About The Cast
Hilary Swank (Brandon Teena)
Hilary Swank has been acting since the age of nine, where she starred in several local plays in her native Bellingham, Washington.
Her first major film role came in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" as Kimberly, Buffy's best friend. In 1994, she was chosen over thousands of actresses coast to coast for the role of Julie Pierce in Columbia Pictures' "The Next Karate Kid." Her most recent film is the independent feature "The Way We Are," directed by Joseph Rusnak.
On television Swank appeared on "Beverly Hills, 90210" as Carly Molloy and as a series regular on "Camp Wilder" opposite Jay Mohr, Jerry O'Connell and Tina Marjarino.
Swank resides in Los Angeles and is an active supporter of the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.
ChloÎ Sevigny made her film debut in "Kids," directed by Larry Clark and most recently starred in Whit Stillman's "The Last Days of Disco." She has three other films due out this year: "American Psycho," based on the Bret Easton Ellis novel and directed by Mary Harron; Harmony Korine's "Julien: Donkey Boy," also starring Ewan Bremner; and "Map of the World," with Julianne Moore and Sigourney Weaver for director Scott Elliot, who directed Sevigny in her first play "Hazelwood Jr. High."
Her other film credits include Steve Buscemi's "Trees Lounge" and "Gummo," written and directed by Harmony Korine.
Peter Sarsgaard (John)
An actor with a talent for taking a candid look into the souls of his characters, Peter Sarsgaard is quickly becoming one of the acting community's most sought after young talents.
Sarsgaard first gained notice for his role in "The Man in the Iron Mask," opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and John Malkovich. Other films include Larry Clark's "Another Day in Paradise" with Melanie Griffith and James Woods and Tim Robbins' "Dead Man Walking" with Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon.
Sarsgaard most recently starred in Showtime's acclaimed feature, "Freak City," with Natalie Cole, Jonathan Silverman and Marlee Matlin. Produced by Michael Stipe and Sandy Stern's Single Cell Pictures, the film was directed by Lynne Litman.
A member of Douglas Carter Beane's New York-based theater company, The Drama Department, Sarsgaard appeared in their off-Broadway production, "Kingdom of Earth," directed by John Cameron Mitchell. He is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis and studied at the Actors' Studio, after which he was cast in Horton Foote's "Laura Dennis" for the Actors' Studio Program for the Signature Theatre Company off-Broadway.
Sarsgaard can currently be seen as part of the ensemble cast in Morgan J. Freeman's "Desert Blue," with Christina Ricci, Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, John Heard and Sarah Gilbert. He will be seen in writer/director Mari Kornhauser's independent film "Kitchen Privileges."
Brendan Sexton III (Tom)
Brendan Sexton III first garnered attention in Todd Solondz's "Welcome to the Dollhouse," which received the Grand Jury Prize at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival. Additionally, he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance.
Sexton's other film credits include "Empire Records," directed by Allan Moyle and starred in "Hurricane Streets," which received the Audience Award, Best Cinematography and Best Direction at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival.
Most recently, Sexton co-starred in John Water's "Pecker" and "Desert Blue," directed by Morgan J. Freeman.
Alison Folland (Kate)
Alison Folland's breakthrough role was as the impressionable Lydia in Gus Van Sant's "To Die For," opposite Nicole Kidman, Matt Dillon, Joaquin Phoenix and Illeana Douglas. She also starred in "All Over Me," which garnered her a 1998 Independent Spirit Awards nomination for Best Actress.
Other films credits include Van Sant's "Good Will Hunting," "Before & After" and "Pigeon Holed."
For television, Folland has appeared on "Law & Order" and "Homicide: Life on the Street."
Alicia Goranson (Candace)
Alicia Goranson attended Vassar College, where she starred in numerous stage productions and student films and directed "Tableau Vivant," an original performance piece for the Women's Ensemble Theater. She appeared on stage in "Defying Gravity" at the American Place Theater and "The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek" at the New York Theater Workshop.
Goranson also starred as Becky on the hit show "Roseanne" and appeared in the film, "How to Make an American Quilt." Her second performance piece, "Iris K.O." was part of the 1998 New York City Fringe Festival.
