Riley Stearns

Riley Stearns was an American writer and director who was best known for directing the 2014 indie film "Faults." Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Stearns always had a desire to become a filmmaker. He moved to Hollywood in his early 20s with a single goal: to make movies. Stearns got his first real job in the entertainment business in 2007 when he was hired as a production assistant on the short-lived superhero series "Bionic Woman" (NBC, 2007). After that show was cancelled, Stearns was quickly hired as a writers' assistant on the crime-thriller "My Own Worst Enemy" (NBC, 2008). However, that show was also cancelled during its fourth season. In 2010 Stearns worked as a writer for the short-lived TV series "Tower Prep" (Cartoon Network, 2010), and also married the actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead, whom he initially met on a cruise. (The couple split in 2017.) Shortly after marrying Winstead, Stearns turned his attentions towards his first love - filmmaking. He directed three critically-acclaimed short films in three years: "Magnificat" (2011), "Casque" (2012) and "The Cub" (2013). For his feature film debut, 2014's "Faults," Stearns cast his wife in the lead role. "Faults" was praised by critics upon its release in 2014, and was nominated for a number of awards at independent film festivals.