Steven Ameche
Encyclopedia
Steven Ameche is an American entertainment lawyer and filmmaker.
Ameche began his career as a musician playing with such notables as Janet Jackson
, Philip Bailey
, Gary US Bonds and many others. In 1983 Ameche was asked to perform as an actor–musician on MGM's television series Fame
. It was the first time he had entered a film set and he was immediately smitten. He became a full-time actor from 1983 through 1988, performing on Knots Landing
, Knight Rider (1982 TV series)Knight Rider, Murder She Wrote, Fame
and many others. His film credits include Casual Sex and Mikki & Maude. Ameche studied his acting process and was trained by Hollywood legend Darryl Hickman
. In 1988 Ameche won the lead role of Kaspar from the acclaimed Peter Handke
play which was later taken to the Edinburgh Festival
(Scotland).
Ameche gradually became interested in the business aspects of the entertainment field. In 1990, Ameche entered law school and soon became licensed to practice law in the state of California. Naturally, Ameche entered the field of entertainment law. In 1999 Ameche became a producer at King World/CBS
and worked directly under television syndication mogul Roger King
. Ameche worked as both an entertainment attorney and a producer through 2006. Ameche was counsel to Matthew Katz
who was an original plaintiff during the famous Napster
copyright infringement litigation of the early 2000s. In 2003 Ameche made his directorial debut with Frankie Goes to Gettysburg. In 2009 Ameche directed "The Ad" which earned actor David McCowan a Best Actor nomination at the Mockumentary Film Festival in Los Angeles. As an attorney, producer, director and/or actor Ameche has worked with Steven Spielberg
, Debbie Allen
, Roger King
, Michael King
, Stacy Keach
, Kelly Osbourne
, Bob Clark
, Katy Perry
, Ed Marinaro
and many others.
Ameche began his career as a musician playing with such notables as Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
, Philip Bailey
Philip Bailey
Philip Irvin Bailey is an American R&B, soul, gospel and funk singer, songwriter, percussionist and actor, best known as one of the longtime members of Earth, Wind & Fire. Together with Verdine White, B. David Whitworth, and Ralph Johnson he forms the heart of the current EWF line-up on...
, Gary US Bonds and many others. In 1983 Ameche was asked to perform as an actor–musician on MGM's television series Fame
Fame (1982 TV series)
Fame is an American television series originally produced between 1982 and 1987. The show was based on the 1980 motion picture of the same name. Using a mixture of drama and music, it followed the lives of the students and faculty at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. Although...
. It was the first time he had entered a film set and he was immediately smitten. He became a full-time actor from 1983 through 1988, performing on Knots Landing
Knots Landing
Knots Landing is an American primetime television soap opera that aired from December 27, 1979 to May 13, 1993 on CBS. Set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles in California, the show centered on the lives of four married couples living in a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle...
, Knight Rider (1982 TV series)Knight Rider, Murder She Wrote, Fame
Fame (1982 TV series)
Fame is an American television series originally produced between 1982 and 1987. The show was based on the 1980 motion picture of the same name. Using a mixture of drama and music, it followed the lives of the students and faculty at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. Although...
and many others. His film credits include Casual Sex and Mikki & Maude. Ameche studied his acting process and was trained by Hollywood legend Darryl Hickman
Darryl Hickman
Darryl Gerard Hickman is an American film and television actor, former television executive, and child star of the 1930s and 1940s.-Early life:...
. In 1988 Ameche won the lead role of Kaspar from the acclaimed Peter Handke
Peter Handke
Peter Handke is an avant-garde Austrian novelist and playwright.-Early life:Handke and his mother lived in the Soviet-occupied Pankow district of Berlin from 1944 to 1948 before resettling in Griffen...
play which was later taken to the Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
(Scotland).
Ameche gradually became interested in the business aspects of the entertainment field. In 1990, Ameche entered law school and soon became licensed to practice law in the state of California. Naturally, Ameche entered the field of entertainment law. In 1999 Ameche became a producer at King World/CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and worked directly under television syndication mogul Roger King
Roger King
Roger Douglas King is an English political figure who served as a Member of Parliament from 1983 to 1992.A member of the Conservative Party, King was elected to Parliament for Birmingham Northfield in the 1983 election, reversing a by-election loss to Labour the previous year...
. Ameche worked as both an entertainment attorney and a producer through 2006. Ameche was counsel to Matthew Katz
Matthew Katz
Matthew Katz is a music manager and producer, most notable as the former manager of Jefferson Airplane, Moby Grape and It's A Beautiful Day. Katz was also one of the vanguard litigants in the famous Napster litigation, where he fought to protect property rights of music publishers.-History:Matthew...
who was an original plaintiff during the famous Napster
Napster
Napster is an online music store and a Best Buy company. It was originally founded as a pioneering peer-to-peer file sharing Internet service that emphasized sharing audio files that were typically digitally encoded music as MP3 format files...
copyright infringement litigation of the early 2000s. In 2003 Ameche made his directorial debut with Frankie Goes to Gettysburg. In 2009 Ameche directed "The Ad" which earned actor David McCowan a Best Actor nomination at the Mockumentary Film Festival in Los Angeles. As an attorney, producer, director and/or actor Ameche has worked with Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
, Debbie Allen
Debbie Allen
Deborrah Kaye “Debbie” Allen is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, television director, television producer, and a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities...
, Roger King
Roger King
Roger Douglas King is an English political figure who served as a Member of Parliament from 1983 to 1992.A member of the Conservative Party, King was elected to Parliament for Birmingham Northfield in the 1983 election, reversing a by-election loss to Labour the previous year...
, Michael King
Michael King
Michael King, OBE was a New Zealand popular historian, author and biographer. He wrote or edited over 30 books on New Zealand topics, including The Penguin History of New Zealand, which was the most popular New Zealand book of 2004.-Life:King was born in Wellington to Eleanor and Commander Lewis...
, Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach is an American actor and narrator. He is most famous for his dramatic roles; however, he has done narration work in educational programming on PBS and the Discovery Channel, as well as some comedy and musical...
, Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Michelle Lee Osbourne is an English media personality, television personality, host, judge, fashion designer, singer, and actress, best known for being the daughter of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne...
, Bob Clark
Bob Clark
Benjamin "Bob" Clark was an American actor, director, screenwriter and producer best known for directing and writing the script with Jean Shepherd to the 1983 Christmas film A Christmas Story...
, Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
, Ed Marinaro
Ed Marinaro
Ed Marinaro is an American former football player turned actor.-Football career:Marinaro played high school football in New Milford, New Jersey, for the New Milford High School Knights....
and many others.