Matt McGrath (Lonny)
Matt McGrath can currently be seen in Tom Doneghy's "The Story of a Bad Boy" and will soon be seen in "The Talent Mr. Ripley" with Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow. Most recently, McGrath appeared in "The Impostors," as a romantic Italian and in the feature "Colin Fitz" as a dreamy security guard who spends the night guarding the grave of a dead rock star. Other film credits include "1999," "The Substance of Fire," "The Dadshuttle," "Lifebreath," "Bob Roberts," "Pump Up the Volume" and "Desperate Hours."
McGrath's acting career began in New York. Highly respected in New York's theater community, he received outstanding reviews for John Robin Baitz's "A Fair Country" at the Lincoln Center. He also starred in "Minutes from the Blue Route" at Atlantic Theater Company, where he is a member. McGrath recently completed a run of "Loot" at the La Jolla Playhouse. McGrath's other theater credits include "A Streetcar Named Desire" on Broadway with Jessica Lange and Alec Baldwin, "Raised in Captivity" at South Coast Rep, "Escape from Happiness," "Fat Men in Skirts," "Snakebit," "The Dadshuttle," A.R. Gurney's "The Old Boy," "Nothing Sacred" "Life During Wartime," "Amulets Against the Dragon Forces," "Dalton's Back" and "Distant Fires" for which the cast won the LA Weekly Award for Best Ensemble Acting.
On television, McGrath is most known for his chilling and moving portrait of a college student who, with his buddies, plots the murder of his parents in the NBC mini-series, "Cruel Doubt." Other television credits include "Member of the Wedding," John Frankenheimer's "Andersonville," "Chicago Hope," "Winnetka Road," Nora Ephron's "Putting It Together" and "Frasier."
McGrath is currently beginning production on the independent film, "Cloud 8" with Samantha Mathis and Betty Buckley.
Jeannetta Arnette (Lana's Mom)
Jeannetta Arnette's recent film credits include "Judas Kiss" with Alan Rickman, "First Love, Last Rites" with Giovanni Ribisi and "Somebody is Waiting" with Gabriel Byrne. She has acted in more than 150 television shows including episodic, movie-of-the-weeks and pilots as well as the series "Head of the Class" with Billy Connolly and "The Jackie Thomas Show" with Tom Arnold.
About the Filmmakers
Kimberly Peirce (Director / Co-Screenwriter)
Kimberly Peirce's film "The Last Good Breath," a 16-mm experimental short about two lovers who take turns sacrificing themselves to survive a world war, ran in the Leopard of Tomorrow Program at the 1994 Locarno International Film Festival. The film won several awards including second place at the Canada International, a Golden Award in the Experimental Division at the Chicago International and first place at the Suffolk Film Festival.
Her non-fiction film and theater articles have appeared in Kansai Time Out, Grey City Journal and Chicago's Screen Magazine. She lived in Kobe, Japan for two years where she photographed sumo wrestlers, geisha and yakuza, which were later exhibited at the Chicago Festival for the Arts.
Inspired by the life and death of Brandon Teena, Peirce co-wrote the script for the film as a graduate thesis. As a short, it was nominated by the Columbia Faculty for the Princess Grace Award and received a 1995 Astrea Production Grant.
Peirce also edited Shawn Atkins' 16-mm experimental animated film "Anastasia and the Queen of Hearts," which screened at the New York Film Festival and assistant edited Cheryl Dunye's 16-mm short, "Greetings from Africa," which screened at the Berlin, Sundance and Toronto Film Festivals among others.
She received a B.A. in English and Japanese Literature from the University of Chicago and an MFA in film from the Columbia University.
Andy Bienen (Co-Screenwriter)
"Boys Don't Cry" marks the first produced screenplay for co-writer Andy Bienen. A native of New York, Andy studied English literature at the University of Virginia and received an MFA in Screenwriting from the Columbia University Film School where his script "Wankers" won the award for Best Student Screenplay in 1996.
