Randall Miller — Director | Biography, Movies & Career

Biography

Randall Miller (born July 24, 1962) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, editor, and occasional actor. At the American Film Institute (AFI), Miller received acclaim for his 1990 short film Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing & Charm School. This led to a career directing films in Hollywood in the 1990s, including the comedies Class Act (1992), Houseguest (1995), and The 6th Man (1997).

In his 40s, he ventured into independent film, taking money out of his house to direct and produce Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School (2005), an expansion of his 1990 short into a full-length feature. He followed this with the indie films Nobel Son (2007), Bottle Shock (2008), and CBGB (2013), all starring Alan Rickman in the lead role. He self-distributed and raised the money for Bottle Shock, his greatest critical success.

He closely collaborated with his wife Jody Savin on many of his projects, writing and producing multiple films together.

In 2015, he pled guilty in the train crash death of film crew member Sarah Jones in a plea deal so that his wife, also charged, could go home to their two school-aged children. The film was Midnight Rider, which he was directing and producing. He served one year in jail and is completing nine years of probation. He is the first filmmaker to be imprisoned for a film-related death.