Biography
SEAN MCNAMARA – 2024 Biography
Sean McNamara is an American Director, Writer, and Producer of family dramas, including the breakout hit feature SOUL SURFER.
Sean is wrapping up post-production on the film REAGAN, a drama based on the life of Ronald Reagan from his childhood through his Hollywood years as governor of California to his time in the Oval Office and beyond. It stars Dennis Quaid, Penelope Anne Miller & Jon Voight. It will be released in 3500 theaters on August 30, 2024.
Republic Pictures will release BAU, ARTIST AT WAR nationwide in September 2024. This is the inspiring true love story of Joseph and Rebecca Bau. Joseph is an artist, forger, and Holocaust survivor who uses his artistic skills in the camps to help hundreds of Jews escape. Steven Spielberg showcased their story in Schindler’s List.
ON FIRE, starring William H. Macy, John Corbett, and Joel Courtney, weaves together tragedy, redemption, baseball, and a love story. It will be released in theaters nationwide in November 2024.
ON A WING AND A PRAYER is a true story starring Heather Graham and Dennis Quaid. The MGM/Roma Downey Feature premiered on Easter Sunday on AMAZON PRIME to record numbers. Dennis Quaid won Best Actor for his performance at the Movieguide® Awards for 2024.
TRUE SPIRIT for NETFLIX premiered to audiences worldwide in 2023. It tells the story of Jessica Watson, who, at 16, circumnavigated the globe on her sailboat Pink Lady.
THE KINGS DAUGHTER, a historical romance fantasy set at Versailles starring Pierce Brosnan, Kaya Scodelario, and William Hurt, debuted in theaters in 2022.
Other notable movies include THE MIRACLE SEASON, starring Erin Moriarty, Danika Yarosh, Helen Hunt, and William Hurt, and SPARE PARTS starring Marisa Tomei and George Lopez, based on the Wired magazine article “La Vida Robot.”
ORPHAN HORSE, starring Jon Voight, was released in August. Past films include RAISE YOUR VOICE, starring Hilary Duff, HOOVEY, FIELD OF LOST SHOES, RACE TO SPACE, and many more. McNamara has helmed, written, and produced many films and TV shows.
In 2023 Sean celebrated the 25th anniversary of BROOKWELL MCNAMARA ENTERTAINMENT, that he co-founded with business partner David Brookwell in 1998. Together, they have produced 40 feature films for PARAMOUNT PICTURES, REPUBLIC PICTURES, SONY, TRI-STAR PICTURES, NEW LINE CINEMA, LIONSGATE FILMS, and UNIVERSAL STUDIOS, to name a few. Their television production of TV Movies and series includes over 500 episodes for HULU, NETFLIX, CBS, ABC, THE DISNEY CHANNEL, NICKELODEON, and CARTOON NETWORK.
In Television, SHADRACH will premier in July of 2024 on PURE FLIX. Sean Co-Created the hit BEYOND THE BREAK for MTV NETWORKS and executive produced EVEN STEVENS, and THAT’S SO RAVEN for THE DISNEY CHANNEL.
Mr. McNamara won a BAFTA for EVEN STEVENS and is a five-time EMMY AWARD-nominated producer for THAT’S SO RAVEN and EVEN STEVENS. Sean is a four-time DIRECTORS GUILD OF AMERICA AWARD NOMINEE. He won the prestigious IMAGEN AWARD for Best Director for SPARE PARTS and BEST DRAMATIC FEATURE at the GI FILM FESTIVAL for FIELD OF LOST SHOES.
SOUL SURFER, SPARE PARTS, and THE MIRACLE SEASON received many awards, including an “A +” Cinema Score.
Sean is known as an “Actors Director.” Working with stars who range from ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS such as Helen Hunt, William Hurt, Jon Voight, Marisa Tomei, and Mira Sorvino and Nominees like James Woods to major movie stars such as Pierce Brosnan and Dennis Quaid to the new generation including Shia LaBeouf, Jessica Alba, Erin Moriarty, and Danika Yarosh.
Sean lives in Playa Del Rey, California, with his loving family, which includes Christina, three amazing boys, Mark, Dylan, and Seamus, and his two Golden Retrievers, Bella and Blue.