Bienen is currently working on a screen adaptation of Sherwood Anderson's "Winesburg, Ohio."
Jeffrey Sharp (Producer)
Jeff Sharp worked for director Oliver Stone's Ixtlan Co. on "Born on the Fourth of July," "The Doors" and "JFK," as well as the Stone produced film "Zebrahead." He also worked as a development executive for director Joel Schumacher prior to attending the Graduate Film School at Columbia University. He is also a founding member of the Hamptons International Film Festival, where he served as Director of Development.
Hart Sharp Entertainment was founded in 1996 by Sharp and John Hart to finance, develop and produce film and theatrical productions.
"Dark Harbor," co-written and directed by Adam Coleman Howard, is Hart Sharp's first completed production. Starring Alan Rickman, Polly Walker and Norman Reedus, the film had its world premiere at the 1998 Seattle International Film Festival and screened at the 1998 Hamptons Film Festival. Hart Sharp is currently in post-production on "You Can Count on Me," written/directed by Kenneth Lonergan, executive produced by Martin Scorsese and starring Matthew Broderick and Laura Linney.
Theater projects include the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of "Chicago," co-produced by Hart Sharp, as well as the American road companies and London productions. Hart Sharp also co-produced "Annie Get Your Gun," the Tony Award-winning revival of Irvin Berlin's musical, currently running on Broadway at the Marquis Theater.
John Hart (Producer)
John Hart has served as executive producer on several films including Todd Haynes' "Safe," Peter Cohn's "Drunks," Cindy Sherman's "Office Killer" and Hannah Weyer's "Arresting Gina." Hart's Broadway and off-Broadway productions over the last ten years include "Guys and Dolls," "The Who's Tommy," "Hamlet" with Ralph Fiennes and "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" with Matthew Broderick.
Hart Sharp Entertainment was founded in 1996 by Hart and Jeff Sharp to finance, develop and produce film and theatrical productions.
"Dark Harbor," co-written and directed by Adam Coleman Howard, is Hart Sharp's first completed production. Starring Alan Rickman, Polly Walker and Norman Reedus, the film had its world premiere at the 1998 Seattle International Film Festival and screened at the 1998 Hamptons Film Festival.
Hart Sharp is currently in post-production on "You Can Count on Me," written/directed by Kenneth Lonergan, executive produced by Martin Scorsese and starring Matthew Broderick and Laura Linney.
Theater projects include the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of "Chicago," co-produced by Hart Sharp, as well as the American road companies and London productions. Hart Sharp also co-produced "Annie Get Your Gun," the Tony Award-winning revival of Irvin Berlin's musical, currently running on Broadway at the Marquis Theater.
Eva Kolodner (Producer)
Eva Kolodner is the Director of Development at Killer Films, the independent film production company founded in 1996 by producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler. Kolodner has been working with Vachon and Koffler for the past five years, during which time she worked in production on the films "Kids," "Stonewall" and "I Shot Andy Warhol." After Killer Films was formed, she was production manager on the company's projects "Kiss Me, Guido" and Todd Solondz's "Happiness."
With Katie Roumel, Killer's Head of Production, Kolodner produced Su Friedrich's "Hide and Seek," which premiered in the Documentary Competition of the 1997 Sundance Film Festival.
As Director of Development, Kolodner seeks out new work and talent for Killer Films and supervises the development process on the more than 15 feature film projects on the company's upcoming slate.
Christine Vachon (Producer)
Christine Vachon produced Todd Haynes' controversial first feature, "Poison" which was awarded the 1991 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize and video artist Tom Kalin's first feature, "Swoon," based on the infamous Leopold/Loeb murder case. "Swoon" received the coveted Caligari Award at the 1992 Berlin Film Festival.
Vachon's other credits include Haynes' "Safe," starring Julianne Moore; Steve McLean's "Postcards from America," which premiered at the 1994 New York Film Festival; "Stonewall," starring Guillermo Diaz and Frederick Weller; "I Shot Andy Warhol," directed by Mary Harron and starring Lili Taylor, Jared Harris and Stephen Dorff; executive producer on Rose Troche's "Go Fish"; and co-producer on Larry Clark's "Kids."
