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Tim Van Patten
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Timothy Van Patten (born June 10, 1959) is an American television director, screenwriter, producer, and former actor. He has received numerous accolades including two Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and two Directors Guild of America Awards, as well as nominations for two BAFTA Awards.
Key Information
Patten started his career as an actor portraying Mario "Salami" Pettrino on The White Shadow from 1978 to 1981. He also played the villainous teenager Peter Stegman in Class of 1984 (1982), Max Keller on The Master (1984), and Sergeant Andy Wojeski in True Blue (1989–1990). Beginning in the early 1990s, he left acting to pursue a directing career full time.
Patten received two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Limited Series for the HBO limited series The Pacific (2010), and Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for the HBO drama series Boardwalk Empire episode "To the Lost" (2012). He also received Emmy nominations for his work on Sex and the City, The Sopranos, and Game of Thrones. Patten also directed episodes for Deadwood, Rome, and The Wire. He directed the Netflix series Black Mirror episode "Hang the DJ" (2018), and the HBO legal drama series Perry Mason (2020).
Early life
[edit]Van Patten was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Richard Byron Van Patten (1907 – 1985) and his second wife Eleanor della Gatta Van Patten and grew up in Massapequa, New York. He graduated from Massapequa High School in 1977, in the same class as musician Brian Setzer and football player Brian Baldinger.
Career
[edit]1978–1990: Acting career
[edit]Patten started his career as an actor in film and television. He first gained prominence for his role as Mario "Salami" Pettrino in the CBS drama series The White Shadow from 1978 to 1981 appearing in 54 episodes. He made his feature film debut in the Mark Lester directed crime thriller Class of 1984 portraying Peter Stegman, the villainous teenager. He acted alongside Michael J. Fox and Roddy McDowell. The film received positive reviews with Roger Ebert writing, "[the film] is raw, offensive, vulgar, and violent, but it contains the sparks of talent and wit, and it is acted and directed by people who cared to make it special."[1] Patten then played Max Keller in the NBC action-adventure series The Master (1984). His other film roles include Joey in the World War II science fiction film Zone Troopers (1985), J.T. in the comedy film The Wrong Guys (1988), and Father John Durham in the horror film Catacombs (1988). He played Andy Wojeski in the NBC crime drama series True Blue from 1989 to 1990.
1991–2001: Early directing work
[edit]Following the cancellation of True Blue Patten quit acting[2] and made his directorial film debut with the series Home Fries in 1991. His other early credits include directing two episodes of the primetime soap opera Central Park West (1995-1996), an episode of the Fox science fiction series The Visitor (1998), four episodes for the UPN action crime drama series The Sentinel from 1996 to 1998, and the CBS drama series Promised Land also 1996 to 1998. He gained prominence directing episodes for the NBC police drama Homicide: Life on the Street (1995-1999), and for the Fox police drama New York Undercover (1997-1998), both of which were critically acclaimed. Patten directed 31 episodes of the CBS drama series Touched by an Angel from 1994 to 2000. Ed,
2002–present: Work with HBO
[edit]Patten gained greater prominence as a director for a string of critically and commercially successful HBO projects. He received four nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for the HBO crime drama series The Sopranos (1999-2007) episodes "Amour Fou" (2001), "Whoever Did This" (2002), "Long Term Parking" (2004), and "Members Only" (2006).[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] During this time he received acclaim for directing numerous episodes of the David Simon crime series The Wire, the Darren Star created romantic comedy series Sex and the City, the John Milius created historical drama series Rome, and the David Milch created Western series Deadwood.
He was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie HBO miniseries The Pacific (2009) for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series alongside producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. During this time he directed two episodes for the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, "The Kingsroad" and "Winter is Coming" receiving a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for the later. Patten went on to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for directing the 2011 Boardwalk Empire episode "To the Lost". He was also nominated for the episodes "Margate Sands" (2012), "Farewell Daddy Blues" (2013), "Eldorado" (2014).
He directed the critically acclaimed episode of Black Mirror, "Hang the DJ" (2017). He also directed and served as an executive producer of the HBO legal drama series Perry Mason (2020).
Personal life
[edit]Patten is the half-brother of Dick Van Patten and Joyce Van Patten, and the uncle of Vincent Van Patten and Talia Balsam.
His daughter is actress Grace Van Patten.
