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American film director (born 1962)
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Sean McNamara
👁 Image
McNamara in 2024
Born
Sean Patrick Michael McNamara

(1962-05-09) May 9, 1962 (age 64)
Burbank, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Director
  • producer
  • actor
  • screenwriter
Years active1984–present
Known forSoul Surfer
The Miracle Season
Websiteseanmcnamara.com

Sean Patrick Michael McNamara[1] (born May 9, 1962) is an American film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter. Originally a producer for the children's television series Kids Incorporated (1984–1994), he made his directorial debut with the independent film Hollywood Chaos (1989). McNamara later produced the Nickelodeon science fiction series The Secret World of Alex Mack (1994–1998).

McNamara gained recognition for executive producing and directing episodes of the Disney Channel comedy series Even Stevens (2000–2003), as well as directing the television film The Even Stevens Movie (2003), which won him a BAFTA Award and earned him nominations for three Daytime Emmy Awards and three Directors Guild of America Awards. He later directed his first widely released film in Raise Your Voice (2004), and earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 2005 for his work on the Disney Channel sitcom That's So Raven (2003–2006).

McNamara became more prolific as a film director starting in the late 2000s, directing Bratz (2007), Soul Surfer (2011), which is his highest-grossing release, Spare Parts (2015), The Miracle Season (2018), The King's Daughter (2022), and Reagan (2024).

Life and career

[edit]
👁 Image
McNamara in 2007

McNamara was born in Burbank, California. He is best known for his feature films Soul Surfer and The Miracle Season. In the pre-teen film market he worked with Jessica Alba, Hilary Duff, Shia LaBeouf, Christy Carlson Romano and Raven-Symoné. McNamara and David Brookwell are the founders of the Brookwell McNamara Entertainment production company. McNamara has continued to produce and create shows for MTV, The N, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and Cartoon Network. He collaborated with Shin Sang-ok to make Galgameth and 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain, starring Hulk Hogan.

McNamara briefly appeared as the singing cowboy in the Even Stevens musical episode "Influenza: The Musical", and as an alleged alien abductee in the episode "Close Encounters of the Beans Kind". McNamara also had a cameo appearance on That's So Raven, appearing as a plumber in the episode "Out of Control".

In 2016, McNamara was hired to direct the biopic of President Ronald Reagan titled Reagan.[2] The film was released in 2024.

McNamara's 2026 film, Home, filming in Vancouver, Canada, takes its inspiration from the life of George Müller, and casts Lincoln Fox in his first feature acting role, as an immigrant child, Gustavo; Fox was featured in Bad Bunny's Super Bowl LX halftime show.[3]

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]
Year Title Director Producer Writer
1989 Hollywood Chaos Yes Yes No
1996 Galgameth Yes No No
1998 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain Yes No Yes
P.U.N.K.S. Yes No Story
1999 Treehouse Hostage Yes Yes No
2001 Race to Space Yes Yes No
2004 Raise Your Voice Yes Yes No
2007 Bratz Yes No No
2011 Soul Surfer Yes Yes Yes
2013 Space Warriors Yes Yes Yes
Robosapien: Rebooted Yes No No
2015 Spare Parts Yes Executive No
Hoovey Yes Yes No
Field of Lost Shoes Yes Co-executive No
2018 The Miracle Season Yes No No
Orphan Horse Yes No No
2020 Mighty Oak Yes Yes No
2020 Aliens Stole My Body Yes Executive No
2022 The King's Daughter Yes Yes No
Dangerous Game: The Legacy Murders Yes No No
2023 On a Wing and a Prayer Yes No No
Vindicta Yes No No
2024 Bau: Artist at War Yes Yes No
Reagan[4] Yes No No
2025 Soul on Fire[5] Yes Yes No

Direct-to-video

Year Title Director Producer
1997 Casper: A Spirited Beginning Yes No
1998 Casper Meets Wendy Yes No
2006 The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold Yes No
2009 Legally Blondes No Yes
Into the Blue 2: The Reef No Yes
Bring It On: Fight to the Finish No Yes
2013 Baby Geniuses and the Mystery of the Crown Jewels Yes Executive
2014 Baby Geniuses and the Treasures of Egypt Yes Executive
2018 Aliens Ate My Homework Yes Executive
2020 Cats & Dogs 3: Paws Unite! Yes No

