Steven Brill, a native of Utica, New York, embarked on a creative journey at Boston University, where he studied film, theater, and acting. Under the guidance of renowned poet and playwright Derek Walcott, Brill became a student of the Nobel Prize winner and even wrote and directed original plays for Walcott's first theater group, Playwright's Theater, in Boston.
As his passion for writing and acting continued to grow, Brill relocated to Los Angeles, where he began auditioning as an actor and penning screenplays in his spare time. It was during this period that he discovered his love for ice skating at public rinks, which ultimately led to the conception of his iconic film, The Mighty Ducks.
Brill's idea for the film was inspired by his own youth hockey experience, and he scripted the story, which was later sold to Walt Disney Pictures. The 1992 release starred Emilio Estevez as Coach Gordon Bombay, and the Anaheim Mighty Ducks entered their first NHL season just a year later. Brill went on to write and executive produce the 1995 sequel, D2-The Mighty Ducks Are Back, and the 1997 film, D3-The Mighty Ducks.
Brill made his directorial debut with the Disney film Heavyweights, a comedy about a group of kids at a weight loss summer camp, starring Ben Stiller. He co-wrote the script with Judd Apatow, who also served as the executive producer.
Next, Brill wrote and directed Late Last Night for Screenland Pictures, a film that stars Emilio Estevez, Steven Weber, and Catherine O'Hara. The movie chronicles one intense night in the life of a man in Los Angeles.
Brill's subsequent projects included writing Ready to Rumble for Warner Brothers, as well as working as a writer on The Wedding Singer, Big Daddy, and Doctor Dolittle. He then directed and co-wrote Little Nicky with Adam Sandler for New Line Cinema, alongside Harvey Keitel, Patricia Arquette, and Reese Witherspoon.
Brill's subsequent directorial efforts included Mr. Deeds, starring Adam Sandler and Winona Ryder, which grossed over 170 million worldwide. He followed this up by directing Without a Paddle, starring Burt Reynolds, Seth Green, and Matthew Lillard, for Paramount Pictures, and Drillbit Taylor, produced by Judd Apatow and starring Owen Wilson.
In his most recent endeavor, Brill wrote and directed Walk of Shame, an original screenplay starring Elizabeth Banks, for Lakeshore Entertainment.
Aside from his work as a writer and director, Brill has also had a successful acting career, appearing in films such as Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Postcards from the Edge, Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, When a Man Loves a Woman, The Wedding Singer, Big Daddy, and Knocked Up.
