Charles William Breen(1953-2018)
- Production Designer
- Art Department
- Art Director
After studying architecture at Cranbrook the world-renowned art and
design school in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Charles moved to
California to pursue his career. Once in Los Angeles, he quickly
gravitated to the film industry and began working at Universal Studios
as a set designer and assistant art director.
His credits include working with Ridley Scott on Blade Runner (1982), Mike Nichols on Bons baisers d'Hollywood (1990), Richard Attenborough on Chaplin (1992) and James Cameron on Terminator 2 : Le Jugement dernier (1991). As an art director he worked with Barry Levinson on Harcèlement (1994), Clint Eastwood on Sur la route de Madison (1995) and William Friedkin on Jade (1995).
As a production designer, he designed the controversial, yet critically acclaimed films, Entre amis & voisins (1998) and Nurse Betty (2000), directed by Neil LaBute.
He has designed a number of feature films, including the comedy, Boat Trip (2002) and the effects driven thriller, Arac Attack, les monstres à huit pattes (2002), produced by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin. In addition, he designed the commercially successful comedies, Elle est trop bien (1999), Eh mec! Elle est où ma caisse? (2000) and Comme Cendrillon (2004).
He collaborated with director Bryan Barber on Idlewild Gangsters Club (2006), a 1930's musical set in the Prohibition South which stars popular recording artists, Outkast. He also worked with Barber on several music videos including "Ain't No Other Man" by Christina Aguilera and "Mesmerized" by Faith Evans.
Recently, he worked with director Dan Pritzker on Bolden (2019) and Louis (2010), companion period films set in turn-of-the-century New Orleans about legendary jazz musicians, Buddy Bolden and Louis Armstrong. He also worked with director Fred Durst on The Longshots (2008).
Nominated for an Emmy for Best Art Direction for HBO's Weapons of Mass Distraction (1997), Charles is also a member of the Art Directors Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and sits on its Executive Committee.
His credits include working with Ridley Scott on Blade Runner (1982), Mike Nichols on Bons baisers d'Hollywood (1990), Richard Attenborough on Chaplin (1992) and James Cameron on Terminator 2 : Le Jugement dernier (1991). As an art director he worked with Barry Levinson on Harcèlement (1994), Clint Eastwood on Sur la route de Madison (1995) and William Friedkin on Jade (1995).
As a production designer, he designed the controversial, yet critically acclaimed films, Entre amis & voisins (1998) and Nurse Betty (2000), directed by Neil LaBute.
He has designed a number of feature films, including the comedy, Boat Trip (2002) and the effects driven thriller, Arac Attack, les monstres à huit pattes (2002), produced by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin. In addition, he designed the commercially successful comedies, Elle est trop bien (1999), Eh mec! Elle est où ma caisse? (2000) and Comme Cendrillon (2004).
He collaborated with director Bryan Barber on Idlewild Gangsters Club (2006), a 1930's musical set in the Prohibition South which stars popular recording artists, Outkast. He also worked with Barber on several music videos including "Ain't No Other Man" by Christina Aguilera and "Mesmerized" by Faith Evans.
Recently, he worked with director Dan Pritzker on Bolden (2019) and Louis (2010), companion period films set in turn-of-the-century New Orleans about legendary jazz musicians, Buddy Bolden and Louis Armstrong. He also worked with director Fred Durst on The Longshots (2008).
Nominated for an Emmy for Best Art Direction for HBO's Weapons of Mass Distraction (1997), Charles is also a member of the Art Directors Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and sits on its Executive Committee.
