Andrew Wellman Tennant (born June 15, 1955) is an American screenwriter, film and television director, actor, and dancer.

Andy Tennant
Tennant at the 2011 Dallas International Film Festival
Born (1955-06-15) June 15, 1955 (age 68)
Chicago, Illinois, United States
EducationHomewood-Flossmoor High School
Alma materUniversity of Southern California
Occupation(s)Screenwriter, director, actor, dancer
Years active1978–present
SpouseSharon Kay Johnson (m. 1993)
Children4

Early life

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Tennant was born June 15, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, and was raised in Flossmoor, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. His father was Don Tennant, a creative advertising talent with Leo Burnett Agency in Chicago. As a boy, he spent his summers on Old Mission Peninsula in northern Michigan and at Camp Minocqua in northern Wisconsin. He graduated from Homewood-Flossmoor High School in 1973. He studied theater under John Houseman at University of Southern California.

Career

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Dancing/acting and directorial debut

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In 1978, he was cast as an extra of a dancing role in the musical adaptation film Grease starring actor John Travolta and singer/actress Olivia Newton-John. That same year, he was cast as an extra in a dancing role in the musical comedy film adaptation of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band. His next role as an actor was in the 1979 period comedy film 1941 as Babyface directed by Steven Spielberg featuring the ensemble cast of Dan Aykroyd, Ned Beatty, John Belushi, John Candy, Chrisopher Lee, Toshiro Mifune and Robert Stack. He was cast in the comedy film Midnight Madness as Melio - Blue Team in 1980. He was cast as Boy Greaser in the sequel musical romantic-comedy Grease 2 starring actor Maxwell Caulfield and actress Michelle Pfeiffer in 1982. Tennant quit acting and began writing and producing with his first project being the NBC made-for-television movie Moving Target in 1988 starring actor/comedian Jason Bateman, singer/actress Chynna Phillips and actor Jack Wagner. He branched out to directing, making his directorial debut in 1989 for the ABC coming-of-age comedy-drama series The Wonder Years directing the season 3 episode "Math Class" starring actor Fred Savage. He worked as a director and producer for two episodes of the NBC adaptation of the 1980s John Hughes film Ferris Bueller starring actor Charlie Schlatter in 1990. He directed four episodes from season 1 of the Fox sitcom Parker Lewis Can't Lose starring actor Corin Nemac (1990). He directed the TNT made-for-television drama movie Keep the Change starring actor William Petersen in 1992. He directed the unaired pilot episode of the Fox comedy series Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventures a spin-off of the 1980s film series originally starring actor Keanu Reeves in 1992. He directed the made-for-television movie Desperate Choices: To Save My Child starring actress Joanna Kerns and actor Bruce Davison in 1992. He directed an episode of the Fox sitcom Great Scott! starring actor Tobey Maguire in 1992. He directed the made-for-television movie What She Doesn't Know in 1992. He directed the ABC made-for-television drama movie The Amy Fisher Story starring actress Drew Barrymore in 1993. He directed two episodes of the Fox weird western series The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. starring actor Bruce Campbell in 1993. He directed an episode of the CBS crime/drama series South of Sunset starring actor Glenn Frey in 1993. He directed an episode of the ABC series The Byrds of Paradise starring actor Timothy Busfield in 1994. He directed an episode of the Fox science fiction/fantasy series Sliders starring actor Jerry O'Connell in 1995.

Feature film director

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He made his feature film directorial debut in 1995 with the comedy/family film It Takes Two starring actress/comedienne Kirstie Alley, actor/comedian Steve Guttenberg and actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. He directed the romantic comedy film Fools Rush In starring actor/comedian Matthew Perry and actress Salma Hayek in (1997). He directed and wrote the romantic/drama film Ever After: A Cinderella Story re-teaming with Drew Barrymore in (1998). He directed the biographical drama film Anna and the King loosely based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam, which give a fictionalized account of the diaries of Anna Leonowens starring Oscar-winning actress Jodie Foster and actor Chow Yun-fat in (1999). He directed the romantic/comedy film Sweet Home Alabama starring actress Reese Witherspoon in (2002). He returned to television to directed as well as co-produce an episode of the Fox drama series The American Embassy starring actress Arija Bareikis in (2002). He returned to direct the romantic comedy film Hitch starring Will Smith and Eva Mendes in (2005). He directed the made-for-television Fox movie The Wedding Album starring actor Bruno Campos and actress Tara Summers in (2006). He directed the romantic comedy/adventure film Fool's Gold starring actor Matthew McConaughey and actress Kate Hudson in (2008). He directed the made-for-television movie Operating Instructions in (2009). He directed the action/romantic-comedy film The Bounty Hunter starring actor Gerard Butler and actress Jennifer Aniston in (2010). He directed the made-for-television movie Thunderballs in (2011). He served as an executive producer for the ESPN sports newsmagazine series E:60 earning three Emmy nominations and one win from (2011-2016). He directed an episode of the Amazon Video web series Betas starring actor Joe Dinicol in (2013). He directed the comedy film Wild Oats starring actresses Shirley MacLaine and Jessica Lange in (2016). He directed two episodes of the Netflix web series The Kominsky Method starring actor Michael Douglas in (2018).

