Aaron Swartz (actor)

For other people with similar names, see Aaron Swartz or Aaron Schwartz (disambiguation).
Aaron Swartz
Nationality British
Education Drama Centre London
Known for Theatre, Film, Television, Video Game
Notable work The Fourth Protocol (1987)
Burn:Cycle (1994)
Entrapment (1999)
Do Not Disturb (1999)
I Shouldn’t Be Alive (2010–2012)
Website
AaronCounselling.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 Nightmare Hunters (2013).

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

Academia

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

Film

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 Nightmare Hunters (Artefact, 2013).[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

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.

Television

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

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

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "ACT Drama School Staff". Brighton, Eng.: Academy of Creative Training. 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. March 1, 2012. Aaron wanted the students to understand just how emotional [Army training] would have been for those young [recruits].
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "Aaron Swartz filmography". NYTimes.com Movies & TV. The New York Times (All Movie Guide and Baseline). Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "Aaron Swartz". Internet Movie Database. IMDB, Inc. December 6, 2012. Actor (23 titles) … The Lords of Discipline (1983), [as] Senior.…  Nightmare Hunters (March 2013), [as] Robert Hannigan.
  5. ↑ Murder by Moonlight: Acting Credits, New York Times. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  6. ↑ Jukes, Stephen (March 3, 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". Internet Movie Database. IMDb, Inc. Retrieved 24 February 2013. WGA Award (TV): Original/Adapted Multi-Part Long Form Series.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Olafson, Peter (December 1, 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.

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