Nick Hamm


Nick Hamm is a film, television, and theatre director and producer born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He won a BAFTA award for his drama The Harmfulness of Tobacco, starring Edward Fox.
In 2015, Hamm produced The Journey, a fictionalized account of the behind-the-scenes peace brokerage between mortal enemies Ian Paisley and Sinn Féin politician Martin McGuinness. The film, written by Colin Bateman and starring Timothy Spall and Colm Meaney, was an official selection of the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival and the 73rd Venice International Film Festival and premiered to critical acclaim for the performances, especially that of Colm Meaney as Martin McGuinness.
In fall of 2017, Hamm went on to direct Driven, his second collaboration with writer Colin Bateman. Driven tells the story of the relationship between smuggler-turned-FBI informant, Jim Hoffman, and his glamorous neighbor, car mogul John DeLorean during the rise and fall of his 1970's DeLorean Motor Company. The comedy stars Jason Sudeikis, Lee Pace, Corey Stoll, and Judy Greer. In fall of 2018, Driven closed the 75th Venice International Film Festival before appearing at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. The Film premiered in August 2018 to positive reviews, often citing Lee Pace's impressive portrayal of the infamous John Delorean.
In the summer and fall of 2019, Hamm directed the pilot and three subsequent episodes of White Lines for Netflix - a ten episode limited series about a Mancunian DJ who disappears in Ibiza during the 90s.
He is presently in preproduction on his third collaboration with writer Colin Bateman - a period historical drama set in mid-century Harlem, Hotel Theresa.

Early life and background

Nicholas Hamm was born on 10 December 1957 in Belfast, Northern Ireland to parents Marian and Patrick Hamm. He later attended University of Manchester and received his B.A. in English and Philosophy.

Career

Theatre

Hamm began his career on the London fringe before becoming resident director of the Royal Shakespeare Company where he mainly focused on working with contemporary playwrights, including Howard Barker, Edward Bond and Arthur Miller.

Film

In 1989, Hamm transitioned into film, directing The Bottom Line, a documentary about the crisis of culture, featuring Dustin Hoffman and Arthur Miller. In 1992, Hamm won a BAFTA award for his drama The Harmfulness of Tobacco, starring Edward Fox. In 1996, Hamm directed Talk of Angels starring Polly Walker and Vincent Perez, an epic love story set against the early days of the Spanish Civil War. He then directed the romantic comedy Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence, a Film Four and Miramax co-production written by Peter Morgan and starring Joseph Fiennes.
In 2001, Hamm received cult acclaim for directing The Hole, starring Thora Birch and Keira Knightley, in one of her first film roles. Hamm then went on to direct the 2004 thriller Godsend for Lionsgate Films, starring Robert De Niro, Rebecca Romijn, and Greg Kinnear. In 2011, Hamm partnered with Northern Ireland Screen to direct and produce Killing Bono, distributed in the UK by Paramount Pictures. Ben Barnes and Robert Sheehan star as two brothers struggling to forge their path through the 1980s Irish music scene in the shadow of their now famous school friends, U2.
In 2015, Hamm partnered again with Northern Ireland Screen and IM Global to direct The Journey. Screenplay by acclaimed Irish novelist, Colin Bateman, the drama is a fictionalized account of political enemies Ian Paisley and Martin McGuiness's real journey to peace and friendship in the 2006 St Andrews Agreement. Timothy Spall and Colm Meaney star as Paisley and McGuiness respectively, joined by Freddie Highmore, John Hurt, Toby Stephens and Ian Beattie. In July 2016, the film was announced as an official selection of the Toronto International Film Festival and premiering worldwide at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival on September 7, 2016.

Television

Hamm's work in British television includes Play on One, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Colin Firth for the BBC, and the highly acclaimed series Rik Mayall Presents for Granada, starring Helena Bonham Carter.
In 2010, Hamm formed Momentum TV, a television production company based in the United States. In March 2012, Hamm received a green light to produce and direct Rogue as DirecTV/AT&T's first original series for Audience Network. Starring BAFTA-award-winning actress Thandie Newton as undercover cop Grace Travis, the series follows her quest to bring down a Northern California crime syndicate. In August 2014, Rogue was renewed for two more seasons. As of 2016, the final season of Rogue is in production in Vancouver, Canada.
Hamm also produced and was the showrunner for Full Circle for AT&T's Audience Network. Full Circle, a half-hour drama anthology series, was created by playwright Neil LaBute and inspired by the classic 1920 German play La Ronde. Season one, ', starring Minka Kelly, Tom Felton, David Boreanaz, Kate Walsh, Ally Sheedy and Julian McMahon, premiered in 2013. Season two, ', starring Terry O'Quinn, Calista Flockhart, Kate Burton, Chris Bauer, Rita Wilson and Brittany Snow premiered in 2015. Season three was shot in January 2016 with Dougray Scott, Kim Raver, Harold Perrineau, Chris Gorman, Raymond Cruz and Mariana Klaveno starring. The new chapter, entitled , following the dangerous political ramifications of a presidential candidate's sex scandal, premieres in September 2016 on Audience Network.

Filmography as director