Stuart Regen

Highest Rated: 91% Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

Lowest Rated: 91% Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

Birthday: Mar 15, 1959

Birthplace: New York, New York, USA

A prominent West Hollywood art dealer, Stuart Regen became interested in motion pictures while living in Hollywood. His first film project was serving as associate producer on the 1990 drama "Bright Angel," featuring Dermot Mulroney, Lili Taylor and Sam Shepard. His passion for film was especially ignited after he picked up a copy of John O'Brien's semi-autobiographical novel "Leaving Las Vegas." Struck by the cover and later by the content, Regen was determined to make this story of a suicidal alcoholic into a motion picture. He met with O'Brien and paid several thousand dollars for the movie rights. Major studios turned down the film, and Regen had a long fight to get the project going. The author of the optioned novel shot himself to death in 1994, before the film went into production. Regen and his partner teamed up with the independent Lumiere Films to make "Leaving Las Vegas" (1995), directed by Mike Figgis and starring Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue. The film was both a critical and commercial success, earning four Oscar nominations and earning Cage a Best Actor statue.