Ron Underwood
Director

Ron Underwood Net Worth

Ron Underwood is a director, writer, and producer who was born in Glendale, California in 1953. He began making films in 5th grade and won Eastman Kodak filmmaking awards in his teens. After graduating from University of Southern California, he completed a fellowship at the American Film Institute and then began his professional career in educational films. He directed more than 100 educational films before turning his attention to children's television. His feature film debut in 1990 with the science fiction comedy Tremors was a sleeper hit, spawning three sequels and a USA TV series. He followed this success with the blockbuster comedy City Slickers (1991), which earned Jack Palance an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Underwood has also directed episodes of the USA network series Monk and Boston Legal. His most recent feature film was the romantic comedy In the Mix (2005).
Ron Underwood is a member of Director

Age, Biography and Wiki

Who is it? Director, Writer, Producer
Birth Day November 06, 1953
Birth Place  Glendale, California, United States
Age 69 YEARS OLD
Birth Sign Sagittarius
Alma mater University of Southern California
Occupation Film director, producer and television director
Years active 1980–present
Spouse(s) Sandy Underwood
Children Larissa, Lana, Lauren

💰 Net worth

Ron Underwood is a highly accomplished and multi-talented individual, known primarily for his roles as a director, writer, and producer in the United States. His extensive contributions to the entertainment industry have garnered him considerable acclaim and success. As of 2024, Ron Underwood's net worth is estimated to range from $100K to $1M, a testament to his hard work and talent. With a career spanning several decades, Underwood continues to leave an indelible mark on the world of filmmaking, showcasing his exceptional storytelling abilities and artistic vision.

Biography/Timeline

1976

Upon completion of his fellowship at the American Film Institute, Underwood began working as a staff Director for Barr films, a company specializing in the production of educational films. Underwood directed over one hundred short films, including an adaptation of the Kurt Vonnegut short story, "Deer in the Works", starring Dennis Dugan. While directing and producing short films for the educational market, Underwood pursued work in the motion picture industry. One of the first movies Underwood worked on was Futureworld (1976) as a production assistant. The film starred Blythe Danner and Peter Fonda, actors he would later direct in 2004. During the filming of Futureworld, one of his tasks was to babysit a young Gwyneth Paltrow. Soon after Underwood served as the location manager on the Peter Hyams directed motion picture, Capricorn One (1978). Another early job was acting as an assistant Director to first-time Director David Schmoeller on Tourist Trap, a low-budget horror film. After this he continued to direct and produce educational films for the next seven years. In 1986 Underwood established himself as a Director when his animated special The Mouse and the Motorcycle won a Peabody Award, which was followed two years later by the sequel Runaway Ralph, for which he received a Daytime Emmy nomination.

1990

Following his critically acclaimed venture into television, Underwood decided to have a go at directing feature films. His first effort was Tremors starring Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward and Reba McEntire in her acting debut. Written by his friends Brent Maddock & S. S. Wilson, it was released by Universal Studios in 1990. The film was well received by the critics and later established itself as a cult classic.

1991

Underwood received his first taste of commercial success with 1991's City Slickers, which starred Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern and Jack Palance, who won an Academy Award for his performance. The film made $179m worldwide with a budget of only $27m. It was the tenth most successful film released in 1991 (the fifth most successful in the US). His next film, also written by Brent Maddock & S. S. Wilson, Heart and Souls (1993), was again well-received by critics but struggled at the box office (making a total of $16m in the US). It starred Robert Downey, Jr., Charles Grodin, Tom Sizemore, Kyra Sedgwick, Elisabeth Shue and Alfre Woodard. He followed this with Speechless (1994), written by Robert King and starring Michael Keaton and Geena Davis.

1998

Given the opportunity to direct a big-budget film by Walt Disney Pictures in 1998, he was asked to direct Mighty Joe Young, a remake of the 1949 RKO film. The film, starring Charlize Theron in her first lead role, was nominated for the Academy Award for Visual Effects and featured some of the most sophisticated special effects seen in film up to that point, paving the way for later ape films like Peter Jackson's King Kong (2005). The special effects drove production costs to around $90m.

2003

Underwood has returned to his roots, directing both low-budget films and television. He directed Stealing Sinatra (2003) for Showtime, for which william H. Macy received an Emmy nomination, Back When We Were Grownups (2004) for the Hallmark Hall of Fame which garnered star Blythe Danner nominations for the Golden Globe and the Emmy, and In the Mix (2005), starring R&B singer Usher, Chazz Palminteri and Emmanuelle Chriqui for Lions Gate Entertainment. He directed several holiday themed movies for television: The Year Without a Santa Claus, Holiday in Handcuffs, and Santa Baby. He has directed a number of episodic television dramas, including episodes of Monk, Boston Legal, Reaper, Ugly Betty, Heroes, Chaos, Grey's Anatomy, Burn Notice, Once Upon a Time, Desperate Housewives, Nashville, Scandal, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Quantico and The Good Fight.

Some Ron Underwood images

About the author

Lisa Scholfield

As a Senior Writer at Famous Net Worth, I spearhead an exceptional team dedicated to uncovering and sharing the stories of pioneering individuals. My passion for unearthing untold narratives drives me to delve deep into the essence of each subject, bringing forth a unique blend of factual accuracy and narrative allure. In orchestrating the editorial workflow, I am deeply involved in every step—from initial research to the final touches of publishing, ensuring each biography not only informs but also engages and inspires our readership.