Television

[edit]
Year Title Director Producer Writer Notes
1984-1994 Kids Incorporated No Yes No
1989 Totally Hidden Video Yes Co-producer No Directed 3 episodes
1991 Candid Camera Yes No No 1 episode
1992 The Amazing Live Sea Monkeys Yes No No
1994 The Secret World of Alex Mack Yes Yes Yes Directed 3 episodes, wrote episode "The Feud"
1995 Sightings Yes No No 3 episodes
2000–2003 Even Stevens Yes Executive Yes Directed 7 episodes, wrote 3 episodes
2003–2006 That's So Raven Yes Executive Yes Directed 13 episodes, wrote episode "Vision Impossible"
2004 Phil of the Future Yes Executive No Pilot episode
2006 Just for Kicks Yes Executive Yes Directed 4 episodes
Cake Yes Executive No All 13 episodes
2006–2007 Dance Revolution Yes Executive No All 26 episodes
2006-2009 Beyond the Break Yes Executive Yes Also creator;
Directed 6 episodes
2007–2008 Out of Jimmy's Head Yes Executive No Directed 5 episodes
2009 Jonas Yes No No Episode "Complete Repeat"
Zeke and Luther Yes No No 4 episodes
2011 Sonny with a Chance Yes No No Episode "New Girl"
Shake It Up Yes No No Episode "Reunion It Up"
2011–2012 Kickin' It Yes No No 5 episodes
2012 Jessie Yes No No Episode "Take the A-Train... I Think!"
A.N.T. Farm Yes No No Episodes "Modeling assignmANT" and "ANTswers"
Lab Rats Yes No No Episodes "Death Spiral Smackdown" and "Chore Wars"
2013-2015 Baby Geniuses Television Series Yes No No 7 episodes
2015 Ties That Bind Yes No No Episode "Pilot" and "United Front"
2017-2018 Chesapeake Shores Yes No No 6 episodes
2019 Gabby Duran & the Unsittables Yes No No Episodes "Crushin' It" and "Dia De La Dina"
2024 Shadrach Yes Executive No 4 episodes

TV movies

Year Title Director Producer Writer
1999 Wild Grizzly Yes No Yes
2000 The Trial of Old Drum Yes Yes No
2003 The Even Stevens Movie Yes Executive No
2005 Abe & Bruno Yes No No
2011 The Suite Life Movie Yes No No
2012 Shmagreggie Saves the World Yes Executive No
2016 Just in Time for Christmas Yes Yes No
Love in Paradise Yes No No
2018 Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa Yes No No
2019 Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy Yes No No
2020 JL Family Ranch: The Wedding Gift Yes Yes No
2021 Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday Yes No No
Sister Swap: Christmas in the City Yes No No

TV specials

Year Title Director Executive
Producer
2019 Roseanne Barr & Rabbi Shmuley Show Yes No
2021 Butch Bradley: From Las Vegas Yes Yes

Personal life

[edit]

McNamara is Catholic.[6] He's the godfather of actress Christy Carlson Romano.[citation needed]

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Year Work Category Result Ref.
2001 Even Stevens Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Series Nominated
Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Children's Programs Nominated
2002 British Academy Children's Award for International Won
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Series Nominated
Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Children's Programs Nominated
2003 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Series Nominated
2004 The Even Stevens Movie Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Children's Programs Nominated
2005 That's So Raven Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program Nominated [7]
2007 The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Children's Programs Nominated
2022 The King's Daughter Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture Nominated [8]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Interviews: Sean McNamara – Christianity Today Movies". Archived from the original on August 9, 2007. Retrieved August 6, 2007.
  2. ^ "Ronald Reagan Biopic Draws 'Soul Surfer' Director Sean McNamara". Variety. August 23, 2016. Archived from the original on April 15, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  3. ^ Gajewski, Ryan (April 2, 2026). "Bad Bunny Super Bowl Breakout Lincoln Fox to Make Film Debut (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 2, 2026. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
  4. ^ Huff, Lauren (January 22, 2021). "Reagan star Dennis Quaid on the challenges and 'honor' of bringing 40th President to the screen". Entertainment Weekly.com. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  5. ^ Grobar, Matt (April 15, 2025). "Sony's Affirm Films Dates 'Soul On Fire' Starring William H. Macy, John Corbett & Joel Courtney". Deadline. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
  6. ^ Usselmann, Sister Nancy; FSP (May 24, 2021). "Catholics in Hollywood | Franciscan Media". www.franciscanmedia.org. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  7. ^ "Outstanding Children's Program Nominees / Winners 2005". Television Academy. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  8. ^ "RAZZ NEWZ". The Razzies!. Retrieved May 14, 2023.

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