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Stephen Bridgewater

Stephen Bridgewater

Actor, director and producer · Born August 24, 1953 (73) · Hutchinson, Kansas, USA

Stephen Bridgewater (born Stephen Wesley Bridgewater, August 24, 1953, in Hutchinson, Kansas, USA) attended Hutchinson Community College and studied film at UCLA. He began as a professional radio broadcaster at age 14, working as the top morning disc jockey in Atlanta, Chicago, Knoxville, and Nashville until age 32, while also writing and acting in regional and national commercials. In 1987 he landed his first behind-the-scenes film job as a coach to Jeff Bridges for director Terry Gilliam, and has since worked as a drama coach for Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, and Orlando Bloom. He is also a producer, director, writer, and stunt performer, and is married to Jodie Gehrman Bridgewater (m. 1994). His notable film credits include Mississippi Burning (1988, with Gene Hackman and William Petersen), The Fisher King (1991, with Robin Williams and Madonna), Nowhere to Run (1993, with Jean-Claude van Damme), Forrest Gump (1994, dir. Robert Zemeckis, with Tom Hanks and Robin Wright), 12 Monkeys (1995, dir. Terry Gilliam, with Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998, dir. Gilliam, with Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro), 21 Grams (2003, dir. Alejandro González Iñárritu, with del Toro, Kevin Spacey, and Naomi Watts), and Jimmy P. (2013, with del Toro).

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 24, 1953 (73)
From
Hutchinson, Kansas, USA
Works as
Actor, director and producer
Titles
40 on MovieCove · 45 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 64 days to Oct 27Down 18% in 30 days

What are Stephen Bridgewater's films like?

Across their 20 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 28th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
43%
Self
20%
Morality
16%
Society
8%
Survival
7%
Power
3%
Ideas
3%
Family bonds13 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity6 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 19 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 15 · Serious 2 · Dark 2

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 18 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

Gentle: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their gentle movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 9 · Charged 10 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 15 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 12 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 15 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 18 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 18 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
11
Hopeful
13
Tense
10
Contemplative
6
Bittersweet
3
Other
11

How their films linger

Feel-good12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy13
  • Bittersweet7

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Stephen Bridgewater's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 32 of their 40 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Stephen Bridgewater's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

45 credits, 40 with a MovieCove page.

  • Change of Heart(2016)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Scorpion(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Rancher

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian(2013)

    as Officer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Shadow on the Mesa(2013)

    Writer · as Jonesy

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Love's Christmas Journey(2011)

    as Mr. Cunningham

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Meteor(2009)

    Show 2 episodes · as Dwight

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all shows

  • Mending Fences(2009)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Three Gifts(2009)

    as Sheriff Dan Battleford

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Prairie Fever(2008)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Point of Entry(2007)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Claire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director

  • The Christmas Card(2006)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Love's Abiding Joy(2006)

    as Frank Taylorson

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Love's Long Journey(2005)

    as Frank Taylorson

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Brothers Grimm(2005)

    Utility Stunts

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • McBride: Tune in for Murder(2005)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Out of the Woods(2005)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Mystery Woman: Sing Me a Murder(2005)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Mystery Woman: Snapshot(2005)

    as Madison

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Angel in the Family(2004)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • La Femme Musketeer(2004)

    Show Producer

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all shows

  • The Long Shot(2004)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • 21 Grams(2003)

    as P.I.

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Gentle Ben 2: Danger on the Mountain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Supervising Producer

  • Santa, Jr.(2002)

    Supervising Producer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Johnson County War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Dencil Jager

  • Night of the Wolf(2002)

    Producer · as Wayne Handy

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Gentle Ben(2002)

    Supervising Producer · as Norwood Malone

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Roughing It(2002)

    Co-Producer · as Man Outside

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Roughing It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 2 episodes · Co-Producer

  • Texas Rangers(2001)

    as Older Ranger

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Hard Time: Hostage Hotel(1999)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Hard Time: The Premonition(1999)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Hard Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Co-Producer

  • Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas(1998)

    ADR Supervisor · as Human Cannonball

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Tidal Wave: No Escape(1997)

    as Workman

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • 12 Monkeys(1995)

    as Airport Detective

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Forrest Gump(1994)

    as Hospital Officer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Gambler V: Playing for Keeps(1994)

    as Flatnose Bill Curry

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • MacShayne: Winner Takes All(1994)

    as Charter Clerk

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Vanishing(1993)

    as TV Host

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Nowhere to Run(1993)

    as Tom Lewis

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Fisher King(1991)

    as Porno Customer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Wings(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as A. Skoog

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • Mississippi Burning(1988)

    as Wesley Cooke

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 87th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 40 titles from 1988 to 2016; peak year 1992.

Highest rated

The Christmas Card (2006)

Midcredits 77th

Most popular right now

La Femme Musketeer (2004)

Film career

19882016

Peak 1992 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting24 of 40: 20 only acting, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score64thDirecting9 of 40: 9 only directing, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score59thWriting1 of 40: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing8 of 40: 6 only producing, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score29thOther crew2 of 40: 1 only other crew, 1 with another role

40 titles, 4 with more than one role.

By decade

1980s1 · acting1990s12 · 9 acting · 4 crew2000s22 · 10 acting · 14 crew2010s5 · 4 acting · 2 crew

Billing

usually 19th · top billed in 0% of 9 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Stephen Bridgewater's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 55th percentile, the median of all 36; across their 19 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 50th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Approval · how many liked their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Reach · how many have seen their films

33rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Midcredits score across 40 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th15
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th8

Shape of the crowd

16 of their 40 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic4
  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed16

Most divisive · director

Prairie Fever (2008)

79th percentile spread · 34% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Forrest Gump (1994)

Midcredits 99th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the acting 60/100 in their films, across 19 reviewed titles; fans 75, detractors 36. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Stephen Bridgewater work with?

People who share at least 2 of Stephen Bridgewater's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Larry Levinson shares the most, 19.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

  • Larry Levinson19 titles    See newest 12 of 19 shared titles with Larry Levinson
  • Robert A. Halmi14 titles    See newest 12 of 14 shared titles with Robert A. Halmi
  • Michael Moran10 titles    See all 10 shared titles with Michael Moran
  • Nick Lombardo9 titles    See all 9 shared titles with Nick Lombardo

Mixed roles