Paul Haggis

Paul Edward Haggis(born March 10, 1953) is a Canadian screenwriter, film producer, and director of film and television. He is best known as screenwriter and producer for consecutiveBest Picture OscarwinnersMillion Dollar Baby(2004) andCrash(2005), the latter of which he also directed. Haggis also co-wrote the war filmFlags of Our Fathers(2006) and theJames BondfilmsCasino Royale(2006) andQuantum of Solace(2008). He is the creator of the television seriesDue South(1994–1999) and co-creator ofWalker, Texas Ranger(1993–2001), among others. Haggis is a two-timeAcademy Awardwinner, two-timeEmmy Awardwinner, and seven-timeGemini Awardwinner. He also assisted in the making of "We Are the World 25 for Haiti". In November 2022, he was found liable in a civil trial which alleged he raped publicist Haleigh Breest, and was required to pay$10 millionin damages.
Paul Edward Haggis was born inLondon, Ontario, the son of Mary Yvonne (néeMetcalf) andTed Haggis, a World War II veteran and Olympic sprinter in the 1948 Summer Olympics.He was raised as aCatholic, attendingCatholic schooland facing confrontations with children from Ontario'sProtestantmajority.His family had stopped going toMassafter finding their parish priest driving a Cadillac, and he considered himself anatheistby early adulthood.The Gallery Theatre in London was owned by his parents, and Haggis gained experience in the field through work at the theatre.
Haggis attended St. Thomas More Elementary School.He started secondary school atRidley Collegein St. Catharines, but began getting into bad behavior by skipping his requiredRoyal Canadian Army Cadetsdrills, breaking into the prefect's office to erase hisdemerits, and reading the radical magazineRamparts. After a year, Haggis's parents transferred him to a more progressive preparatory school inMuskoka Lakes. Haggis was taught by a producer of theCBC Radio Onenews programAs It Happens, who allowed him to sit with him as he editedJohn Dean's testimony to theWatergate hearingsfor broadcast.
After being inspired byAlfred HitchcockandJean-Luc Godard, Haggis proceeded to study art atH. B. Beal Secondary School.He opened a theater in Toronto to screen films banned by theOntario Board of Censorssuch asThe DevilsandLast Tango in Paris.After viewingMichelangelo Antonioni's 1966 filmBlowupin 1974, he traveled to England with the intent of becoming a fashion photographer.Haggis later returned to Canada to pursue studies in cinematography atFanshawe College.While in London, Ontario, Haggis was converted to theChurch of Scientology. In 1975, Haggis moved to Los Angeles, California, to begin a career in writing in the entertainment industry.
Haggis began to work as a writer for television programs, includingDingbat and the Creeps,Richie Rich,Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo,The Love Boat,One Day at a Time,Diff'rent Strokes, andThe Facts of Life.WithThe Facts of Life, Haggis also gained his first credit as producer.During the 1980s and 1990s, Haggis wrote for television series includingthirtysomething,The Tracey Ullman Show,FM,Due South,L.A. Law, andEZ Streets.He helped to create the television seriesWalker, Texas Ranger;Family Law; andDue South.Haggis served asexecutive producerof the seriesMichael HayesandFamily Law.In 1999, he signed afirst look dealwithColumbia TriStar Television.
He gained recognition in the film industry for his work on the 2004 filmMillion Dollar Baby, whichAllmoviedescribed as a "serious milestone" for the writer/producer, and as "his first high-profile foray into feature film".Haggis had read two stories written byJerry Boyd, a boxing trainer who wrote under the name ofF.X. Toole.
Haggis later acquired the rights to the stories, and developed them into thescreenplayforMillion Dollar Baby.Clint Eastwoodportrayed the lead character in the film.Eastwood also directed the film, and used the screenplay written by Haggis.Million Dollar Babyreceived fourAcademy Awardsincluding theAcademy Award for Best Picture.
AfterMillion Dollar Baby, Haggis worked on the 2004 filmCrash.Haggis came up with the story for the film on his own, and then wrote and directed the film, which allowed him greater control over his work.Crashwas his first experience as director of a major feature film.Highly positive upon release, critical reception ofCrashhas since polarized, althoughRoger Ebertcalled it the best film of 2005.
