{{Short description|British film and television producer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox person | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1970|1|13}} | birth_place = Kingston-Upon-Thames, England | occupation = {{ubl|Producer and executive producer|Founder of Lookout Point|Co-founder of The Story Collective|Chairman of The Story Works film and television studios}} | education = Danes Hill school<br />Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts | spouse = Justine Vaughan (m. 1997; div. 2024) | website = }}
'''Simon Vaughan''' (born 13 January 1970) is a British film and television producer and executive producer. He is known for his work in British and international television drama, including ''Ripper Street'', ''War & Peace'', ''Les Misérables'' and ''Parades End''. Vaughan began his career as a child actor after being cast as Freddie Mainwaring in the BBC series ''Grange Hill''.
In 2009 Vaughan founded Lookout Point, a London-based drama production company. Vaughan acted as CEO (and later chairman and joint-CEO) before stepping down in January 2019, following the sale of Lookout Point to the BBC.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|title=BBC Studios to establish Lookout Point as wholly-owned 'independent studio' within the company|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/bbcstudios/2018/lookout-point-wholly-owned-independent-studio|website=BBC|language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2019 Vaughan launched The Media Investment Company with former BBC Studios executive Helen Jackson.<ref>{{cite web|title=Former Lookout Point boss launches media investment firm with BBCS alum Helen Jackson|url=https://tbivision.com/2019/11/20/former-lookout-point-boss-launches-media-investment-firm-with-bbcs-alum-helen-jackson/|website=TBI Vision|date=20 November 2019|language=en-US}}</ref> In June 2021, the company re-launched as The Story Company announcing a new partnership with LA-based Fifth Season.
Vaughan is chairman of The Story Works, a film and television studio occupying a 22-acre riverside site in southwest London.
== Early life == Vaughan was born in Kingston-Upon-Thames. He attended Danes Hill school in Surrey and Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. Vaughan began his professional acting career in 1981 (aged 11) as Macduff's son in ''Macbeth'' at the Thorndike Theatre.<ref name=":3">{{cite web|title=Grange Hill Online|url=http://www.grangehillonline.co.uk/starfile/vaughan.php|website=Grange hill online|language=en-US}}</ref> He played Peter in the stage adaptation of ''The Railway Children'' at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield in 1984,<ref name=":4">{{cite web|title=Simon Vaughan: from starring in Grange Hill to making War and Peace|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/jan/15/simon-vaughan-from-starring-in-grange-hill-to-making-war-and-peace|website=The Guardian|date=15 January 2017|language=en-US}}</ref> and appeared as Freddie Mainwaring in the BBC's long running series ''Grange Hill'' between 1987 and 1988.<ref name=":3"/>
== Career == In 1991, Vaughan joined Pickwick Home Video (part of the Carlton Television group)<ref name=":4"/> which acquired and sold the rights to Beatrix Potter's ''The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends'' (1993).<ref name=":4"/> In 1993, Vaughan joined BMG Entertainment where he commissioned ''Peter and the Wolf'' for the ABC Network, which won an Emmy Award for Best Children's Programme in 1995,<ref>{{cite web|title=EMMY Awards Outstanding Music Direction – 1996|url=https://www.emmys.com/shows/peter-and-wolf|website=www.emmys.com|language=en-US}}</ref> and ''The Wind in The Willows'' collection for the Disney Channel and Channel 4.{{cn|date=March 2026}}
After leaving BMG, Vaughan took the television rights to the ''Watership Down'' franchise with him and formed his own company, Alltime Entertainment, in order to produce the series.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.c21media.net/the-vaughan-identity/ | title=The Vaughan identity }}</ref> ''Watership Down'', co-produced with Decode Entertainment in Canada, aired on ITV, Disney Channel and ProSieben and lasted for three seasons and thirty-nine episodes. Vaughan later delivered the television film ''A Bear Named Winnie'' (2004) starring Michael Fassbender in his first lead role.<ref>{{cite web|title=A Bear Named Winnie|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/film/j9rwy/a-bear-named-winnie/ |website=Radio Times}}</ref> In 2005 Vaughan co-founded Alchemy Television,<ref>{{cite web|title=The Vaughan identity|url=https://www.c21media.net/the-vaughan-identity/|website=C21 Media}}</ref> a UK-based and US-based producer and distributor, where he executive-produced Emmy-nominated television film ''Coco Chanel'' (2008),<ref>{{cite web|title=Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie & Outstanding Made For Television Movie – 2009|url=https://www.emmys.com/shows/coco-chanel|website= Emmys}}</ref> starring Shirley MacLaine and ''Ben Hur'' (2010) for ABC Network''.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Lookout sharpens focus on global co-prods |url=https://variety.com/2012/tv/columns/lookout-sharpens-focus-on-global-co-prods-1118049796/|magazine=Variety|date=7 February 2012}}</ref> ''Alchemy also invested in and distributed ''The Company'' (2007), Ridley Scott's CIA origin story for TNT & BBC and 5 seasons of procedural crime series ''Flashpoint'' for CBS.<ref>{{cite web|title=Vaughan on Lookout after Alchemy|url=https://www.c21media.net/news/vaughan-on-lookout-after-alchemy/|website=C21 Media|language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2009, Vaughan founded the London-based drama production company Lookout Point,<ref name=":1"/> which was fully acquired by the BBC Group in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|title=BBCW buys stake in Lookout Point |url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/bbcw-buys-stake-in-lookout-point/5077835.article|website=Screen Daily|language=en-US}}</ref> At Lookout Point, Vaughan executive-produced television programmes including, ''Titanic (2012)'' written by Julian Fellowes for ITV and ABC Network, ''Parade's End'' (2012) for the BBC and HBO, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, which won the British Academy Television Award for Best Mini-Series in 2013<ref>{{cite news|title=Bafta TV awards 2013: List of winners|work=BBC News|date=12 May 2013|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22078740}}</ref> and ''Ripper Street'' (2012–2016), which ran on the BBC for five seasons.