With her partner Pamela Koffler, she and Vachon's Killer Films have produced numerous critically acclaimed films including "Kiss Me, Guido"; Todd Haynes' "Velvet Goldmine," starring Ewan McGregor, Toni Collette and Christian Bale, which won Haynes a Special Jury Award for Artistic Contribution at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival and the film received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Costume Design; and Todd Solondz's "Happiness" with Good Machine.
In 1994, Vachon was awarded the Frameline Award for Outstanding Achievement in Lesbian and Gay Media and was honored with the prestigious 1996 Muse Award for Outstanding Vision and Achievement by New York Women in Film and Television. Vachon's best-selling book, Shooting to Kill: How an Independent Producer Blasts Through the Barriers to Make Movies that Matter was published in Fall 1998.
Pamela Koffler (Executive Producer)
Pamela Koffler has been co-president of Killer Films since it was formed in 1996. She recently finished principal photography on "Crime and Punishment in Suburbia," which is directed by Rob Schmidt and was written by Larry Gross, and stars Monica Keena, Vincent Kartheiser and Ellen Barkin.
In 1996, Koffler and Vachon produced "Office Killer," the first project under the Killer Films banner. The film, Cindy Sherman"s directorial debut, a send-up of the horror genre starring Carol Kane, Molly Ringwald and Jeanne Tripplehorn. Following was "I'm Losing You," Bruce Wagner's directorial debut from his best-selling novel starring Rosanna Arquette, Frank Langella and Andrew McCarthy. Koffler was the line producer of Todd Solondz's "Happiness," which unanimously won the prestigious Fipresci Critic's Prize at Cannes in 1998, and was the production executive on Todd Haynes" "Velvet Goldmine," which won Haynes a Special Jury Award for Artistic Contribution at Cannes. "Velvet Goldmine" was also nominated for an Academy Award for Costume Design.
Killer's upcoming slate includes Kasi Lemmons' adaptation of Jeanette Wintersons' "The Passion," Tim Blake Nelson's original work "The Grey Zone," Whit Stillman's adaptation of the novel Red Azalea by Anchee Min, John Mitchell and Stephen Trask's film adaptation of their off-Broadway hit Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Dan Minahan's feature simply Halston, based on the biography by Stephen Gaines.
Jonathan Sehring (Executive Producer)
Jonathan Sehring holds the position of President of IFC Films, a division of Bravo Networks responsible for the production, acquisition and distribution of all films and film-related programming utilized by Bravo, IFC and Bravo International Networks, all of which are part of Rainbow Media Holdings Inc. Sehring is also responsible for overseeing programming acquisitions, productions and developments of all Bravo Networks, as well as all film productions and distribution activities through the two divisions of IFC Films -- IFC Productions and Next Wave Films.
In his previous position as Senior Vice President of Programming and Production for Bravo Networks, Sehring was responsible for creating and launching several award-winning shows and series including Bravo's Emmy-nominated series "Inside the Actor's Studio," the network's Cable ACE Award-winning series "The South Bank Show," The Independent Film Channel's Cable ACE Award-winning profile of Sam Fuller, "The Typewriter, the Rifle and the Movie Camera" and Steven Soderbergh's production of Spalding Gray's "Gray's Anatomy."
Since the creation of IFC Films, Sehring has been responsible for John Sayles' Golden Globe-nominated "Men with Guns," Sundance Award-winning profile of director John Waters, "Divine Trash" and Errol Morris' highly acclaimed "Mr. Death."
Prior to joining Bravo, Sehring was Director of Programming for Janus Films Inc., where he worked in various positions in distribution and production.
Caroline Kaplan (Executive Producer)
Caroline Kaplan is Vice President of Production and Development for the Independent Film Channel and IFC Productions.
Kaplan oversees the development and production of original programming specials and series for the Independent Film Channel as well as manages the day-to-day development and operations of the IFC's independent feature film financing division, IFC Productions.
