Los Angeles – On January 31, 2017, Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay made the following statement upon learning of the passing of Robert Ellis Miller:
“Robert Ellis Miller was a skilled and prolific television and feature director known for eliciting powerful performances, but to us here at the Guild, he was a service-oriented stalwart with a broad heart and a sharp mind who was always ready to give back to our Guild and the industry. Robert’s career spanned four decades, with his features The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, and Reuben, Reuben earning numerous top accolades. He began his career directing such iconic TV shows as The Twilight Zone, and Breaking Point, for which he earned a DGA nomination in 1963.
“We will always be grateful for Robert’s extensive service – as an officer on the Directors Guild Foundation for 15 years; as a member of the DGA-Producers Pension and Health Plans Board of Directors for 24 years; as a founding member of the Artist Rights Foundation in 1991 and for his participation on numerous DGA committees over his almost 60-year Guild membership. Our deepest condolences to Robert’s family and friends.”
DGA Service and Awards:
Robert Ellis Miller joined the DGA in 1958. He was nominated for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television for Breaking Point in 1963.
He served as Secretary for the Directors Guild Foundation from 2002-2014 and as Asst. Secretary from 2014-2017. He served as a Trustee on the DGA-Producers Pension and Health Plans Board of Directors from 1980-2004, and on its Finance Committee from 1982-2004. He also served on the DGA Creative Rights Committee and the Artists Rights Foundation which was formed in 1991 by past DGA president Arthur Hiller, out of the Guild’s advocacy for film preservation and the fight in the late ‘80s against colorization.
