"Perserverance" is a word that sums up actor-writer-producer Todd Allen's approach to life and work. After a lengthy hiatus, Allen has several projects to be released later in the year, and has a number of television appearance to his credit in recent weeks. The son of a naval aviator, Allen maintains close ties with his hometown friends and family in Austin, Texas. His mother lives there currently. On behalf of the State of Texas and the Governor, Allen has been instrumental in crafting an incentive package for film makers. Allen graduated with honors from New Mexico Military Institute, where he attained the rank of lieutenant and was a platoon commander. While there, he was the New Mexico State Golden Gloves middleweight boxing champion and a captain of the boxing team. Subsequently, he returned to Austin and resumed his studies in the business school at the University of Texas. While there he visited a film set near Austin and he immediately decided that movies were the right place for him. He has never looked back. Allen spent a year working offshore as a roughneck on a drilling rig to make enough money to attend the famed Neighborhood Playhouse in New York, under the tutelage of Sanford Meisner. After attending there, he started working in film almost immediately and has since appeared in many films, including three with writer/director Lawrence Kasdan, Silverado, Grand Canyon, and Wyatt Earp. He has appeared three times with actor/producer/director Kevin Costner, and appeared opposite Robert Duvall in the Oscar nominated film, The Apostle, and again more recently in a well reviewed role as Marshal Bill Miller in AMC's original mini-series, Broken Trail. In an as yet unreleased tribute film to those lost in the attacks on 9/11, Allen plays Marine Master Sergeant Wilkins, a tough, battle hardened warrior who displays a sly comic streak while on patrol in the deserts of Afghanistan. That film is set to have its world premiere at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. In a past performance in Lawrence Kasdan's, Grand Canyon, Allen, in another very favorably reviewed role, played an LAPD officer who comes to the aid of Mary-Louise Parker. Allen estimates that single film appearance has resulted in seventy five percent of the film roles he's had since. Allen has written several well regarded screenplays with an eye on directing. As a producer, he has several projects in various stages of development including "The Deserters", a gritty, film-noir western; "Suicide Grip", a love story set in the exciting world of professional rodeo; "Paris Underground", a true story of womens heroism in Nazi-occupied Paris; "Coleman Jail", the true story of a young girl's coming of age as a deputy in a small-town jail; "No Name on the Bullet", the true story of Audie Murphy's battles with then unknown Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after being the most decorated soldier of WWII; and "The Empty Quarter", a story detailing the trials faced by a drilling crew sent to work a dangerous and unstable high-pressure well in a remote stretch of the Saudi Arabian desert. "Not Between Brothers", an epic story of early Texas has Allen producing with Kevin Costner and Tig Productions Executive Producing. Allen has appeared in many television programs, including several highly rated MOWs. His most recent appearances include "Broken Trail" (2006) (mini)_, now the second highest rated movie in cable television history, and a guest-starring role on CSI. He has completed filming a Hallmark film entitled "Claire" and has recent Guest Star appearances on "Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service" (2003) among others. An early favorite role, which Allen says he played with a tip of his hat to his father's service as a Naval Aviator aboard the aircraft carrier "Ranger", was that of a young Chuck Yeager. Allen received many favorable notices for his portrayal of Yeager, including one from Yeager himself who, upon meeting the actor, told Allen, "You did all right". Allens' response, "so did you." Allen is currently preparing to make his feature directorial debut.