Filmography
[edit]Director
[edit]| Year | Title | Notes | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994–2000 | Touched by an Angel | 31 episodes | |
| 1995–1999 | Homicide: Life on the Street | 2 episodes | |
| 1996–1998 | Promised Land | 3 episodes | |
| 1997–1998 | New York Undercover | 3 episodes | |
| 1999 | Now and Again | Episode: "Nothing to Fear, But Nothing to Fear" | |
| 1999–2007 | The Sopranos | 20 episodes Writer: "Pine Barrens" |
[23][24] |
| 2001–2003 | Ed | 5 episodes | |
| 2002 | Pasadena | Episode: "Puppy Love" | |
| 2002–2004 | The Wire | 3 episodes | [25][26] |
| 2003–2004 | Sex and the City | 3 episodes | |
| 2003 | Keen Eddie | Episode: "The Amazing Larry Dunn" | |
| 2005 | Into the West | Miniseries; Episode: "Casualties of War" | |
| Deadwood | Episode: "Childish Things" | [27] | |
| 2005–2007 | Rome | 2 episodes | |
| 2010 | The Pacific | 3 episodes; also supervising producer | |
| 2011 | Game of Thrones | 2 episodes: "Winter Is Coming" / "The Kingsroad" | |
| 2010–2014 | Boardwalk Empire | 10 episodes Writer: "Home" Executive producer 2010-2014 |
[28][29] [30][31] [32][33] |
| 2017 | Black Mirror | Episode: "Hang the DJ" | |
| 2020 | Perry Mason | 5 Episodes; Executive producer | |
| 2024 | Masters of the Air | 1 episode | |
| Franklin | 8 Episodes |
Actor
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978–1981 | The White Shadow | Mario "Salami" Pettrino | 54 episodes | |
| 1982 | Class of 1984 | Peter Stegman | Film | |
| 1984 | The Master | Max Keller | 13 episodes | |
| Escape from El Diablo | Pauli | Film | ||
| 1985 | Zone Troopers | Joey | Film | |
| 1988 | The Wrong Guys | J.T. | Film | |
| Catacombs | Father John Durham | Film | ||
| 1989–1990 | True Blue | Sergeant Andy Wojeski | 12 episodes |
Awards and nominations
[edit]In 2001, together with Terence Winter, Van Patten won both the Edgar Award and Writers Guild of America Award for Episodic Drama for The Sopranos episode "Pine Barrens," directed by Steve Buscemi.[34]
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series | The Sopranos (episode: "Pine Barrens") | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series | The Sopranos (episode: "Amour Fou") | Nominated | |||
| 2003 | The Sopranos (episode: "Whoever Did This") | Nominated | |||
| 2004 | The Sopranos (episode: "Long Term Parking") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series | Sex and the City (episode: "An American Girl in Paris") | Nominated | |||
| 2006 | Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series | The Sopranos (episode: "Members Only") | Nominated | ||
| 2010 | Outstanding Limited Series | The Pacific | Won | ||
| Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series | The Pacific (episode: "Okinawa") | Nominated | |||
| 2011 | Outstanding Drama Series | Boardwalk Empire (season 1) | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series | Game of Thrones (episode: "Winter Is Coming") | Nominated | |||
| 2012 | Outstanding Drama Series | Boardwalk Empire (season 2) | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series | Boardwalk Empire (episode: "To the Lost") | Won | |||
| 2013 | Boardwalk Empire (episode: "Margate Sands") | Nominated | |||
| 2014 | Boardwalk Empire (episode: "Farewell Daddy Blues") | Nominated | |||
| 2015 | Boardwalk Empire (episode: "Eldorado") | Nominated |
References
[edit]- ^ "Class of 1984". Rogerebert.com. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
- ^ "Timothy van Patten". October 22, 2017.
- ^ "Tim Van Patten". Television Academy.
- ^ HBO. "The Sopranos episode "Soprano Home Movies" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "The Sopranos episode "Cold Stones" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "The Sopranos episode "Johnny Cakes" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "The Sopranos episode "Live Free or Die" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "The Sopranos episode "Members Only" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "The Sopranos episode "Long Term Parking" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "The Sopranos episode "Unidentified Black Males" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "The Sopranos episode "Two Tonys" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "The Sopranos episode "Calling All Cars" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "The Sopranos episode "Whoever Did This" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "The Sopranos episode "Christopher" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "The Wire episode "Sentencing" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "The Sopranos episode "Amour Fou" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "The Sopranos episode "Second Opinion" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "The Sopranos episode "Proshai, Livushka" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "The Sopranos episode "House Arrest" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "The Sopranos episode "Big Girls Don't Cry" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "The Sopranos episode "Commendatori" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "The Sopranos episode "The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "The Sopranos episode "The Second Coming" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "The Sopranos episode "Chasing It" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "The Wire episode "Back Burners" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "The Wire episode "Stray Rounds" synopsis". Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ Tim Van Patten (director), Regina Corrado (writer) (April 24, 2005). "Childish Things". Deadwood. Season 2. Episode 8. HBO.
