Paul Weiland
Encyclopedia
Paul Weiland is an English motion picture and television director, writer and producer. Weiland is one of Britain's most successful directors and producers of television commercials having made over 500 commercials, including a popular and long-running series for Walkers
crisps. He has also directed several British television series, including Alas Smith and Jones
(1989–1992) and Mr. Bean
(1991–1994). His feature film credits include Made of Honor
(2008), Sixty Six
(2006), Blackadder: Back & Forth
(1999), Roseanna's Grave
(1997), City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold
(1994) and Leonard Part 6
(1987).
section of London, England and attended De Bohun's school. He left school at age 17 and worked as a messenger before becoming a copywriter.
crisps. The commercials have featured celebrities, including English football striker Gary Lineker
, boxer Lennox Lewis
and Victoria Beckham
. The commercials became enormously popular in Britain, leading Weiland to say, "A friend said to me the other day that they've become like little Woody Allen
films - people want to appear in them. Lennox Lewis obviously didn't need the money but felt that he wanted to be more approachable to the British public. He was interesting, did a good job, as did David Seaman
and Victoria Beckham."
Weiland is the owner of The Paul Weiland Film Company and has become a multimillionaire with his work on television commercials. In the 1990s, his company won the top British TV Awards prize for five consecutive years.
, a comedy starring Bill Cosby
as secret agent who is called out of retirement to save the world from an evil genius who has developed the ability to brainwash small animals into killing humans. The film was a critical and box-office bomb. The Village Voice called it "the worst film of the decade." The Los Angeles Times wrote: "'Leonard Part 6' is a smug, tedious exercise in self-indulgence ... There's virtually nothing to laugh at in this film, and too much of everything else." The Times noted that, although Weiland was the director, "clearly Cosby, as star, producer and idea man, is the auteur here."
His direction of Leonard Part 6 resulted in Weiland's being nominated for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director
. Asked years later about his work on the film, Weiland recalled:
"Cosby attributed most of the movie's problems to first-time director Weiland, whom he felt was too young and inexperienced. Cosby himself was producer and writer of the story"
-New York Times (1/24/1988)
television series starring Rowan Atkinson
. In 2005, The Times wrote: "The director Paul Weiland made millions laugh with the television comedy series Mr Bean and Alas Smith and Jones
."
starring Billy Crystal
, Daniel Stern
, Jon Lovitz
and Jack Palance
. The film was a sequel to the popular 1991 film City Slickers
. In the film, Billy Crystal's character discovers a treasure map and sets off with Lovitz and Stern to find the treasure of gold in the Arizona
desert.
. The film is a time travel comedy in which Atkinson's character, Lord Blackadder, travels in a time machine to the Jurassic
period, Sherwood Forest
, and the Battle of Waterloo
. Miranda Richardson
, Hugh Laurie
, Stephen Fry
, Colin Firth
and Kate Moss
also appear in the film.
Weiland was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award for his direction of the film.
is an autobiographical comedy-drama based on Weiland's bar mitzvah which was held on the same night as England
's win over West Germany
in the 1966 FIFA World Cup final
. As a result of the football match, guests cancelled en masse, and only a handful showed up at the bar mitzvah.
The film received generally positive reviews. The Guardian of London wrote that, "Despite the whimsical voice-over and gloopy, sentimental tone, it's a hard film to dislike and boasts a wonderfully lugubrious performance from Eddie Marsan
as the round-shouldered schlub of a dad."
in the 2008 feature Made of Honor
.
for Best Short Film for his work in directing the short film Keep Off the Grass.
, Wiltshire
, England. In 2005, the estate was valued at twenty-two million British pounds. Weiland and his wife spend most of their time in London, using the estate as a country retreat. Weiland told The Times in 2005 that he had restored the house and planted thousands of trees to recreate the 19th Century appearance of the garden.
Walkers (snack foods)
Walkers is a British snack food manufacturer operating mainly in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland and to a lesser extent on the European continent. They are best known for manufacturing crisps. They hold 47 per cent of the British crisp market...
crisps. He has also directed several British television series, including Alas Smith and Jones
Alas Smith and Jones
Alas Smith and Jones is a British comedy sketch television series featuring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. It was broadcast on the BBC from 1984 to 1998...
(1989–1992) and Mr. Bean
Mr. Bean
Mr. Bean is a British comedy television programme series of 14 half-hour episodes written by and starring Rowan Atkinson as the title character. Different episodes were also written by Robin Driscoll, Richard Curtis and one by Ben Elton. The pilot episode was broadcast on ITV on 1 January 1990,...