Projects Kaplan has worked on include "Divine Trash," "In Bad Taste," "My Best Friend," "Blue Note: Story of Modern Jazz," "Delroy Lindo on Spike Lee," "Gray*s Anatomy," "Mr. Death," "Spring Forward" and "Happy Accidents."
Prior to IFC, she worked as Director of Programming and Production for Bravo, where she developed and produced series and specials including "Inside the Actors Studio" and "Bravo Profiles." Kaplan began her career in the original documentary division of Home Box Office.
John Sloss (Executive Producer)
Born in Detroit, Michigan, John Sloss received his B.A. with high distinction from the University of Michigan in 1978 and his law degree from the University of Michigan School of Law in 1981. In 1993, Sloss left his partnership at the law firm of Morrison & Foerster to form Sloss Law Office P.C., a law firm providing counsel in business transactions for the entertainment, sports and media industries.
Sloss represents clients in all aspects of motion picture financing, production and distribution including motion picture producers, directors and writers. He has acted as executive producer of John Sayles" "City of Hope," "Passion Fish," "The Secret of Roan Inish," "Lone Star" and "Men with Guns"; Maggie Greenwald's "The Ballad of Little Jo"; Richard Linklater's "Before Sunrise," "subUrbia" and "The Newton Boys"; Michael Corrente"s "American Buffalo"; Edward Burns" "She"s the One" and "No Looking Back"; Victor Nunez's "Ulee's Gold"; Whit Stillman's "The Last Days of Disco"; Michael Almereyda's upcoming "Hamlet"; Brad Anderson's upcoming "Happy Accidents"; and Errol Morris' upcoming "Mr. Death."
Jim Denault (Director of Photography)
Jim Denault has been the cinematographer for such independent films as Kelly Reichardt's "River of Grass"; Hal Hartley's "The Book of Life"; Jill Sprecher's "The Clockwatchers," starring Toni Colette and Lisa Kudrow; and Nick Gomez*s "illtown," with Michael Rappaport and Lili Taylor. His work on Michael Almereyda's "Nadja" was nominated for an IFP/West Independent Spirit Award in 1996.
Recent projects include Lisanne Skyler's "Getting to Know You" and Katherine Dieckmann's "A Good Baby," starring Henry Thomas, Cara Seymour and David Strathairn.
Lee Percy, A.C.E. (Editor)
Lee Percy received an American Cinema Editors Eddie Award for his work on HBO's "Against the Wall," directed by John Frankenheimer.
Percy has worked with director Barbet Schroeder on his films "Desperate Measures," "Before and After," "Kiss of Death," "Single White Female" and "Reversal of Fortune." His other film credits include "Corrina, Corrina," Kathryn Bigelow's "Blue Steel," "Kiss of the Spider Woman," Wayne Wang's "Slam Dance" and the documentary "The Killing of America."
Having studied acting at the Julliard and Goodman Schools of Drama, Percy feels that an editor's first responsibility is to build strong and believable performances.
Tracy S. Granger (Editor)
Tracy Granger has worked on such notable independent films as John Shea's "Southie," which won Best Film at the 1998 Seattle Film Festival; Nick Gomez's films "illtown" and "New Jersey Drive"; Jim McKay's "Girlstown," which received the Filmmaker's Trophy at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival; and Allison Anders' "Mi Vida Loca" and "Gas Food Lodging," which won the Critics Prize at the Deauville Film Festival.
Her other film credits include Michael Almereyda's "The Eternal," "Gold in the Streets," "Touchbase," "The Harvest," "Dark Horse," "Hoggs Heaven" and "The Closer." As an assistant/apprentice editor, Granger worked on "Tango & Cash," Mike Figgis' "Internal Affairs," "Alien Nation," Joel Schumacher's "The Lost Boys," John Landis" "Amazon Women on the Moon," "The Money Pit," Ivan Reitman's "Ghostbusters," "The Wolfen" and Sydney Pollack's "The Electric Horseman."
Granger was nominated for a Cable ACE Award for Editing for her work on HBO's "State of Emergency."