- ^ HBO. "Boardwalk Empire episode "Erlkönig" synopsis". Retrieved October 9, 2013.
- ^ HBO. "Boardwalk Empire episode "New York Sour" synopsis". Retrieved October 9, 2013.
- ^ HBO. "Boardwalk Empire episode "21" synopsis". Retrieved September 28, 2011.
- ^ HBO. "Boardwalk Empire episode "A Return to Normalcy" synopsis". Retrieved December 19, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "Boardwalk Empire episode "Broadway Limited" synopsis". Retrieved October 19, 2010.
- ^ HBO. "Boardwalk Empire episode "The Ivory Tower" synopsis". Retrieved October 17, 2010.
- ^ "The Sopranos: Cast & Crew". HBO. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
External links
[edit]
Tim Van Patten
View on GrokipediaBiography
Early life
Tim Van Patten was born Christopher Van Patten on June 10, 1959, in Brooklyn, New York City.[7] He is the son of Richard Byron Van Patten, a designer, and Eleanor Marie della Gatta Van Patten.[8] Van Patten has half-siblings from his father's first marriage, actors Dick Van Patten and Joyce Van Patten, as well as a full brother, sound engineer John Van Patten.[9][10] Van Patten spent much of his childhood in New York, primarily raised in Massapequa on Long Island.[11] Growing up in a family with deep ties to the entertainment industry, he was exposed to acting from an early age through his half-siblings' established careers.[8] This familial environment provided informal insights into the profession, shaping his early interests before he pursued opportunities elsewhere.[4] In 1977, Van Patten graduated from Massapequa High School, where he was part of the same class as musician Brian Setzer and football player Joe Jacoby.[11] Following his education, he relocated from New York to Los Angeles, California, seeking entry into the entertainment field amid the influence of his family's connections.[4]Personal life
Tim Van Patten has been married to Wendy Rossmeyer since May 23, 1996.[7][12] Wendy, a former model from a prominent motorcycle family, took over operations of the Rossmeyer family's Harley-Davidson dealerships following her father Bruce Rossmeyer's death in 2009.[12] The couple has three daughters: Grace, born November 21, 1996; Anna, born around 1998; and June, born in 2011.[13][12] Grace and Anna have pursued careers in acting and modeling, with Grace appearing in films such as Tramps (2016) and series including Tell Me Lies (2022–present), while Anna has roles in the Gossip Girl reboot (2021–2023) and FBI: Most Wanted (2020).[13] June, the youngest, made her acting debut in the short film Youngest (2020) and is active in youth sports like basketball.[13][12] Van Patten and his family resided in New York City's Tribeca neighborhood during the early years of raising their daughters before relocating to Brooklyn in 2014.[13] They maintain a private, family-focused life centered in New York, with the daughters occasionally drawing on their entertainment industry connections for their own pursuits.[13]Professional career
Acting career
Tim Van Patten began his acting career in 1978 with a breakout role as Mario "Salami" Pettrino, a street-smart high school basketball player, on the CBS drama series The White Shadow. He appeared in all 54 episodes of the show, which aired from 1978 to 1981 and followed a former professional basketball player coaching an integrated inner-city team.[14][4] Following the end of The White Shadow, Van Patten transitioned to film with a prominent antagonistic role as Peter Stegman, the leader of a violent punk gang terrorizing a high school, in the 1982 thriller Class of '84. The film, directed by Mark L. Lester, drew comparisons to The Blackboard Jungle for its exploration of urban school violence and featured Van Patten performing his own original piano concerto as the character's alter ego.[15][16] Throughout the 1980s, Van Patten took on various guest roles in television series, including a three-episode arc as Dean on St. Elsewhere in 1985, where his character interacted with former White Shadow co-star Byron Stewart in a nod to their shared history. These appearances allowed him to diversify beyond his earlier ensemble work while building on his reputation as a versatile young actor. By the late 1980s, Van Patten grew increasingly interested in directing and decided to leave acting around 1990 to focus on that pursuit full-time.[17]Directing career