Personal life

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Tennant married Fine Art and Cultural Photographer, Sharon Kay Johnson February 13, 1993.[1] The couple have four children, three of whom are triplets. They currently reside in Los Angeles, California.[2]

Filmography

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Film

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YearTitleDirectorWriterRef.
1995It Takes TwoYesNo[3][4]
1997Fools Rush InYesNo[5][6]
1998Ever After: A Cinderella StoryYesYes[7][8]
1999Anna and the KingYesNo[9][10]
2002Sweet Home AlabamaYesNo[11][12]
2005HitchYesNo[13][14]
2008Fool's GoldYesYes[15][16]
2010The Bounty HunterYesNo[17][18]
2016Wild OatsYesNo[19][20]
2020The Secret: Dare to DreamYesYes
TBAUnit 234YesNo[21]

Acting roles

YearTitleRole
1978GreaseDancer #19
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club BandDancer
19791941Babyface
1980Midnight MadnessMelio - Blue Team
1982Grease 2Boy Greaser

Television

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YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerNotes
1989-1991The Wonder YearsYesNoNoEpisodes "Math Class" and "Heartbreak"
1990Ferris BuellerYesYesNoDirected episode "Sloan Again, Naturally",
wrote episode "Stand-In Deliver"
1990-1991Parker Lewis Can't LoseYesNoNo4 episodes
1992Bill & Ted's Excellent AdventuresYesNoNoEpisode "Unaired Pilot"
Great Scott!YesNoNoEpisode "Pyrrhic Lyric"
1993The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.YesNoNoEpisodes "Socrates’ Sister" and "Brisco for the Defense"
South of SunsetYesNoNoEpisode "Satyricon"
1994The Byrds of ParadiseYesNoNoEpisode "In Todd We Trust"
1995SlidersYesNoNoEpisode "Pilot"
2002The American EmbassyYesNoYesEpisode "Pilot"
2011-2016E:60NoNoExecutiveDocumentary series;
58 episodes;
2013BetasYesNoNoEpisode "Lowdown"
2018-2021The Kominsky MethodYesNoNo11 episodes
2023BookieYesNoNo5 episodes

TV movies

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducer
1988Moving TargetNoYesYes
1992Keep the ChangeYesNoNo
Desperate Choices: To Save My ChildYesNoNo
What She Doesn't KnowNoYesNo
1993The Amy Fisher StoryYesNoNo
2006The Wedding AlbumYesYesYes
2009Operating InstructionsYesNoYes
2011ThunderballsYesNoNo

Awards and nominations

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YearTitleAward/Nomination
2011-2016E:60Sports Emmy award for Outstanding Sports Journalism (2014)
Nominated - News & Documentary Emmy award for Outstanding Feature Story (2015)
Nominated - News & Documentary Emmy award for Outstanding Feature Story (2016)

References

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  1. ^ "WEDDINGS; Sharon Johnson, Andrew Tennant". The New York Times. 14 February 1993. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  2. ^ "Sharon Johnson-Tennant - Artists - Robert Berman Gallery". www.robertbermangallery.com. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  3. ^ It Takes Two on Metacritic, retrieved 2018-04-18
  4. ^ It Takes Two on Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 2018-04-18
  5. ^ Fools Rush In on Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 2018-04-18
  6. ^ Fools Rush In on Metacritic, retrieved 2018-04-18
  7. ^ Ever After: A Cinderella Story on Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 2018-04-18
  8. ^ Ever After on Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 2018-04-18
  9. ^ Anna and the King on Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 2018-04-18
  10. ^ Anna and the King on Metacritic, retrieved 2018-04-18
  11. ^ Sweet Home Alabama on Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 2018-04-18
  12. ^ Sweet Home Alabama on Metacritic, retrieved 2018-04-18
  13. ^ Hitch on Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 2018-04-18
  14. ^ Hitch on Metacritic, retrieved 2018-04-18
  15. ^ Fool's Gold on Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 2018-04-18
  16. ^ Fool's Gold on Metacritic, retrieved 2018-04-18
  17. ^ The Bounty Hunter on Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 2018-04-18
  18. ^ The Bounty Hunter on Metacritic, retrieved 2018-04-18
  19. ^ Wild Oats on Metacritic, retrieved 2018-04-18
  20. ^ Wild Oats on Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 2018-04-18
  21. ^ Grobar, Matt. "Isabelle Fuhrman Boards Thriller 'Unit 234' From Director Andy Tennant". Deadline Hollywood.
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