Andrea Blaugrund Nevins obit

Andrea Blaugrund Nevins Dies: Oscar-Nominated Documentarian Was 63

 

She was not on the list.

Andrea Blaugrund Nevins, documentary filmmaker and wife of former Showtime CEO David Nevins, died April 12 after a battle with breast cancer. She was 63. Blaugrund Nevins passed away at her Los Angeles home, surrounded by her family and her dogs.

New York born and raised, Blaugrund Nevins did ballet and swimming and also took up poetry and photography while growing up. She was president of her high school, The Chapin School, and went on to graduate cum laude from Harvard, majoring in Social Studies.

Blaugrund Nevins started her career in journalism, first as a sports reporter in North Carolina and staff writer for the the Gainesville Sun and subsequently at National Public Radio’s All Things Considered in Washington, DC, and at ABC News’ Peter Jennings: Reporting in New York where she earned a News/Documentary Emmy Award for her work.

Her first independent documentary as a producer, 1997’s Still Kicking: The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies, about the dance and musical review show, received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Short Subject.

She directed and produced the 2008 feature documentary The Other F Word, examining punk rockers as they become fathers. Blaugrund Nevins’ credits also include Happiness, Play It Forward, Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie, Hysterical and most recently 2023’s The Cowboy and The Queen, about the unlikely relationship between a California cowboy and the Queen of England, which she co-wrote, directed and produced.

Alongside her documentary career, Blaugrund Nevins was involved in the community. She was a founding member of the Los Angeles synagogue IKAR; a founding parent of the Larchmont Charter School; a member of the Southern California board and Executive Committee of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF; and a founding member of The X Fund, a donor-advised fund that addresses the needs of women and girls in Los Angeles.

Blaugrund Nevins was a great ambassador for her causes, speaking as passionately about her next film project as she did about public education and social change in conversations when accompanying her husband to entertainment industry events.

According to those close to her, “Andrea was a beautiful writer, movie-lover, dog-lover, tastemaker, style maven, and instantly felt at peace when she was walking on the beaches of Montecito. Above all, she loved her family.”

Blaugrund Nevins is survived by her husband, David, producer and former chairman and CEO of Showtime and Paramount Premium Group; their three children, Clara, 25, Charlie, 22, and Jesse, 19; and her loyal dogs, Phoebe and Frank.

Donations to The X Fund in Blaugrund Nevins’ memory can be made here.

“Andrea is more than a filmmaker and advocate — she’s a gatherer of people and ideas. A connector of hearts. A deep listener,” the organization wrote on the donation page. “A brilliant presence whose empathy, passion, and effortless style inspire everyone around her.”

Director

The Cowboy and the Queen (2023)

The Cowboy and the Queen

9.1

Director

2023

 

Kathy Griffin, Andrea Blaugrund Nevins, Margaret Cho, Judy Gold, Wendy Liebman, Bonnie McFarlane, Sherri Shepherd, Carmen Lynch, Marina Franklin, Jessica Kirson, Lisa Lampanelli, Ross M. Dinerstein, Rachel Feinstein, Iliza Shlesinger, Carolina Groppa, Nikki Glaser, Fortune Feimster, Rebecca Evans, and Kelly Bachman in Hysterical (2021)

Hysterical

7.2

Director (as Andrea Nevins)

2021

 

Tiny Shoulders, Rethinking Barbie (2018)

Tiny Shoulders, Rethinking Barbie

6.7

Director

2018

 

Play It Forward (2015)

Play It Forward

7.5

Director

2015

 

State of Play (2013)

State of Play

7.0

TV Series

Director

2014

1 episode

 

The Other F Word (2011)

The Other F Word

7.2

Director (as Andrea Blaugrund)

2011

 

Intimate Portrait (1990)

Intimate Portrait

7.4

TV Series

Director (as Andrea Blaugrund)

1995

1 episode

 

Writer

The Cowboy and the Queen (2023)

The Cowboy and the Queen

9.1

Writer

2023

 

Tiny Shoulders, Rethinking Barbie (2018)

Tiny Shoulders, Rethinking Barbie

6.7

Writer

2018

 

Play It Forward (2015)

Play It Forward

7.5

Writer

2015

 

The Other F Word (2011)

The Other F Word

7.2

Writer (as Andrea Blaugrund)

2011

 

Intimate Portrait (1990)

Intimate Portrait

7.4

TV Series

writer (as Andrea Blaugrund)

1995

1 episode

 

Producer

The Cowboy and the Queen (2023)

The Cowboy and the Queen

9.1

producer

2023

 

Kathy Griffin, Andrea Blaugrund Nevins, Margaret Cho, Judy Gold, Wendy Liebman, Bonnie McFarlane, Sherri Shepherd, Carmen Lynch, Marina Franklin, Jessica Kirson, Lisa Lampanelli, Ross M. Dinerstein, Rachel Feinstein, Iliza Shlesinger, Carolina Groppa, Nikki Glaser, Fortune Feimster, Rebecca Evans, and Kelly Bachman in Hysterical (2021)

Hysterical

7.2

executive producer (as Andrea Nevins)

2021

 

Quincy Jones in Quincy (2018)

Quincy

7.6

associate producer

2018

 

Tiny Shoulders, Rethinking Barbie (2018)

Tiny Shoulders, Rethinking Barbie

6.7

producer (produced by)

2018

 

State of Play (2013)

State of Play

7.0

TV Series

co-executive producer

2014

1 episode

 

Still Kicking: The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies (1997)

Still Kicking: The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies

7.4

Short

producer (as Andrea Blaugrund)

1997

 

Dennis Schleicher in Jane Pratt (1993)

Jane Pratt

TV Series

senior producer (as Andrea Blaugrund)

1993

 

A Line in the Sand: War or Peace?

TV Movie

associate producer (as Andrea Blaugrund)

1991

 

Thanks

The Orson Bean Show

special thanks

Post-production

 

The Witness (2015)

The Witness

7.0

the filmmakers wish to thank

2015