Paris Qualles

Known primarily for his work as an episodic and long form television and feature writer/producer, Paris has his roots as an actor and director in the theater. Dating back to his tenure as Artistic Director of The Paul Robeson Ensemble at Rutgers University, Paris spent more than 15 years on and around the stage before writing professionally in film and television.

Paris's episodic television credits include CHINA BEACH, for which he received a Writer's Guild of America nomination for Best Television Drama in 1991; EQUAL JUSTICE; LOIS & CLARK, THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN; QUANTUM LEAP; LAW & ORDER; SEAQUEST; AMEN; TRIALS OF ROSIE O'NEIL; THE HEIGHTS; M.A.N.T.I.S.; THE CAPE and pilots for CBS & FOX.

Television movies include the Emmy-winning THE CAPE for syndication; SILENT WITNESS for USA Network; the Emmy, Cable-ACE, Image and Peabody Award- winning THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN for HBO Pictures; the Cable-ACE winning THE DITCHDIGGER'S DAUGHTERS for The (FOX) Family Channel; the Emmy, Writers Guild, Humanitas and Image Award-winning THE COLOR OF FRIENDSHIP and A HOUSE DIVIDED for Showtime Entertainment, nominated by the Writers Guild as best Adapted Screenplay for 2000.

Other television movies/mini-series include the award-winning ROSA PARKS STORY (CBS); PROFOUNDLY NORMAL (CBS); STANDING AT THE SCRATCH LINE (Showtime Networks), CHESS KINGS (Disney Channel), CAN THIS BE CHRISTMAS? (TNT), THE HAIRSTONS (Lifetime/Hallmark), MEMORIAL DAY (Hallmark), ABUSE AS DIRECTED (Lifetime/Fox), the ESPN mini, RING FEVER: THE TIMES AND LIFE OF JACK JOHNSON and the 3-Hour Special, A RAISIN IN THE SUN (ABC), slated to air in early 2008.

Feature Films include THE INKWELL for Touchstone Pictures; BROTHERS for Warner Brothers; HANNIBAL, for Columbia/TriStar Pictures, SADGWAR for Lawrence Bender/Brownhouse Productions, LIBERTY’S CHILDREN for ImageMovers/DreamWorks and the historical biography, CHEVALIER (Griot Pictures).

Paris was also the credited screenwriter for a pair of cutting-edge computer games, THE OUTFIT (THQ) and the multi-award winning, Game of the Year, COMPANY OF HEROES (Relic Entertainment).

Born in New York City and raised on the Jersey shore, Paris received his BA in English from Rutgers College, Rutgers University and MFA in Theater Directing from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Awards and honors include a Humanitas Award; Writers Guild Award; Image Award; Christopher Award; Emmy Nomination; Epiphany Prize Nomination; Three WGA Nominations; Cable-Ace Nomination and two Image Award Nominations.

Other honors include an Honorary Doctoral Degree in Fine Arts from Rutgers as well as inductions into the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni and Long Branch High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame.