Jimmy Cummings

Jimmy Cummings (born April 20, 1968 in South Boston, Massachusetts) is an American actor, writer, and producer and was a co-founder of Broadvision Entertainment. Cummings is most recognized for his writing and acting in the movie Southie which won the American Independent Filmmaker Award at the 24th annual Seattle International Film Festival. He is also a co-founder of Journey Forward, a non-profit organization dedicated to bettering the lives of those who have suffered a Spinal Cord Injury. Over his 27-year career in the entertainment industry, Jimmy Cummings has earned a reputation as a gifted executive who understands the entirety of the development process that is necessary to transform ideas into entertainment ready for both the big and small screens. With a keen eye for spotting talent and intuitive instincts for knowing what makes for a good story, Jimmy’s honed skills allow him to be more than just a one-note producer. He is instead an all-around force of nature contributing every step of the way, from conceptualizing a brandable idea, to script development, securing financing, attaining distribution, marketing and beyond. Jimmy has played a role, in various capacities, on a number of successful film and television projects including “The Sixth Sense,” “The Fighter,” “Diamond Men,” “Ash Wednesday,” “How Sweet It Is,” “Dreamcatcher,” “Annapolis,” “Band Of Brothers,” “The Practice,” “Purgatory,” “Boomtown” and “Taking Of Pelham 1,2,3.” He produced the award-winning war documentary “Baker Boys: Inside The Surge,” which aired on the Discovery Channel and Netflix; and was instrumental in the development process of Comedy Central's primetime breakout hit “Workaholics,” now in its seventh season. Jimmy credits his success to working alongside, and learning from, such industry icons as Academy Award-nominated cinematographer and director Andrzej Bartkowiak, producers Walter Hill and Gale Anne Hurd, director M. Night Shyamalan, actor/director John Shea, and studio executive Jim Cardwell, who taught him the distribution game of capitalizing on profits while maximizing revenue streams. In 2014, Jimmy helped to bring together a distinguished group of creative professionals and co-founded Broadvision Entertainment (BVE), with the goal of developing and producing a slate of movies and TV serials that deliver commercial content appealing to all audiences. Their most recent feature film, “Grey Lady,” was produced in association with Armyan Bernstein and Suzann Ellis of Beacon Pictures and purchased by Lionsgate for worldwide distribution. The film, starring Eric Dane, Amy Madigan, Adrian Lester and Natalie Zea, was the highest performing domestic independent film launched the week of its release and is now available on PPV, SVOD, and DVD. Jimmy also played the key role of seasoned Detective Marty Maloney in the film. On the television side, BVE recently wrapped the pilot for “Dr. Sugar,” a TV series Jimmy developed and produced with Executive Producer Lou Fusaro (“Californication,” “Ray Donovan”) and writer/director Paul Saleba. Jimmy also co-created and developed a reality TV series called “Grudge Match,” which he is shopping to networks with a sizzle reel he produced. Additionally, he co-created and co-wrote a TV series called “White Noose,” with his lifelong friend Seamus P. Fitzgerald, based on Fitzgerald’s fraternity-like experiences in a Catholic seminary in the late 1990’s. Jimmy is producing with the help of Peabody and Emmy award-winning producer/actor Gil Bellows (“Temple Grandin,” “Patriot”). Jimmy began his career studying acting at the prestigious HB Studios and The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. After landing starring roles in films such as “The Compulsion” directed by Peter Gould, “Close Up,” and the Sundance favorite “Ed’s Next Move,” Jimmy began to produce a project he wrote called “Southie,” set in his hometown of Boston. He was able to secure financing and recruit actor/director John Shea, best known for his portrayal of Lex Luthor in the hit television show “Lois and Clark: The Adventures of Superman” and the film “Missing” (winner of the Palm d'Or), to make his directorial debut. He was also able to fill the cast with a number of, at the time, up-and-coming talents including Will Arnett (“Arrested Development”), Rose McGowan (“Charmed”), Amanda Peete (“Transparent”) and he gave Donnie Wahlberg his feature debut as a leading man. “Southie” became the first movie to be shot entirely in South Boston, and was selected to screen at multiple film festivals including AFI, Montreal, Nantucket, New York and Dublin. It won the “Jury Prize, Best Picture” at the 24th Annual Seattle International Film Festival, which led to a theatrical distribution deal with Lionsgate. The film opened in Boston in May 1999 to good reviews and strong box office coming in second only to Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. The Hollywood Reporter touts the film’s ‘raw talent’ on display, singling out Cummings’ vivid performance. Film critic Jay Carr of The Boston Globe wrote that the film had “heartfelt urgency” with “an intense individual and communal commitment that seems to boil up from the streets.” Carr added: “There is no question that Jimmy Cummings, who wrote the film, has successfully captured the flavor of his South Boston roots as they easily transfer to the screen with an explosively gritty intensity." James Verniere of the Boston Herald gave it three stars praising the film’s “powerful performances” with an “electric charge especially by leading man Donnie Wahlberg with Jimmy Cummings bringing a terrific sense of malevolent entitlement to the role of the Southie spoiled hothead: Joey Ward.” He added: “the film evokes the soul-gripping tediousness of this world and the way the past can cast its shadow over everything, imprisoning an entire community. Southie has the ring of truth." Because of his success with the film, Jimmy was given the “Keys to the City” in a ceremony officiated by Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. Jimmy also helped lead the way in getting the Massachusetts Tax Incentive passed after his impassioned testimony compelled the Massachusetts State Senate to approve the measure. Hundreds of projects have since been shot throughout the state. In 2006, Jimmy joined GigaPix Studios, an independent studio specializing in film, television and animation, as the Head of Development. It was here that he produced “Baker Boys: Inside The Surge,” which originally aired on Discovery and later became an audience favorite on Netflix. It was also at GigaPix that he developed and nurtured the creation of “Workaholics.” Prior to GigaPix, Jimmy was the CEO at a company he founded called Silent Partner Entertainment. Jimmy brought the story of Irish boxer Mickey Ward to light and tried to sell it the studios. Initially, every studio passed on what ultimately became the Academy Award-winning film “The Fighter.” But it was Jimmy that created a twenty-two-minute sizzle reel that caused a heated bidding war between all five major Hollywood studios. Paramount Pictures eventually won the rights. In addition to these accomplishments, Jimmy has sold several screenplays he wrote including “Working Class Hero” that Gale Anne Hurd’s Valhalla Motion Pictures bought, and “One Man Army” to Elie Samaha’s Franchise Pictures. Jimmy co-created the television show “Morse Code” (aka “Bunker Hill”) with Donnie Wahlberg, bought by TNT. He was hired by Joel Silver at Warner Brothers to write a screenplay, “Camp Salvation.” He was also offered the head-writing job on Joel Silver’s “The Strip.” As Jimmy’s career was taking off, his youngest brother Dan broke his neck in a tragic diving accident. Dan survived after spending six weeks in intensive care. Inspired by Dan’s will to walk again, Jimmy raised the necessary funds and co-founded a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization with Dan called Journey Forward (http://journey-forward.org/). The foundation is dedicated to bettering the lives of those who have suffered spinal cord injuries, through an intensive exercise program. Jimmy currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors. Jimmy loves his life and happily lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.