Biography for
Adam Rifkin More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

Mini Biography

Adam Rifkin is a writer/director/producer/actor whose eclectic career ranges from broad family comedies to gritty urban dramas. Most recently Rifkin wrote, directed, and starred in Homo Erectus, a comedy set in caveman times that had its World Premier at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival. Additionally, Rifkin wrote Underdog for Walt Disney Studios. The tent pole comedy based on the iconic cartoon show of the same name hits theaters August 3, 2007. Teaming with producer/director John Woo, Rifkin also wrote the mega-budget, sword and sorcery epic, He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe for 20th Century Fox. As a writer, he is also known for having penned two hits for DreamWorks, Mousehunt and Small Soldiers. Continuing in the family film genre, he scribed the big screen version of Where's Waldo for Paramount/Nickelodeon.

As a director Rifkin helmed the popular teen comedy Detroit Rock City for New Line Cinema. He also wrote and directed the car crash flick, The Chase, starring Charlie Sheen, a film that James Cameron described as "awesome". In addition he helmed the critically acclaimed Night At The Golden Eagle, a dark drama starring James Caan, Natasha Lyonne, and Vinnie Jones. It was an official selection of the London Film Festival and opened to rave reviews. The film won Best Cinematography and Best Supporting Actor for Vinnie Jones at the New York Independent Film Festival. Rifkin as well wrote and directed the cult classic The Dark Backward. In the year of its release The Dark Backward was named one of the top ten films of the year by the New York Post.

As a performer, Rifkin co-directed and starred in Welcome To Hollywood, a mock documentary chronicling the trials and tribulations of what it takes to pursue a career in tinsel town. The film boasts an impressive list of cameos including John Travolta, Sandra Bullock, and Will Smith.

Currently Rifkin is in post-production on Look, a controversial drama that takes us into the foreboding world of hidden cameras. The unique film is shot entirely from the point of view of the hundreds of surveillance cameras we all pass in front of on a daily basis.

Trivia

Basis for character "Adam Rafkin" on the show "Action" (1999) .

At 21 Rifkin was hired by 20th Century Fox to write and direct a new version of The Planet Of The Apes. In Rifkin's original script the ape empire had reached its Roman era and the film was going to feel very much like Spartacus with primates. The studio loved Rifkin's draft but several days before pre-production was to commence the head of the studio was fired and the project was shelved. Subsequently the project changed many hands including Oliver Stone, Chris Columbus, James Cameron and eventually Tim Burton.

John Faveraux played Adam in the film love and sex which was a based on Adam Rifkin and writer director Valerie Breiman's real life 3 year relationship. Famke Jensen plays the role based on Breiman.

Using his background as a cartoonist Rifkin designed the movie poster for the caveman comedy "Encino Man" as a favor to Hollywood Pictures President Ricardo Mestres. Coincidently 15 years later Rifkin wrote, directed and starred in his own caveman comedy "Homo Erectus".

Personal Quotes

"An Adam Rifkin movie is really a movie that I think of as a career movie. Rif Coogan movies are more for fun, my own personal edification, and for practice."

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