Roderick Taylor
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Roderick Taylor | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Rod Taylor Rod Falconer |
| Occupation(s) | Screenwriter, poet, recording artist, television producer, television director |
| Years active | 1983-present |
Roderick Taylor, also known as Rod Taylor or Rod Falconer, is an American poet, recording artist, screenwriter, television producer and television director. Taylor is the father of screenwriter and television/film producer Bruce A. Taylor with whom he often collaborates.
Career
Taylor holds an MA from Stanford University where he was a Stegner Fellowship winner in poetry and where he later taught creative writing. Taylor is also a Woodrow Wilson fellowship winner and winner of the (American Academy of Poets Prize) for his first collection, Florida East Coast Champion.
While still at Stanford, Taylor moonlighted as a singer in a rock band and started writing songs. He signed with Geffen Records and began a musical career that produced seven albums, principally under the name Roderick Falconer. Later, he wrote music for film and television, including the TV series Witchblade.
Taylor then began write story ideas and screenplays for television and film, often with his son Bruce, leading to the scripts for theatrical movies such as The Star Chamber and scripts for pilots like Annihilator and the Western-themed movies Kenny Rogers as The Gambler, Part III: The Legend Continues and Wild Horses. In 1985 he developed the science fiction series Otherworld, for which he served as narrator and also executive produced; the series failed to even run a full season. In 1998, he produced and directed his own scripted project, the 1998 television movie Inferno.
He wrote the scripts for American Outlaws (2001) The Brave One (2007). In 2009, Taylor and son Bruce completed work on Open Graves, a contemporary horror film.
Roderick Taylor is the recipient of numerous motion picture and television awards, including a Golden Spur Award from the WWA for his television film, Wild Horses, two Crystal Reel "Best Director" Awards for his work in both drama and comedy on the Viacom series, Super Force. In 1995 Taylor was awarded a prestigious Genesis Award from the Ark Trust Foundation for his work as executive producer and writer of MTV's critically acclaimed series, Dead at 21. That same year the series was nominated for a Cable Ace Award as Best Series. In 2001 Rod and Bruce received a Prism Award Commendation for their work as writers / executive producers on the VH 1 original movie At Any Cost, starring James Franco. Taylor also wrote and produced all the songs for this original film about the lives and loves of two young brothers in a rock band on the road to stardom, and untimely death (soundtrack album on Reprise Records.)
When not writing for television and film Roderick teaches creative writing at Stanford University.
Selected filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Notes | |
| 2009 | Open Graves | Writer, Executive Producer | |
| 2007 | The Brave One | Writer | |
| 2001 | American Outlaws | Writer | |
| 1990 | Instant Karma | Director | |
| 1983 | The Star Chamber | Writer | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Notes | |
| 1986 | Annihilator | Writer, Executive Producer | |
| 1985 | Otherworld | Writer, 8 episodes Narrator, 8 episodes Executive Producer, 8 episodes | |
| 1999-1992 | Super Force | Writer, 33 episodes Director, 3 episodes Executive Producer, 33 episodes | |
| 1994 | Dead at 21 | Writer, 12 episodes
Executive Producer, 12 episodes | |
| 1998 | Inferno | Writer, Producer | |
| 2000 | At Any Cost | Writer, Producer | |
| 2001–2002 | Witchblade | Writer, 3 episodes | |
Discography
Albums
- Rod Taylor (Asylum, 1973)
- New Nation (United Artists, 1976)
- Victory in Rock City (United Artists, 1977)
- Straight (Metronome Musik [Germany], 1980)
- Rules of Attraction (MCA, 1984)
Poetry
- Florida East Coast Champion Photo by Annie Leibovitz]