(1991–1994). His feature film credits include Made of Honor
Made of Honor
Made of Honor is a 2008 American romantic comedy film directed by Paul Weiland and story written by Adam Sztykiel . It was produced by Neal H. Moritz and was released by Columbia Pictures in North America on May 2, 2008...
(2008), Sixty Six
Sixty Six (film)
Sixty Six is a 2006 British biographical-comedy-drama film about a bar mitzvah which takes place in London on the day of the 1966 world cup final based on the true life bar mitzvah of director Paul Weiland.- Plot :...
(2006), Blackadder: Back & Forth
Blackadder: Back & Forth
Blackadder: Back & Forth is a 1999 short film based on the BBC mock-historical comedy series Blackadder that marks the end of the Blackadder saga...
(1999), Roseanna's Grave
Roseanna's Grave
Roseanna's Grave is a 1997 film directed by Paul Weiland. In his review, Roger Ebert concludes that Roseanna's Grave "isn't of much consequence, perhaps, and the gears of the plot are occasionally visible as they turn...
(1997), City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold
City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold
City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold is a 1994 comedy film directed by Paul Weiland. It is the sequel to City Slickers and stars Billy Crystal, Jack Palance, Jon Lovitz and Daniel Stern....
(1994) and Leonard Part 6
Leonard Part 6
Leonard Part 6 is a 1987 comedy film that parodies spy movies. It was directed by Paul Weiland and starred Bill Cosby, who also produced the film and wrote its story. The movie also starred Joe Don Baker and Gloria Foster, the latter of whom played the villain. The movie was filmed in the San...
(1987).
Early years
Weiland grew up in the SouthgateSouthgate, London
Southgate is an area of north London, England, primarily within the London Borough of Enfield, although parts of its western fringes lie within the London Borough of Barnet. It is located around north of Charing Cross. The name is derived from being the south gate to Enfield Chase...
section of London, England and attended De Bohun's school. He left school at age 17 and worked as a messenger before becoming a copywriter.
Television commercials
Weiland began his directing career making British television commercials. Weiland has made more than 500 commercials. Weiland's most successful advertising campaign was a series of television commercials for WalkersWalkers (snack foods)
Walkers is a British snack food manufacturer operating mainly in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland and to a lesser extent on the European continent. They are best known for manufacturing crisps. They hold 47 per cent of the British crisp market...
crisps. The commercials have featured celebrities, including English football striker Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...
, boxer Lennox Lewis
Lennox Lewis
Lennox Claudius Lewis, CM, CBE is a retired boxer and the most recent British undisputed world heavyweight champion. He holds dual British and Canadian citizenship...
and Victoria Beckham
Victoria Beckham
Victoria Caroline Beckham is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress, fashion designer and businesswoman. In the late 1990s, Beckham rose to fame with the all-female pop group Spice Girls and was dubbed Posh Spice by the July 1996 issue of the British pop music magazine Top of the Pops...
. The commercials became enormously popular in Britain, leading Weiland to say, "A friend said to me the other day that they've become like little Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
films - people want to appear in them. Lennox Lewis obviously didn't need the money but felt that he wanted to be more approachable to the British public. He was interesting, did a good job, as did David Seaman
David Seaman
David Andrew Seaman MBE is a former English football goalkeeper who played for several clubs, most notably Arsenal. He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury...
and Victoria Beckham."
Weiland is the owner of The Paul Weiland Film Company and has become a multimillionaire with his work on television commercials. In the 1990s, his company won the top British TV Awards prize for five consecutive years.
Leonard Part 6
In 1987, Weiland made his debut as a feature film director with Leonard Part 6Leonard Part 6
Leonard Part 6 is a 1987 comedy film that parodies spy movies. It was directed by Paul Weiland and starred Bill Cosby, who also produced the film and wrote its story. The movie also starred Joe Don Baker and Gloria Foster, the latter of whom played the villain. The movie was filmed in the San...
, a comedy starring Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby
William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
as secret agent who is called out of retirement to save the world from an evil genius who has developed the ability to brainwash small animals into killing humans. The film was a critical and box-office bomb. The Village Voice called it "the worst film of the decade." The Los Angeles Times wrote: "'Leonard Part 6' is a smug, tedious exercise in self-indulgence ... There's virtually nothing to laugh at in this film, and too much of everything else." The Times noted that, although Weiland was the director, "clearly Cosby, as star, producer and idea man, is the auteur here."
