// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Bima Stagg? A stag with a big "deer"-cision?
Bima Stagg | |
|---|---|
| Born | Christopher Louis Stagg May 3, 1945 United States |
| Died | October 21, 2021 (aged 76) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Other name | Kipp Stagg |
| Occupations | Screenwriter, actor, producer |
| Years active | 1965–2021 |
| Known for | Inside, Stander, The Stud, Andy Warhol films |
Bima Stagg (born Christopher Louis Stagg; May 3, 1945 – October 21, 2021), credited professionally as Kipp Stagg during his early career, was an American screenwriter, actor, and producer based in Los Angeles, California, and Cape Town, South Africa. He began his artistic career appearing in Andy Warhol's early underground films before writing feature screenplays, including The Stud (1978), Inside (1996), and Stander (2003).
Early life and Warhol collaboration
[edit]While attending Columbia University in New York City during the mid-1960s, Stagg met artist Andy Warhol and became associated with The Factory.[1] Under the name Kipp Stagg, he appeared alongside Edie Sedgwick and Chuck Wein in Warhol's 1965 experimental film Beauty No. 1. Shot from a fixed camera angle, the film features Sedgwick and Stagg on a bed engaging in ad-libbed conversation while Wein speaks off-camera.[2] Beauty No. 1 served as the precursor to Beauty No. 2, in which Gino Piserchio replaced Stagg. The original film negative for Beauty No. 1 is preserved at the Andy Warhol Museum.[2]
During this period, Stagg also appeared in several of Warhol's silent Screen Tests. In 2021, his Screen Test alongside Edie Sedgwick was featured in the curated exhibition Andy Warhol: Photo Factory presented by NeueHouse and Fotografiska in collaboration with Hedges Projects.[3]
Screenwriting career
[edit]Early screenplays (1970s–1980s)
[edit]Stagg wrote the screenplay for the 1976 South African crime thriller Death of a Snowman (released in the U.S. as Soul Patrol), in which he also acted. In 1978, he co-wrote the screenplay adaptation for The Stud alongside Jackie Collins (adapting her 1969 novel).[4] Starring Joan Collins (the author's sister), the low-budget film achieved significant commercial success at the international box office and served as a major career comeback vehicle for Collins, laying the foundation for her casting as Alexis Carrington in Dynasty.[5][6] In 1987, he wrote the screenplay for the post-apocalyptic film Survivor.
Inside (1996)
[edit]Stagg wrote the screenplay for Inside (1996), a political drama directed by Arthur Penn and starring Nigel Hawthorne, Eric Stoltz, and Louis Gossett Jr. Set in South Africa during the apartheid era, the story centers on the interrogation of a political prisoner. The film premiered on Showtime and screened at the Cannes Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival. For his script, Stagg received the 1997 PEN Center USA West Literary Award for Best Screenplay.
Stander (2003)
[edit]Stagg authored the screenplay for Stander (2003), a biographical crime film directed by Bronwen Hughes and starring Thomas Jane. The film details the life of Andre Stander, a Johannesburg police captain who led a gang of bank robbers during the late 1970s. Stagg also served as a co-producer on the film.
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Beauty No. 1 | Actor | Experimental film by Andy Warhol; as Kipp Stagg |
| 1965–1966 | Screen Tests | Actor | Directed by Andy Warhol |
| 1976 | Death of a Snowman | Co-writer, actor | Also released as Soul Patrol |
| 1978 | The Stud | Co-writer | Screenplay adaptation of novel by Jackie Collins |
| 1987 | Survivor | Writer, actor | |
| 1996 | Inside | Writer | Directed by Arthur Penn; PEN West Literary Award winner |
| 2003 | Stander | Writer, co-producer | Directed by Bronwen Hughes |
References
[edit]- ↑ Shorr, Catherine O'Sullivan (2015). Speeding into the Future: The Amphetamine-Fueled Generation. Open Road Media. ISBN 9781504010528.
- 1 2 "The Andy Warhol Film Collection". Andy Warhol Museum. Retrieved 2026-07-29.
- ↑ Falco Raez, Constanza (2021-06-16). "Andy Warhol: Photo Factory Exhibition at NeueHouse Hollywood". Flaunt Magazine. Retrieved 2026-07-29.
- ↑ "The Stud (1978) Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved 2026-07-29.
- ↑ Peterson, Michael (2020-07-16). "A Couple of Reasons to See 'The Stud'". Retrieved 2026-07-29.
- ↑ Zeke, Jim (2017-04-02). "Joan Collins owns THE STUD (1978) & THE BITCH (1979)". ZekeFilm. Retrieved 2026-07-29.
External links
[edit]- Bima Stagg at IMDb