Crashreceived Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Director, in addition to four other Academy Award nominations.Haggis received two Academy Awards for the film: Best Picture (as its producer), and Best Writing for his work on the screenplay.WithMillion Dollar Babyand thenCrash, Haggis became the first individual to have written Best Picture Oscar-winners in two consecutive years.
Haggis said that he wroteCrashto "bust liberals", arguing that his fellowliberalswere not honest with themselves about the nature ofraceandracismbecause they believed that most racial problems had already been resolved inAmerican society.
He has been a member of theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciencesin the Writer's Branch since 2005. This allows him to vote on theAcademy Awards.
In 2008, Haggis foundedproduction companyHwy61 Films with producerMichael Nozik, and signed a deal to produce films forUnited Artists.The company is named after the title track ofBob Dylan's 1965 albumHighway 61 Revisited.
Haggis lives inSanta Monica, California.He has three daughters from his first marriage to Diana Gettas and one son from his second marriage toDeborah Rennard.His younger sister, Jo Francis, is afilm editor; they have worked together on several projects.
In 2009, Haggis founded the non-profit organizationArtists for Peace and Justiceto assist impoverished youth inHaiti.In an interview withDan Rather, Haggis mentioned that he is anatheist.
After maintaining active membership in the Church of Scientology for 35 years, Haggis left the organization in October 2009.He was motivated to leave Scientology in reaction to statements made by the San Diego branch of the Church of Scientology in support ofProposition 8, theballot initiativewhich bannedsame-sex marriagein California.
Haggis wrote toTommy Davis, the Church's spokesman, and requested that he denounce these statements; when Davis remained silent, Haggis responded that "Silence is consent, Tommy. I refuse to consent."Haggis went on to list other grievances against Scientology, including its policy ofdisconnection, and the smearing of its ex-members through the leaking of their personal details.
The Observercomments that: "The decision of[Jason] Begheand Haggis to quit Scientology appears to have caused the movement its greatest recent PR difficulties, not least because of its dependence on Hollywood figures as both a source of revenue for its most expensive courses and an advertisement for the religion."
In an interview withMovieline, Haggis was asked about similarities between his filmThe Next Three Daysand his departure from the Scientology organization; Haggis responded, "I think one's life always parallels art and art parallels life."In February 2011,The New Yorkerpublished a 25,000-word story, "The Apostate", byLawrence Wright, detailing Haggis's allegations about the Church of Scientology. The article ended by quoting Haggis: "I was in a cult for thirty-four years. Everyone else could see it. I don't know why I couldn't."Haggis was interviewed as part of a group of ex-Scientologists for the 2015 movieGoing Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.
In 2017, Haleigh Breest filed a lawsuit against Haggis, alleging that he hadsexually assaultedher after a film premiere in 2013. Haggis denied all allegations and filed a countersuit, claiming Breest intended to bankrupt him by extracting a$9 millionsettlement. His suit was dismissed.
In 2021, Haggis asked a judge to expedite his civil trial. He said he "cannot continue to pay his legal bills." Haggis requested the judge set a trial "at the earliest practical date." His lawyer, Seth Zuckerman, wrote in the motion that "the defendant is no longer in a position to finance his defence with this matter lingering in advance of trial."Following the initial accusation, three additional women came forward with various accusations of sexual assault and misconduct.
Fellow former Scientology membersLeah ReminiandMike Rinderhave defended him, suggesting that the Church of Scientology may be involved, an assertion both the accusers and the Church itself deny.
On June 19, 2022, Haggis was arrested inOstuniin southern Italy over allegations ofsexual assault.Local law enforcement charged him with aggravated sexual violence and aggravated personal injuries.A judge of the local court ofBrindisioverturned Haggis' house arrest on July 4. On July 29, a three judge panel of the District Court of Lecce unanimously dismissed the charges against Haggis.
On November 10, 2022, a New York jury found Haggis liable for the rape of Breest in a civil suit and ordered him to pay her at least$7.5 million.On November 14, the jury ordered Haggis to pay an additional$2.5 millionin punitive damages.On March 9, 2023, Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Sabrina Kraus ordered Haggis to pay an additional$2.8 millionin attorney fees and costs. The total judgement in damages and fees Haggis was ordered to pay is$12.8 million. Haggis told the court that the case effectively bankrupted him and claimed he has no ability to pay the verdict or any additional costs and fees.
Executive producer
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Acting credit
TV movies