His direction of Leonard Part 6 resulted in Weiland's being nominated for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director
Razzie Award for Worst Director
The Razzie Award for Worst Director is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst director of the previous year. The following is a list of nominees and recipients of that award, along with the film for which they were nominated....
. Asked years later about his work on the film, Weiland recalled:
"It was a terrible mistake. ... When anyone gets into that position (Bill Cosby's position of power in the 1980s), they are surrounded by sycophants and no one tells them the truth. But Cosby just wasn't funny. I couldn't tell him directly. I'd say it feels slow, and he'd say 'You worry about construction, let me worry about funny'."
"Cosby attributed most of the movie's problems to first-time director Weiland, whom he felt was too young and inexperienced. Cosby himself was producer and writer of the story"
-New York Times (1/24/1988)
Mr. Bean
Between 1991 and 1994, Weiland directed several episodes of the Mr. BeanMr. Bean
Mr. Bean is a British comedy television programme series of 14 half-hour episodes written by and starring Rowan Atkinson as the title character. Different episodes were also written by Robin Driscoll, Richard Curtis and one by Ben Elton. The pilot episode was broadcast on ITV on 1 January 1990,...
television series starring Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is a British actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is most famous for his work on the satirical sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, and the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Thin Blue Line...
. In 2005, The Times wrote: "The director Paul Weiland made millions laugh with the television comedy series Mr Bean and Alas Smith and Jones
Alas Smith and Jones
Alas Smith and Jones is a British comedy sketch television series featuring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. It was broadcast on the BBC from 1984 to 1998...
."
City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold
In 1994, Weiland returned to feature films as the director of City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's GoldCity Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold
City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold is a 1994 comedy film directed by Paul Weiland. It is the sequel to City Slickers and stars Billy Crystal, Jack Palance, Jon Lovitz and Daniel Stern....
starring Billy Crystal
Billy Crystal
William Edward "Billy" Crystal is an American actor, writer, producer, comedian and film director. He gained prominence in the 1970s for playing Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom Soap and became a Hollywood film star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the critical and box office successes...
, Daniel Stern
Daniel Stern (actor)
Daniel Jacob Stern is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles in the Hollywood films C.H.U.D., Diner, City Slickers and the first two Home Alone films, and as the narrator for the television series The Wonder Years.-Early life:Stern was born in Bethesda, Maryland to a...
, Jon Lovitz
Jon Lovitz
Jonathan "Jon" Lovitz is an American comedian, actor, and singer. He is best known as a cast member of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1990.-Early life:...
and Jack Palance
Jack Palance
Jack Palance , was an American actor. During half a century of film and television appearances, Palance was nominated for three Academy Awards, all as Best Actor in a Supporting Role, winning in 1991 for his role in City Slickers.-Early life:Palance, one of five children, was born Volodymyr...
. The film was a sequel to the popular 1991 film City Slickers
City Slickers
City Slickers is a 1991 American comedy film directed by Ron Underwood and starring Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby, Helen Slater and Jack Palance. Palance won an Academy Award for his performance....
. In the film, Billy Crystal's character discovers a treasure map and sets off with Lovitz and Stern to find the treasure of gold in the Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
desert.
Blackadder: Back & Forth
In 2001, Weiland renwed his partnership with Rowan Atkinson, directing him in the British television film, Blackadder: Back & ForthBlackadder: Back & Forth
Blackadder: Back & Forth is a 1999 short film based on the BBC mock-historical comedy series Blackadder that marks the end of the Blackadder saga...
. The film is a time travel comedy in which Atkinson's character, Lord Blackadder, travels in a time machine to the Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
period, Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Forest is a Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, that is famous through its historical association with the legend of Robin Hood. Continuously forested since the end of the Ice Age, Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve today encompasses 423 hectares surrounding the village of...
, and the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
. Miranda Richardson
Miranda Richardson
Miranda Jane Richardson is an English stage, film and television actor. She has been nominated for two Academy Awards, and has won two Golden Globes and a BAFTA during her career....
, Hugh Laurie
Hugh Laurie
James Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE , better known as Hugh Laurie , is an English actor, voice artist, comedian, writer, musician, recording artist, and director...
, Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
, Colin Firth
Colin Firth
SirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
and Kate Moss
Kate Moss
Kate Moss is an English model. Moss is known for her waifish figure and popularising the heroin chic look in the 1990s. She is also known for her controversial private life, high profile relationships, party lifestyle, and drug use. Moss changed the look of modelling and started a global debate on...
also appear in the film.
Weiland was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award for his direction of the film.
Sixty-Six
Weiland's 2006 feature film Sixty SixSixty Six (film)
Sixty Six is a 2006 British biographical-comedy-drama film about a bar mitzvah which takes place in London on the day of the 1966 world cup final based on the true life bar mitzvah of director Paul Weiland.- Plot :...
is an autobiographical comedy-drama based on Weiland's bar mitzvah which was held on the same night as England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
's win over West Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
in the 1966 FIFA World Cup final
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
. As a result of the football match, guests cancelled en masse, and only a handful showed up at the bar mitzvah.
The film received generally positive reviews. The Guardian of London wrote that, "Despite the whimsical voice-over and gloopy, sentimental tone, it's a hard film to dislike and boasts a wonderfully lugubrious performance from Eddie Marsan
Eddie Marsan
Edward Maurice C. "Eddie" Marsan is an English actor.-Early life:Marsan was born in Stepney, London to a working class family; his father was a lorry driver and his mother a school dinner lady and teacher's assistant...
as the round-shouldered schlub of a dad."
Made of Honor
Weiland also holds the distinction of directing the last screen appearance of Sydney PollackSydney Pollack
Sydney Irwin Pollack was an American film director, producer and actor. Pollack studied with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City, where he later taught acting...
in the 2008 feature Made of Honor
Made of Honor
Made of Honor is a 2008 American romantic comedy film directed by Paul Weiland and story written by Adam Sztykiel . It was produced by Neal H. Moritz and was released by Columbia Pictures in North America on May 2, 2008...
.
Awards
Weiland has won a BAFTA Award for The Storyteller: The Three Ravens and an Emmy Award for Living with Dinosaurs. He also won the President's Award for Lifetime Achievement at the Design & Art Directors Association. In 1983, he was nominated British Academy AwardBritish Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
for Best Short Film for his work in directing the short film Keep Off the Grass.
Personal life
Weiland is married, and he and his wife, Caroline, have four children. In 1995, Weiland and his wife bought a 1200 acres (4.9 km²), 18th Century country estate known as Belcombe Court in Bradford-on-AvonBradford on Avon
Bradford on Avon is a town in west Wiltshire, England with a population of about 9,326. The town's canal, historic buildings, shops, pubs and restaurants make it popular with tourists....
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England. In 2005, the estate was valued at twenty-two million British pounds. Weiland and his wife spend most of their time in London, using the estate as a country retreat. Weiland told The Times in 2005 that he had restored the house and planted thousands of trees to recreate the 19th Century appearance of the garden.
Directing credits
Weiland's directing credits include:- Made of HonorMade of HonorMade of Honor is a 2008 American romantic comedy film directed by Paul Weiland and story written by Adam Sztykiel . It was produced by Neal H. Moritz and was released by Columbia Pictures in North America on May 2, 2008...
(2008) - Sixty SixSixty Six (film)Sixty Six is a 2006 British biographical-comedy-drama film about a bar mitzvah which takes place in London on the day of the 1966 world cup final based on the true life bar mitzvah of director Paul Weiland.- Plot :...
(2006) - Blackadder: Back & ForthBlackadder: Back & ForthBlackadder: Back & Forth is a 1999 short film based on the BBC mock-historical comedy series Blackadder that marks the end of the Blackadder saga...
(1999) - Roseanna's GraveRoseanna's GraveRoseanna's Grave is a 1997 film directed by Paul Weiland. In his review, Roger Ebert concludes that Roseanna's Grave "isn't of much consequence, perhaps, and the gears of the plot are occasionally visible as they turn...
(1997) - City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's GoldCity Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's GoldCity Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold is a 1994 comedy film directed by Paul Weiland. It is the sequel to City Slickers and stars Billy Crystal, Jack Palance, Jon Lovitz and Daniel Stern....
(1994) - Leonard Part 6Leonard Part 6Leonard Part 6 is a 1987 comedy film that parodies spy movies. It was directed by Paul Weiland and starred Bill Cosby, who also produced the film and wrote its story. The movie also starred Joe Don Baker and Gloria Foster, the latter of whom played the villain. The movie was filmed in the San...
(1987)