Roger Hedden

Roger Franklin Hedden is an American playwright, screenwriter and producer, known for his films including Hi-Life, Sleep with Me (1994) and Bodies, Rest & Motion (1993).

Career

Hedden graduated from Columbia University in 1978, where he wrote for the humor magazine. At Columbia he was mentored in playwrighting by Samson Raphaelson, whose play about Al Jolson, “The Jazz Singer”, was turned into the first talking picture. Hedden's first full-length play “Been Taken” was produced by the Ensemble Studio Theatre (EST) and starred Helen Hunt. It was later revived by William H. Macy at the Atlantic Theater Company and starred Felicity Huffman. Among his one-act plays produced in New York, four have been presented in the EST Marathon and four in the SummerShorts festival. His second full-length play, “Bodies, Rest & Motion” premiered at Lincoln Center Theatre. Hedden later adapted and co-produced it for the big screen. He co-wrote and produced the MGM/UA film “Sleep with Me” and wrote and directed the Lions Gate release “Hi-Life”. These films featured actors including Bridget Fonda, Phoebe Cates, Charles Durning, Daryl Hannah, Tim Roth, Eric Stoltz and Quentin Tarantino, and were official selections in festivals including Cannes and Sundance.

Since moving to Montana in 2000, he has directed plays at the University of Montana and for the Montana Repertory where he is the Playwright in Residence. He has also written “The Count” which premiered at the Florida Stage and “As Sure As You Live” which premiered at the Flight Theatre of Los Angeles. “Been Taken” and “Bodies, Rest & Motion” are published by the Dramatist Play Service. Hedden is a member of the Writers’ Guild of America and EST and was the recipient of an N.E.A. playwrighting fellowship. In 2011 he wrote the episode "Out of the Light" on Season 6 of “Criminal Minds”. He has since been splitting his time between Missoula and traveling the world.