Break a Hip

created, written and directed by Cameron Watson

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Produced by

Maggie Biggar   Steve Cubine   Mason McCulley   Christina Pickles  Cameron Watson

 

The series is based on a film script I wrote called LONELY ON THE MOON. The actual story is based on my personal experience as a young actor in Hollywood.  I was hired by an older, English actress who lived in a one room studio in the heart of Hollywood by herself. Her husband was dead, all of her friends were dead, and she had no one. I drove her to the market and to do errands and would make sure she had everything she needed and she would pay me what she called “mad money.” And I needed that mad money at the time. She was a lovely, complicated woman. And she was alone and frightened. And that often came out as mean. I loved her deeply and she taught me a lot. We developed a very strong dependency on each other and the absurdity of our adventures together are what inspired the script.      Cameron Watson

 

The HIPster Team

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MAGGIE BIGGAR Maggie Biggar began her career in the film industry project managing the AFI’s esteemed documentary VISIONS OF LIGHT: THE ART OF CINEMATOGRAPHY. Up until April 2015, she was Vice President of Fortis Films, Sandra Bullock’s Los Angeles based production company for 20 years.  As an independent producer, her current projects include the comedy web series, BREAK A HIP, which garnered an Emmy nomination for Christina Pickles. BREAK A HIP marks Maggie’s second producing collaboration with writer/director Cameron Watson and producer Steve Cubine. The indie feature film that Maggie produced with GADA Films, OUR VERY OWN, premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2005. The film sold to Miramax Films and is currently available on DVD, Amazon and iTunes. Written and directed by Cameron Watson and starring Jason Ritter, Allison Janney, Keith Carradine and Cheryl Hines, the film won numerous film festival awards and Allison Janney was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her outstanding performance. She also produced the short film, A MEDITATION with writer/director Joe Petricca. The film, starring Harold Perrineau, has been in numerous film festivals internationally.  Work is underway to film the feature version.  Maggie is on the Leadership Committee of the Book Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes literacy and increases academic success by placing new books into the hands of low-income and underserved children.  

 

 

STEVE CUBINE Filmmaker and writer Steve Cubine has enjoyed a versatile career.  With over 15 years of producing experience, his feature film highlights include the cult classic SORDID LIVES, a comedy written and directed by Del Shores, BRAVE NEW JERSEY starring Tony Hale and Anna Camp, LUCKY, starring Colin Hanks, Ari Graynor, and Ann-Margret, and the Miramax film OUR VERY OWN, written & directed by Cameron Watson.  OUR VERY OWN, which stars Allison Janney, Cheryl Hines, Jason Ritter, and Keith Carradine, went on to win many film festival awards and garner an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Ms. Janney and a Prism Award for Cubine and the producers.  A proud member of the DGA and the Television Academy, Cubine is also a novelist and film historian.  His debut novel, WALKING ON ELECTRIC AIR was published in 2010 and you can read his blog on classic Hollywood at FromBeneathTheHollywood.blogspot.com He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee with a degree in broadcast journalism.

 

 

MASON McCULLEY Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Mason McCulley made his way to California to study Theatre Arts at Pepperdine University in Malibu. He's best known for playing Ken on the critically acclaimed HBO show INSECURE from Issa Rae, now in its third season. Additional acting credits include GREY'S ANATOMY, CASTLE, CSI:NY, BIG TIME RUSH and  WESTWORLD. Mason recently wrapped the feature film LIVE! starring Aaron Eckhart and Courtney Eaton which is slated to be released in the spring of 2019. For the past 10 years Mason has served as Industry Liaison for the Theatre Program at Pepperdine University, curating a Master Class Series for the acting majors. Guest Artists have included Sir Anthony Hopkins, Alfred Molina, Faith Prince, Betty Buckley, Jason Alexander, Yvonne Orji as well as top casting directors, agents and directors. Each week a different industry professional is invited to lead a workshop and dialogue with the students. www.MasonMcCulley.com 

 

 

CHRISTINA PICKLES Christina just added her seventh Emmy nomination and first Emmy win for her hilarious and touching performance as “Biz” in the short-form comedy series “Break A Hip.” Hailing from an English theatrical family, Christina Pickles is a beloved stage –trained actress who has enjoyed a rich and varied career that has allowed her to show her incredible range and great depth of character in her performances.  Probably best known for her portrayal of “Nurse Helen Rosenthal” on the NBC hit hospital drama “St. Elsewhere” and “Judy Geller,” the dysfunctional mother of Monica (Courtney Cox) and Ross (David Schwimmer), on the NBC smash comedy hit “Friends,” she was Emmy-nominated five times for “St. Elsewhere” and once for “Friends.”  Christina trained at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London before moving to New York where she was a member of The APA Repertory Company and enjoyed a luminous career starring on and Off-Broadway.  After moving to Los Angeles for “St. Elsewhere,” she worked consistently in film and television establishing herself as a versatile actress able to perform both comedy and drama deftly.  Film credits include “The Wedding Singer,” Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo + Juliet,” “Grace of My Heart,” and “Legends of the Fall.” As a voice-over artist, Christina can be heard in classic episodes of “The Family Guy” and as the spokesperson for Pavilions supermarket.

 

 

CAMERON WATSON has been heralded by The Los Angeles Times as "one of our finest contemporary directors," and is the recipient of the 2018 Distinguished Achievement in Directing Award from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle. His latest work includes hit revivals of THE LITTLE FOXES at Antaeus Theatre and STEEL MAGNOLIAS at Actors Co-Op in Los Angeles. He recently directed MIRACLE ON 34th STREET at The Pasadena Playhouse with Alfred Molina, the world premiere of Sharr White's STUPID KID at The Road Theatre in Los Angeles and THE CITY OF CONVERSATION starring Sharon Lawrence and Meredith Baxter at Ensemble Theatre Company in Santa Barbara. He directed CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF at Antaeus Theatre Company in Los Angeles, as well as PICNIC and TOP GIRLS, and the world premiere of DREAM CATCHER at The Fountian Theatre. He directed the critically-acclaimed Los Angeles premiere of COCK at Rogue Machine Theatre.  Other credits include ALL MY SONS (The Matrix Theatre Company), TRYING (The Colony Theatre), I NEVER SANG FOR MY FATHER (The New American Theatre), I CAPTURE THE CASTLE (The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey) and ROLLING WITH LAUGHTER in London’s West End. He wrote and directed the Miramax feature film OUR VERY OWN, starring Allison Janney in an Independent Spirit Award-nominated performance. The film also stars Keith Carradine, Cheryl Hines, Faith Prince, Beth Grant, Autumn Reeser, Hilarie Burton and a rare cameo by Mary Badham. www.cameron-watson.com