In 2016 Vaughan executive-produced ''War and Peace'' (2016) for the BBC which was adapted by Andrew Davies and won a BAFTA award for production design in 2017;<ref>{{cite web|title=Production Design – War and Peace |url=https://www.bafta.org/television/craft-awards/production-design|website=BAFTA|date=26 March 2017}}</ref> and ''The Collection'' (2016) which was created by Oliver Goldstick and was Amazon's first European original commission.<ref>{{cite web|title=France Télévisions Boards 'The Collection' Fashion Drama; Joins Amazon, BBC|url=https://deadline.com/2016/02/france-televisions-co-produce-the-collection-amazon-bbc-1201703215/|website=Deadline|date=16 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Amazon Orders First U.K. Original Drama 'The Collection' From 'Ugly Betty' Producer|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/amazon-orders-first-uk-original-844151|website=Hollywood Reporter|date=30 November 2015}}</ref>
Lookout Point has also produced: ''Les Misérables'' (2018) for the BBC written by Andrew Davies and starring Olivia Colman, Dominic West and David Oyelowo,<ref>{{cite web |title=BBC One announces landmark drama adaptation of Les Misérables by Andrew Davies |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2016/les-miserables-andrew-davies |website=BBC |language=en-US}}</ref> Mike Bartlett's ''Press'' for BBC One and PBS (2018); and Sally Wainwright's series ''Gentleman Jack'' for the BBC and HBO, starring Suranne Jones who won a British Academy Television Award for Best Actress for her role in 2020.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bafta TV Awards 2020: Winners in full|work=BBC News|date=31 July 2020|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-52917661}}</ref>
In 2017 Vaughan co-wrote and executive-produced the feature film ''Goodbye Christopher Robin'' (2017) for Fox Searchlight starring Margot Robbie and Domhnall Gleeson.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Film Review: 'Goodbye Christopher Robin' |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/goodbye-christopher-robin-review-1202564684/ |magazine=Variety |date=20 September 2017}}</ref>
In 2019, Vaughan launched the Media Investment Company with former BBC Studios executive Helen Jackson. In June 2020, the company re-launched as The Story Collective, forming a partnership with Los Angeles-based Fifth Season.{{cn|date=March 2026}} In 2026, the company released season two of their Disney+ show ''A Thousand Blows'', written by Steven Knight and starring Stephen Graham and Erin Doherty.{{cn|date=March 2026}}
Vaughan is also CEO and founder of Story Works Studios, a film and television studio development located at the former Mortlake Brewery site in southwest London. This studio provides full-service production facilities and creative support for scripted projects.{{cn|date=March 2026}}
==Credits==
===Television=== {| class="wikitable" |- style="text-align:center;" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Series ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Credit |- | 1999 || ''Watership Down'' || Executive producer |- | 2010 || ''Ben Hur'' || Producer |- | 2011 || ''Combat Hospital'' || Executive producer |- | 2012 || ''Titanic'' || Executive producer |- | 2012 || ''Parade's End'' || Executive producer |- | 2012–2014 || ''Ripper Street'' || Executive producer |- | 2016 || ''War and Peace'' || Executive producer |- | 2016 || ''The Collection'' || Executive producer |- | 2018 || ''Les Misérables'' || Executive producer |}
===Film and Television Film=== {| class="wikitable" |- style="text-align:center;" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Credit |- | 2004 || ''A Bear Named Winnie'' || Executive producer |- | 2005 || ''Wallis & Edward'' || Executive producer |- | 2008 || ''Coco Chanel'' || Executive producer |- | 2009 || ''Diamonds'' || Producer |- | 2017 || ''Goodbye Christopher Robin'' || Writer & executive producer |}
===As an actor=== {| class="wikitable" |- style="text-align:center;" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role |- | 1987–1988 || ''Grange Hill'' || Fred Mainwaring |- | 1988 || ''ScreenPlay'' || Philip |- | 1998 || ''Double Fist'' || Gonzo |- | 1998 || ''Screen Two'' || Andrew Harvey |}
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{IMDb name|0891001}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vaughan, Simon}} Category:British film producers Category:British film production company founders Category:British television producers Category:Mass media people from London Category:Alumni of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts Category:Grange Hill Category:1970 births Category:Living people