Julius R. Nasso
- Producer
- Director
- Actor
In 1976, Julius graduated from St. John's University with a Bachelor of
Science degree in pharmacy. He then earned an advanced Doctor of
Pharmacy degree from the University of Connecticut. While attending
college in 1974, he founded Universal Marine Medical Supply, Co.
(UMMSC), which is now the largest international medical supply company
servicing cruise ships, oil rigs, super yachts, merchant vessels,
tankers, and freighters. Julius is CEO of UMMSC, which maintains
offices in New York, Miami, Houston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New
Orleans, Southampton England, Singapore and Athens.
In 1977, Julius and his college professor Dr. Satish Patel formed
Tishcon Corporation, one of the nation's largest private labeling
vitamin and health supplement manufacturing plants, headquartered in
Westbury, New York. In 1978, along with
Xavier Roberts, he capitalized on the the
worldwide Cabbage Patch craze by opening the Cabbage Patch Babyland
General Hospital Store, formerly located on 41st Street and 5th Avenue
in Manhattan. At Babyland General Hospital Julius met Steve Ross, then
CEO of Time Warner, who became instrumental in Julius' acquisition of
an overall production deal at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank,
California.
In 1980, while continuing his career in pharmaceutical distribution,
Julius accepted a position as a personal assistant to director
Sergio Leone. Under Leone, Julius
worked on the New York portion of
Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
and participated in the development of two films: In God's Name and
Saint Peter's Banker. At this time, Julius began to attend courses and
seminars in film production at Cinecittà Studios in Rome, Italy. From
1981 to 1983, while still developing projects with Leone, Julius went
on to produce a television pilot for a Fox TV show entitled "Behind the
8 Ball," starring Jerry Orbach,
John Amos, and
Jimmy Baio.
Julius's next venture was as Head of International Promotions for the
action film Above the Law (1988).
This led to a 17-year producing partnership with Warner Brothers
Studios, where Julius was responsible for producing a series of action
blockbusters including:
Hard to Kill (1990),
Marked for Death (1990),
Out for Justice (1991),
Under Siege (1992),
On Deadly Ground (1994),
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995),
The Glimmer Man (1996),
Fire Down Below (1997) and
The Patriot (1998).
After his 17-year tenure at Warner Brothers Studios as a producer,
Julius returned to New York and co-founded Manhattan Pictures. Julius
then produced and distributed
Enigma (2001), starring
Kate Winslet,
The Secret Lives of Dentists (2002)
and In Praise of Love (2001), a
Jean-Luc Godard film. In concurrence
with Manhattan Pictures, Julius founded Julius R. Nasso Productions,
which produced award-winning films including:
Prince of Central Park (2000),
starring Kathleen Turner,
Danny Aiello,
Cathy Moriarty,
Jerry Orbach and
Harvey Keitel; and
One Eyed King (2001), starring
William Baldwin,
Dash Mihok,
Armand Assante,
Jason Gedrick,
Connie Britton, and
Chazz Palminteri.
Julius' most acclaimed achievement is his production of
Narc (2002), starring
Jason Patric,
Ray Liotta, and
Busta Rhymes, which was nominated for the
Sundance Film Festival's Grand Jury Award and won the Special Prize
Policier Award at the Cognac Film Festival in France. Following Narc,
Julius produced
In Enemy Hands (2004), starring
William H. Macy,
Til Schweiger,
Lauren Holly, and
Scott Caan; and
Hearts of War (2007), starring
Roy Schneider and
Daryl Hannah, and
Nina Dobrev.
Since 2006, Julius has been working as
Harry Belafonte's producer on a number
of projects including
Sing Your Song (2011) and Another
Night In The Free World. Sing Your Song is a biographical documentary
that surveys the life and times of singer/actor/activist Harry
Belafonte. Another Night In The Free World will be Julius' first movie
documentary promoting nonviolence.
Julius has produced multiple films premiering in 2013, including
Accidental Love (2015), starring Academy Award
nominee Jake Gyllenhaal and
Jessica Biel;
Squatters (2014), starring Academy
Award winner Richard Dreyfuss and
Thomas Dekker;
Breakout (2013), starring
Brendan Fraser and
Dominic Purcell;
Pride of Lions (2014) starring
Louis Gossett Jr. and
Bo Svenson; and
Getaway (2013), inspired by the Steve
McQueen hit of the same name, starring
Ethan Hawke,
Selena Gomez and
Jon Voight.
Julius has recently teamed up with
Whoopi Goldberg to produce The
Christmas Pearl, based on the bestselling novel written by Dorothea
Benton Frank and scheduled to be released Christmas 2014.
Julius has earned numerous critical honors, including the 2012 NAACP
Image Award for Outstanding Documentary for his work with Harry
Belafonte on Sing Your Song (2011). He is a 20-year Directors Guild of
America member and a highly respected philanthropist, having been
honored by countless civic leaders and institutions for his tireless
charitable works. Julius recently co-founded Belafonte Arts and Media,
located in Manhattan, has multiple movie projects in development and
remains CEO of UMMSC International.
