Aaron Swartz (actor)

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Aaron Swartz
Born
London, England
NationalityBritish
EducationDrama Centre London
Known forTheatre, Film, television, Video Game
Notable workThe Fourth Protocol (1987)
Burn:Cycle (1994)
Entrapment (1999)
Do Not Disturb (1999)
I Shouldn't Be Alive (2010–2012)
WebsiteAaronCounselling.co.uk

Aaron Swartz is a British actor and theatre and film director who has appeared in plays, movies, commercials and television series in the United States and Europe. His first film appearance was in The Lords of Discipline, a 1983 film adaptation of the Pat Conroy novel; Swartz played a senior at an American military academy. In 1994, he played Cutter, the lead role in the video game Burn:Cycle. He appeared in 25 episodes of the documentary series I Shouldn't Be Alive (2010–2012) and has directed two films that were sold to the BBC. He stars in the film Young Hunters: The Beast of Bevendean (2015).

Swartz also teaches Theatre arts at several English schools of drama.

Academia[edit]

Swartz trained at Drama Centre London. He currently teaches Acting for Camera at the Drama Centre and at the Central School of Speech and Drama, in London, and at the Academy for Creative Training, in Brighton.[1] He is also a lecturer in Performing Arts at Bexhill College.[2]

Acting and directing[edit]

Film[edit]

Swartz has appeared in more than 20 films,[1] including The Lords of Discipline (1983),[3] Claudia (1985),[4] The Fourth Protocol (1987),[1][3] Wild Things (1988),[3] Murder by Moonlight (1991),[5] Entrapment (1999),[1][3] Do Not Disturb (1999)[1][3] and The 51st State (2001).[1] He has starred in two shorts (Blanche Maguire, 2005, and Mowing the Lawn, 2008) and in the adventure film Young Hunters: The Beast of Bevendean (Artefact, 2015).[4]

His film directing credits include When Will I Be Famous? and The World's Greatest Fan, both sold to the BBC.[1]

Swartz also directed a group of actors playing victims and witnesses in a staged terror attack on London, for a "pioneering" project by Columbia University's Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma intended to train journalists in trauma awareness.[6]

Theatre[edit]

Swartz has appeared in plays at The Royal National Theatre, Oxford Playhouse, and other venues in the UK. His theatre directing credits include Mrs. Mesaroz, Hetty Bakes a Cake, What Now?, What Became of the Witch, Once a Catholic, The Arab-Israeli Cookbook[1] and The Grandfathers.[citation needed]

Television[edit]

In 1984, Swartz played Herbert Jamison in an episode of The First Olympics: Athens 1896,[3] a miniseries[4] that won a Writers Guild of America Award.[7] In 1986, he appeared in The Last Days of Patton, an American made-for-TV movie;[3] in 1996, he appeared in Over Here, a British made-for-TV movie.[4] He also appeared in 25 episodes of the documentary series I Shouldn't Be Alive (2010–2012), as the character Dan Mazur.[4]

Video games[edit]

Swartz played the lead role of Cutter in the cyberpunk, full-motion video game Burn:Cycle (1994).[8] According to Computer Gaming World, "the acting (with Aaron Swartz as Cutter) is better than the 'Dinner Theater 101' level that's usually the rule in computer games."[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "ACT Drama School Staff". Brighton, Eng.: Academy of Creative Training. 2013. Archived from the original on 19 September 2008. Retrieved 22 February 2013. Swartz … has appeared in over 20 films and … 60 commercials.…  Films include Judge Dread … and Do Not Disturb.  He is currently teaching Acting for Camera on the MA Acting for Screen at Central School of Speech and Drama and the Drama Centre, London.  Aaron has directed recent ACT productions.
  2. ^ "Army style bootcamp for The Grandfathers cast". Archive News. Bexhill, UK: Bexhill College. 1 March 2012. Aaron wanted the students to understand just how emotional [Army training] would have been for those young [recruits].
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Aaron Swartz filmography". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. 2014. Archived from the original on 15 December 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Aaron Swartz". IMDb. 6 December 2012. Actor (23 titles) … The Lords of Discipline (1983), [as] Senior.…  Nightmare Hunters (March 2013), [as] Robert Hannigan.
  5. ^ Murder by Moonlight: Acting Credits, The New York Times.. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  6. ^ Jukes, Stephen (3 March 2006). "Training to cover terror". Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma. N.Y.C.: Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. The actors, led by … Swartz, had … worked out in complex detail the roles and personalities of [the] four key characters.…  The Dart Centre … intends to take the training pioneered in Bournemouth to other media organisations and journalism schools … including the BBC.
  7. ^ "The First Olympics: Athens 1896 – Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 24 February 2013. WGA Award (TV): Original/Adapted Multi-Part Long Form Series.
  8. ^ a b Olafson, Peter (1 December 1995). "Burn there, done that". Computer Gaming World. N.Y.C.: Ziff Davis. p. 270. This cyberpunk full-motion video (FMV) action/adventure gave the [16-bit console system] instant credibility.

External links[edit]