Stefan Arngrim - Director

stefan arngrim is an actor, poet, playwright/director who has worked with High Horse Productions for three seasons now. Stefan has a extensive and varied background as a ‘life’ artist, starting as a child actor at five on live television in New York in the early sixties, several’ Hallmark Hall of Fame’ productions (’Cyrano De Bergerac’ w/Christopher Plummer, ‘Florence Nightingale’ w/ Julie Harris), a few live ‘soaps’ (’Search For Tomorrow’ for a year and a half!) a few Broadway shows (‘Oliver’ & others) and stefan moved to L.A. (courtesy of MGM and Columbia/Screen Gems) for a run at film and one hour dramatic episodic television

So off to Hollywood he went, with mother Norma Macmillan (the voice of ‘Casper’, ‘Gumby’, so on), little sister Alison (who went on to star as Nellie Oleson on ‘Little House on the Prairie) and father Thor Arngrim (producer and ultimately Personal Manager of the entire ‘clan’). Stefan starred as Kirk Douglas’ son in MGM’s ‘The Way West', as well as many guest star roles on ‘classic‘ TV, such as guest starring roles on ’Gun smoke’, ‘Combat’, The Virginian’, etc. As a result of his reputation he starred in the sixties Irwin Allen series ‘Land of the Giants’ (still in reruns in the U.K. to this very day!) and because of this opportunity he started writing and producing, singing and playing on his own records (which became CD’s and are now mp4’s). Stefan is still actively writing & recordings. Beginning at the age of twelve he published his first poetry, had his first plays produced through L.A.’s Garden Theatre Festival and Manhattan’s Sheridan Theatre, and toured America and Europe with his band in support of several recordings, as well as selling his first series pilot to NBC.

After spending time between New York and L.A. working with performance artists Tom Murrin, Craig Olander and partnering with Johanna Went for several years, he starred in several films which time has given ‘cult’ status – films such as ‘Fear No Evil’ and ‘The Class of 1984’ – among some of the first ‘punk’ movies.

stefan then worked as a singer-songwriter, writing, recording and playing with artists like (the late) Warren Zevon, Deborah Harry, Perry Farrell, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, James Gilmour, (the late) Jerry Garcia, and many others. Stefan spent most of the seventies and early eighties more or less permanently ‘on tour’ in the U.S. and Europe or in the studio.

After first coming to Vancouver in the late eighties to produce his screenplay for HBO - ‘The Cold Front’ – (written by stefan for Martin Sheen - Beverly D’Angelo and Michael Ontkean) – he started shuttling between L.A. – where he was Executive in charge of Production and Director of Development for James Alex at Paramount Pictures - and Vancouver - with much episodic and independent feature work. After a brief trip to London for a ‘musical vacation’ he settled in Vancouver where he has worked for the last ten years on episodic TV like ‘The X –Files’, ‘Millennium’, ‘DaVinci’s Inquest’ to more recent appearances on ‘V’ and ‘Caprica’ - as well as films like ‘The Chronicles of Riddick’ – ‘Final Cut’ – ‘Misbegotten’ - ‘The Fog’ – ‘The A Team’ – and many other indie and location studio features - he is currently playing a recurring character on the series ‘Fringe’

Since the fall/winter of 2008 though – his passion and pleasure has been found working with High Horse – stefan wrote the play ‘The Sisters of Mercy’ – for Anne Brown – Joey McDougal and Clare Elliott – (produced at PAL last spring) –

‘strangelet’ is in fact – the ninth and final play in a cycle called - ‘The Pegasus Plays’ (of which ‘The Sisters of Mercy’ was the first)– by stefan arngrim – all written for High Horse and specifically for it’s always inspiring and courageous casts –

stefan says- “i consider myself such a fortunate son to be so enthusiastically inspired by talents like Anne Brown – Joey McDougal – Clare Elliott and Erin Boyes and their High Horse stalwart partners – the Elegant – but shy - Ian Hanlin – the always stunning well-appointed Will Vaughan – and the smoky sensuality of Brandon Hart –

Anne – Joey and all of High Horse – are some of the hardest working – most talented actors (and producers) anyone could hope to work with – i know no greater magic than seeing the pictures in my head – inspired by the very people that then manifest them with such grace – seamless – flawless technique - and great beauty!”

s. arngrim - 2010