Tim Van Patten transitioned to directing in the early 1990s, drawing on his extensive acting experience to inform his approach to character-driven storytelling. His television directorial debut came with an episode of Home Fries in 1991. Over the next decade, he helmed episodes of acclaimed network series such as NYPD Blue and a substantial 31 episodes of the long-running drama Touched by an Angel from 1994 to 2000.[18] This period established his versatility across genres, culminating in directing the pilot episode of HBO's The Sopranos in 1999. From 2002 to 2015, Van Patten solidified his reputation during HBO's golden age of prestige television, directing 20 episodes of The Sopranos, including both the season six premiere and the series finale "Made in America."[19] He contributed 9 episodes to The Wire, enhancing its gritty urban narratives, and directed key installments of other HBO series, such as the season two episode "Childish Things" of Deadwood in 2005.[20][18] His work extended to directing the reshot pilot and first two episodes of Game of Thrones in 2011, "Winter Is Coming" and "The Kingsroad," as well as multiple episodes across all five seasons of Boardwalk Empire, where he also served as a producer.[21][22] In his later career from 2016 onward, Van Patten continued to helm high-profile projects, including episodes of the 2010 miniseries The Pacific, such as "Basilone" (Part Six) and "Okinawa" (Part Nine), for which he received a directing Emmy nomination. He directed the Black Mirror episode "Hang the DJ" in 2017, the HBO limited series Perry Mason in 2020 (helming the first three episodes), one episode of the Apple TV+ miniseries Masters of the Air in 2024, and all eight episodes of the Apple TV+ series Franklin in 2024.[23][24][2][25] In 2025, he directed the first two episodes of an untitled Apple TV+ series adaptation of Lars Kepler's crime novels and served as a producer on the upcoming Chief of War.[6][19] Alongside these directing efforts, he took on producing roles for The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire. Van Patten's directing style is renowned for its tense pacing and immersive tension in crime dramas, often amplifying the psychological depth of ensemble casts through precise visual rhythm and atmospheric tension.[26] His long-term collaborations with The Sopranos creator David Chase and Boardwalk Empire showrunner Terence Winter have been pivotal, fostering a signature blend of character intimacy and narrative propulsion that defined HBO's era of serialized prestige TV.[4]Works and recognition
Acting
Tim Van Patten began his acting career in television and film during the late 1970s and continued through the early 1990s. His notable roles include:- The White Shadow (1978–1981, TV series) as Mario "Salami" Pettrino in 54 episodes.[4][27]
- The Silence (1982, TV movie) as Tim Conroy.[28]
- Class of '84 (1982, film) as Peter Stegman.[27][15]
- Catacombs (1984, film) as Michael.[28]
- The Master (1984, TV series) as Max Keller.[29]
- Zone Troopers (1985, film) as Joey.[27]
- Dress Gray (1986, TV movie) as Lt. David Handley.[28]
- Escape from El Diablo (1987, TV movie) as Rick Morris.[28]
- The Wrong Guys (1988, film) as Louie.[27]
- True Blue (1989–1990, TV series) as Sergeant Andy Wojeski.[30]
Directing
Van Patten transitioned to directing in the 1990s, focusing primarily on television episodes and miniseries. His key credits, grouped by project, include:- The Sopranos (1999–2007, TV series): 20 episodes, including "D-Girl," "Cold Stones," "Amour Fou," "Whoever Did This," "Long Term Parking," and "The Second Coming."[19]
- The Wire (2002–2008, TV series): 3 episodes, including "Sentencing" (season 1), "Stray Rounds" (season 2), and "Back Burners" (season 3).[19]
- Deadwood (2004–2006, TV series): 1 episode ("Childish Things").[31]
- Rome (2005–2007, TV series): 2 episodes.[23]
- The Pacific (2010, TV miniseries): 3 episodes.[23]
- Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014, TV series): 18 episodes, including "To the Lost," "21," "The Pony," and "Eldorado."[19][23]
- Game of Thrones (2011, TV series): 1 episode (pilot).
- Perry Mason (2020, TV series): 5 episodes.[30]
- Masters of the Air (2024, TV miniseries): 1 episode (episode 9).[32][2]
- Franklin (2024, TV miniseries): 8 episodes.[33]
Producing
Van Patten's producing credits primarily involve executive or supervising roles on HBO and other prestige television projects:- The Pacific (2010, TV miniseries): Supervising producer.[4]
- Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014, TV series): Executive producer (seasons 3–5).[18]
- *Perry Mason* (2020, TV series: Executive producer.[34]
- Franklin (2024, TV series): Executive producer (8 episodes).[30]
- Chief of War (2025, TV series): Executive producer.[34]
Writing
Van Patten has limited writing credits, mainly co-writing episodes for HBO series:- The Sopranos (2001, TV series): Co-writer for episode "Pine Barrens" (season 3).[19]