served as a United States Senator from Oklahoma from 1907 until 1921 and from 1931 until 1937. He was the maternal grandfather of author Gore Vidal.-Life and career:...
, served as Oklahoma's first Democratic senator, from 1907 until 1921 and from 1931 until 1937, while his great-great-grandfather, Oliver Burr Jennings
Oliver Burr Jennings
Oliver Burr Jennings was an American businessman and one of the original stockholders in Standard Oil.-Early life and family:...
, was a founder of Standard Oil
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
. Steers' godfather is former Virginia Senator John Warner
John Warner
John William Warner, KBE is an American Republican politician who served as Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974 and as a five-term United States Senator from Virginia from January 2, 1979, to January 3, 2009...
.
His brother Hugh Auchincloss Steers
Hugh Auchincloss Steers
Hugh Auchincloss Steers was a painter whose work is in the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Walker Art Center, and the Denver Art Museum. He died of AIDS at the age of 32. He was the brother of filmmaker Burr Steers He was the grandson of Hugh D. Auchincloss and Nina Gore. He was the...
(1963–1995) was an American figurative painter whose later works often focused on AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
as a theme. He has another brother, Ivan Steers, and five stepsiblings from his mother's second marriage to editor Michael Whitney Straight
Michael Whitney Straight
Michael Whitney Straight, was an American magazine publisher, novelist, patron of the arts, a member of the prominent Whitney family, and a confessed spy for the KGB.-Biography:...
.
Steers grew up living in Bethesda, MD and Georgetown, DC. There, he attended St. Albans School in Washington, DC. Steers was expelled from both Hotchkiss School
Hotchkiss School
The Hotchkiss School is an independent, coeducational American college preparatory boarding school located in Lakeville, Connecticut. Founded in 1891, the school enrolls students in grades 9 through 12 and a small number of postgraduates...
and Culver Military Academy
Culver Academies
The Culver Academies is a college preparatory boarding school and summer camp in the United States. The Culver Academies is composed of three entities: Culver Military Academy for boys, Culver Girls Academy , and the Culver Summer Schools and Camps . Collectively known as Culver Academies located...
. He later earned a GED
GED
General Educational Development tests are a group of five subject tests which, when passed, certify that the taker has American or Canadian high school-level academic skills...
and attended New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
.
Career
Steers has had minor roles in a few of Quentin TarantinoQuentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
's films, playing Roger (or "Flock of seagulls") in Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction (film)
Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who co-wrote its screenplay with Roger Avary. The film is known for its rich, eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and host of cinematic allusions and pop culture references...
and providing one of the radio voices in Reservoir Dogs
Reservoir Dogs
Reservoir Dogs is an American crime film marking debut of director and writer Quentin Tarantino. It depicts the events before and after a botched diamond heist, but not the heist itself. Reservoir Dogs stars an ensemble cast: Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, and...
. He also has appeared in The Last Days of Disco
The Last Days of Disco
The Last Days of Disco is a 1998 sardonic comedy-drama film written and directed by Whit Stillman and loosely based on his travels and experiences in various nightclubs in Manhattan, including Studio 54. The film concerns a group of Ivy League and Hampshire graduates falling in and out of love in...
, Fix and Gore Vidal's Billy the Kid.
He wrote and directed Igby Goes Down
Igby Goes Down
Igby Goes Down is a 2002 comedy-drama film that follows the life of Igby Slocumb, a rebellious and sardonic New York City teenager who attempts to break free of his familial ties and wealthy, overbearing mother...
in 2002, an acidic urban coming of age film that starred Kieran Culkin and Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon is an American actress. She has worked in films and television since 1969, and won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 1995 film Dead Man Walking. She had also been nominated for the award for four films before that and has received other recognition for her...
. Steers also was the screenwriter of the film How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is a 2003 romantic comedy film, directed by Donald Petrie, starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. It is based on a short cartoon book of the same name by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long.-Plot:...
, which starred Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson
Kate Garry Hudson is an American actress. She came to prominence in 2001 after winning a Golden Globe and receiving several nominations, including a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, for her role in Almost Famous. She then starred in the hit film How to Lose a Guy in 10...
and Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey
Matthew David McConaughey is an American actor.After a series of minor roles in the early 1990s, McConaughey gained notice for his breakout role in Dazed and Confused . He then appeared in films such as A Time to Kill, Contact, U-571, Tiptoes, Sahara, and We Are Marshall...
. He has directed episodes of the television series Weeds
Weeds (TV series)
Weeds is an American television comedy created by Jenji Kohan and produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television. The central character is Nancy Botwin , a widowed mother of two boys who begins selling marijuana to support her family after her husband dies suddenly of a...
, The L Word
The L Word
The L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
, and Big Love
Big Love
Big Love is an American television drama that aired on HBO between March 2006 and March 2011. The show is about a fictional fundamentalist Mormon family in Utah that practices polygamy...
. Steers also directed the 2009 teen comedy film, 17 Again
17 Again (film)
17 Again: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released on April 21, 2009 by New Line Records.-Track listing:# "On My Own" by Vincent and The Villains# "Can't Say No" by The Helio Sequence# "L.E.S...
starring Zac Efron
Zac Efron
Zachary David Alexander "Zac" Efron is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and became known with his lead roles in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical, the WB series Summerland, and the 2007 film version of the Broadway musical Hairspray...
. In 2010, Steers directed the drama Charlie St. Cloud, also starring Efron.
See also
- Thomas DudleyThomas DudleyThomas Dudley was a colonial magistrate who served several terms as governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Dudley was the chief founder of Newtowne, later Cambridge, Massachusetts, and built the town's first home...
- Winthrop FleetWinthrop FleetThe Winthrop Fleet was a group of eleven sailing ships under the leadership of John Winthrop that carried approximately 700 Puritans plus livestock and provisions from England to New England over the summer of 1630.-Motivation:...
- St. Albans SchoolSt. Albans School (Washington, D.C.)St. Albans School is an independent college preparatory school for boys in grades 4–12, located in Washington, D.C. The school is named after Saint Alban, traditionally regarded as the first British martyr. Within the St...
- The Hotchkiss School