Bima Stagg (born Christopher Louis Stagg; May 3, 1945 – October 21, 2021), credited professionally as Kipp Stagg during his early career, was an American screenwriter, actor, and producer based in Los Angeles, California, and Cape Town, South Africa. He began his artistic career appearing in Andy Warhol's early underground films before writing feature screenplays, including The Stud (1978), Inside (1996), and Stander (2003).
Early life and Warhol collaboration While attending Columbia University in New York City during the mid-1960s, Stagg met artist Andy Warhol and became associated with The Factory. Under the name Kipp Stagg, he appeared alongside Edie Sedgwick and Chuck Wein in Warhol's 1965 experimental film Beauty No. 1. Shot from a fixed camera angle, the film features Sedgwick and Stagg on a bed engaging in ad-libbed conversation while Wein speaks off-camera. Beauty No. 1 served as the precursor to Beauty No. 2, in which Gino Piserchio replaced Stagg. The original film negative for Beauty No. 1 is preserved at the Andy Warhol Museum.
During this period, Stagg also appeared in several of Warhol's silent Screen Tests. In 2021, his Screen Test alongside Edie Sedgwick was featured in the curated exhibition Andy Warhol: Photo Factory presented by NeueHouse and Fotografiska in collaboration with Hedges Projects.
Screenwriting career
Early screenplays (1970s–1980s) Stagg wrote the screenplay for the 1976 South African crime thriller Death of a Snowman (released in the U.S. as Soul Patrol), in which he also acted. In 1978, he co-wrote the screenplay adaptation for The Stud alongside Jackie Collins (adapting her 1969 novel). Starring Joan Collins (the author's sister), the low-budget film achieved significant commercial success at the international box office and served as a major career comeback vehicle for Collins, laying the foundation for her casting as Alexis Carrington in Dynasty. In 1987, he wrote the screenplay for the post-apocalyptic film Survivor.
Inside (1996) Stagg wrote the screenplay for Inside (1996), a political drama directed by Arthur Penn and starring Nigel Hawthorne, Eric Stoltz, and Louis Gossett Jr. Set in South Africa during the apartheid era, the story centers on the interrogation of a political prisoner. The film premiered on Showtime and screened at the Cannes Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival. For his script, Stagg received the 1997 PEN Center USA West Literary Award for Best Screenplay.
Stander (2003) Stagg authored the screenplay for Stander (2003), a biographical crime film directed by Bronwen Hughes and starring Thomas Jane. The film details the life of Andre Stander, a Johannesburg police captain who led a gang of bank robbers during the late 1970s. Stagg also served as a co-producer on the film.
Filmography
Film Year Title Credit Notes 1965 Beauty No. 1 Actor Experimental film by Andy Warhol; as Kipp Stagg 1965–1966 Screen Tests Actor Directed by Andy Warhol 1976 Death of a Snowman Co-writer, actor Also released as Soul Patrol 1978 The Stud Co-writer Screenplay adaptation of novel by Jackie Collins 1987 Survivor Writer, actor 1996 Inside Writer Directed by Arthur Penn; PEN West Literary Award winner 2003 Stander Writer, co-producer Directed by Bronwen Hughes
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