Michael Shaw (Production Designer)
Michael Shaw graduated from the film program of Rhode Island School of Design with honors. After spending ten years as a fine artist, he turned his efforts to production design. His first endeavor, "The Room," won the First Prize Critic's Week at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival and was paired with the opening feature at the Museum of Modern Art's New Directors series that year. He has since gone on to design numerous projects for film, television and commercials.
Shaw's feature credits include "Heavy," which received at Special Jury Prize at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival, "Drunks," "Love Walked In" and the just completed "You Can Count on Me," a film by Kenny Lonergan.
Nathan Larsen (Composer)
A member of the alternative rock band Shudder to Think, Nathan Larson makes his solo debut as film composer on "Boys Don*t Cry."
Originally formed in 1986, Larson joined the band as guitarist in 1994, just in time for the band's first major label contract with Epic Records. After signing with Epic, the band released their fifth album, "Pony Express Record" and three years later "50,000 B.C."
After Larson scored a portion of the MTV special "Abducted," the band hooked up with video director Jess Peretz to score his big screen debut, "First Love, Last Rites." Shudder to Think also scored the soundtrack for "High Art" and participated on the "Velvet Goldmine" soundtrack.
Larson has just signed a solo record deal with Artemus and recently contributed a duet with the Cardigans' Nina Persson for the film "Desert Blue."
Victoria Farrell (Costume Designer)
Victoria Farrell designed costumes for producer Christine Vachon's "Kiss Me Guido,' directed by Tony Vitale; 'All Over Me," directed by Alex Sichel; "I Think I Do," directed by Brian Sloan; Lisa Addario and Joey Syracuse's "Lover Girl," produced by Allison Anders; and last year's Sundance hit "High Art," directed by Lisa Cholodenko.
Farrell was the costume designer on episodes 1-9 of the Comedy Central show "Strangers with Candy."
As assistant costume designer, she worked with Vachon on "Stonewall," directed by Nigel Finch; James Grey's "Little Odessa" and Daisy Von Scherler Mayer's "Party Girl."
Farrell most recently worked with Brad Anderson on his film "Happy Accidents."
Billy Hopkins / Suzanne Smith / Kerry Barden / Jennifer McNamara (Casting Directors)
Billy Hopkins, Suzanne Smith, Kerry Barden and Jennifer McNamara have worked together as a team on a wide variety of studio and independent films.
They have cast such films as the recent Academy Award-winner "Shakespeare in Love," "Ravenous," John Waters' "Pecker," "The Last Days of Disco," "High Art," Gus Van Sant's "Good Will Hunting," "54," "Six Ways to Sunday," "Mimic," "Welcome to Sarajevo," "The Rock," David Mamet's "The Spanish Prisoner," Iain Softley's "Wings of the Dove," Cindy Sherman's "Office Killer," "Kiss Me Guido," "Night Falls on Manhattan," Mary Harron's "I Shot Andy Warhol," "Seven," "The Journey of August King," "Stonewall," Wayne Wang's "Smoke," "The Perez Family," Hal Hartley's "Amateur" and "Flirt," "Airheads," "The Crow," Whit Stillman's "Barcelona," "True Romance," "The Mambo Kings," "Parents," "Fatal Attraction", "Angel Heart," and Oliver Stone's "Nixon," "Natural Born Killers," "Heaven and Earth," "Born on the Fourth of July," "JFK" and "Wall Street," among many others.
Films they have cast that have yet to be released include "American Psycho," "The Cider House Rules," "Committed," "Joe the King," "Dark Harbor," "Stringer," "The Confession" and "Jakob the Liar." They are currently casting John Waters" "Cecil B. Demented," among others.
Their casting for theater includes working on Peter Brook's "The Cherry Orchard" and "The Mahabharata" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, as well as casting for Artisic Director Gregory Mosher's productions at the Lincoln Center Theater from 1985 to 1991.
For television, they are responsible for casting the popular "Sex and the City" currently airing on HBO, as well as the mini-series "The Wedding" with Oprah Winfrey, and the original cast of "Roseanne."
They have cast music videos, including Madonna's "Bad Girl" and Michael Jackson's "Who is It?," as well as TV commercials and print advertisements.