Science degree in pharmacy. He then earned an advanced Doctor of
Pharmacy degree from the University of Connecticut. While attending
college in 1974, he founded Universal Marine Medical Supply, Co.
(UMMSC), which is now the largest international medical supply company
servicing cruise ships, oil rigs, super yachts, merchant vessels,
tankers, and freighters. Julius is CEO of UMMSC, which maintains
offices in New York, Miami, Houston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New
Orleans, Southampton England, Singapore and Athens.
In 1977, Julius and his college professor Dr. Satish Patel formed
Tishcon Corporation, one of the nation's largest private labeling
vitamin and health supplement manufacturing plants, headquartered in
Westbury, New York. In 1978, along with
Xavier Roberts, he capitalized on the the
worldwide Cabbage Patch craze by opening the Cabbage Patch Babyland
General Hospital Store, formerly located on 41st Street and 5th Avenue
in Manhattan. At Babyland General Hospital Julius met Steve Ross, then
CEO of Time Warner, who became instrumental in Julius' acquisition of
an overall production deal at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank,
California.
In 1980, while continuing his career in pharmaceutical distribution,
Julius accepted a position as a personal assistant to director
Sergio Leone. Under Leone, Julius
worked on the New York portion of
Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
and participated in the development of two films: In God's Name and
Saint Peter's Banker. At this time, Julius began to attend courses and
seminars in film production at Cinecittà Studios in Rome, Italy. From
1981 to 1983, while still developing projects with Leone, Julius went
on to produce a television pilot for a Fox TV show entitled "Behind the
8 Ball," starring Jerry Orbach,
John Amos, and
Jimmy Baio.
Julius's next venture was as Head of International Promotions for the
action film Above the Law (1988).
This led to a 17-year producing partnership with Warner Brothers
Studios, where Julius was responsible for producing a series of action
blockbusters including:
Hard to Kill (1990),
Marked for Death (1990),
Out for Justice (1991),
Under Siege (1992),
On Deadly Ground (1994),
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995),
The Glimmer Man (1996),
Fire Down Below (1997) and
The Patriot (1998).
After his 17-year tenure at Warner Brothers Studios as a producer,
Julius returned to New York and co-founded Manhattan Pictures. Julius
then produced and distributed
Enigma (2001), starring
Kate Winslet,
The Secret Lives of Dentists (2002)
and In Praise of Love (2001), a
Jean-Luc Godard film. In concurrence
with Manhattan Pictures, Julius founded Julius R. Nasso Productions,
which produced award-winning films including:
Prince of Central Park (2000),
starring Kathleen Turner,
Danny Aiello,
Cathy Moriarty,
Jerry Orbach and
Harvey Keitel; and
One Eyed King (2001), starring
William Baldwin,
Dash Mihok,
Armand Assante,
Jason Gedrick,
Connie Britton, and
Chazz Palminteri.
Julius' most acclaimed achievement is his production of
Narc (2002), starring
Jason Patric,
Ray Liotta, and
Busta Rhymes, which was nominated for the
Sundance Film Festival's Grand Jury Award and won the Special Prize
Policier Award at the Cognac Film Festival in France. Following Narc,
Julius produced
In Enemy Hands (2004), starring
William H. Macy,
Til Schweiger,
Lauren Holly, and
Scott Caan; and
Hearts of War (2007), starring
Roy Schneider and
Daryl Hannah, and
Nina Dobrev.
Since 2006, Julius has been working as
Harry Belafonte's producer on a number
of projects including
Sing Your Song (2011) and Another
Night In The Free World. Sing Your Song is a biographical documentary
that surveys the life and times of singer/actor/activist Harry
Belafonte. Another Night In The Free World will be Julius' first movie
documentary promoting nonviolence.
Julius has produced multiple films premiering in 2013, including
Accidental Love (2015), starring Academy Award
nominee Jake Gyllenhaal and
Jessica Biel;
Squatters (2014), starring Academy
Award winner Richard Dreyfuss and
Thomas Dekker;
Breakout (2013), starring
Brendan Fraser and
Dominic Purcell;
Pride of Lions (2014) starring
Louis Gossett Jr. and
Bo Svenson; and
Getaway (2013), inspired by the Steve
McQueen hit of the same name, starring
Ethan Hawke,
Selena Gomez and
Jon Voight.
Julius has recently teamed up with
Whoopi Goldberg to produce The
Christmas Pearl, based on the bestselling novel written by Dorothea
Benton Frank and scheduled to be released Christmas 2014.
Julius has earned numerous critical honors, including the 2012 NAACP
Image Award for Outstanding Documentary for his work with Harry
Belafonte on Sing Your Song (2011). He is a 20-year Directors Guild of
America member and a highly respected philanthropist, having been
honored by countless civic leaders and institutions for his tireless
charitable works. Julius recently co-founded Belafonte Arts and Media,
located in Manhattan, has multiple movie projects in development and
remains CEO of UMMSC International.