Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story
Encyclopedia
Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story is a 1997 TV-movie about diver Greg Louganis
based on the best-selling book Breaking the Surface
co-written by Greg Louganis and Eric Marcus
that stayed on top of the New York Times Best Seller list
for 5 weeks.
) hits the diving board while plunging towards the water cutting his head open. Splashing into the water Greg begins to have flashbacks: As a young kid being ridiculed by neighborhood bullies and where his adoptive father (played powerfully by Michael Murphy
) is not accepting, overbearing; winning the silver medal; the 1982 world championship; to gold medals in 1984 Summer Olympics
in Los Angeles; the struggles of an abusive relationship with Tom Barrett; his father's terminal cancer; Tom's losing battle with AIDS
and Greg's own HIV
positive status. After doctors in Seoul stitch Greg's head wound, he returns to competition and picks up two more gold medals. After his father's death and Tom's lost AIDS' battle, Greg courageously decides to come out
and go public with every aspect of his life as a gay
athlete.
was nominated for an ALMA Award
for "Outstanding Individual Performance in a Made-for-Television Movie or Mini-Series in a Crossover Role"
Greg Louganis
Gregory "Greg" Efthimios Louganis is an American Olympic diver and author.He received the James E. Sullivan Award from the Amateur Athletic Union in 1984 as the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States....
based on the best-selling book Breaking the Surface
Breaking the Surface
Breaking the Surface is a best-selling book by Greg Louganis, co-written with Eric Marcus published in 1996. The book spent five weeks at number one on the New York Times Best Seller list....
co-written by Greg Louganis and Eric Marcus
Eric Marcus
Eric Marcus is an American non-fiction writer. His works are primarily of LGBT interest, including Breaking the Surface, the autobiography of gay Olympic diving champion Greg Louganis, which became a #1 New York Times Bestseller and Making History: The Struggle for Gay and Lesbian Equal Rights,...
that stayed on top of the New York Times Best Seller list
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
for 5 weeks.
Plot
In Seoul, 1988, Greg Louganis (played by Mario LopezMario López
Mario Michael Lopez, Jr. is an American actor who has appeared on several television series, in films, and on Broadway. He is best known for his portrayal of the character A.C. Slater on Saved By The Bell, which he also portrayed as a regular on Saved by the Bell: The College Years...
) hits the diving board while plunging towards the water cutting his head open. Splashing into the water Greg begins to have flashbacks: As a young kid being ridiculed by neighborhood bullies and where his adoptive father (played powerfully by Michael Murphy
Michael Murphy (actor)
Michael George Murphy is an American film and television actor.-Career:Murphy played Woody Allen's duplicitous friend Yale in the film Manhattan...
) is not accepting, overbearing; winning the silver medal; the 1982 world championship; to gold medals in 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
in Los Angeles; the struggles of an abusive relationship with Tom Barrett; his father's terminal cancer; Tom's losing battle with AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
and Greg's own HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
positive status. After doctors in Seoul stitch Greg's head wound, he returns to competition and picks up two more gold medals. After his father's death and Tom's lost AIDS' battle, Greg courageously decides to come out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
and go public with every aspect of his life as a gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
athlete.
Cast
- Mario LópezMario LópezMario Michael Lopez, Jr. is an American actor who has appeared on several television series, in films, and on Broadway. He is best known for his portrayal of the character A.C. Slater on Saved By The Bell, which he also portrayed as a regular on Saved by the Bell: The College Years...
as Greg LouganisGreg LouganisGregory "Greg" Efthimios Louganis is an American Olympic diver and author.He received the James E. Sullivan Award from the Amateur Athletic Union in 1984 as the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States.... - Michael MurphyMichael Murphy (actor)Michael George Murphy is an American film and television actor.-Career:Murphy played Woody Allen's duplicitous friend Yale in the film Manhattan...
as Pete Louganis - Rosemary DunsmoreRosemary DunsmoreRosemary Dunsmore is a Canadian TV, film and theatre, actress, born in 1953.She has starred in some well known Canadian productions, that include, The Campbells, Anne of Green Gables, Road to Avonlea and Murdoch Mysteries.-External links:...
as Frances Louganis - Jeffrey MeekJeffrey MeekJeffrey William Meek is an American actor. Meek and his family moved often; as a child, Meek lived in Zweibrücken, Germany, Michigan, and San Francisco....
as Tom Barrett - Megan LeitchMegan LeitchMegan Leitch is a Canadian actress probably best known for playing Samantha Mulder on The X-Files.- Roles :*Samantha Mulder in The X-Files*Brenda Cosgrove in The Highwayman episode of Dead Man's Gun*Librarian in It...
as Megan NeyerMegan NeyerMegan Neyer is a former American college and international platform and springboard diver. Neyer was a member of the ill-fated 1980 U.S. Olympic team, the 1982 world champion springboard diver, a fifteen-time U.S... - Jonathan ScarfeJonathan ScarfeJonathan Scarfe is a Canadian actor. He is married to actress Suki Kaiser and is the son of actors Alan Scarfe and Sara Botsford....
as Keith - Fulvio CecereFulvio Cecere-Early life:Born to Italian parents, he attended Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles, but after one year he realized that acting, not law, was his true calling. He took acting classes at UCLA and starred in a wide array of television and feature film parts over the next few years...
as John Anders - Patrick David as Young Greg Louganis
- Rafael Rojas III as Greg (age 9)
- Bruce WeitzBruce WeitzBruce Peter Weitz is an American actor. He is perhaps best-known for his role as Sgt. Michael "Mick" Belker in the 1980s TV series Hill Street Blues for which he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1984.-Early life:Weitz was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, the son...
as Ron O'Brien - Greg LouganisGreg LouganisGregory "Greg" Efthimios Louganis is an American Olympic diver and author.He received the James E. Sullivan Award from the Amateur Athletic Union in 1984 as the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States....
as himself
Awards
Mario LópezMario López
Mario Michael Lopez, Jr. is an American actor who has appeared on several television series, in films, and on Broadway. He is best known for his portrayal of the character A.C. Slater on Saved By The Bell, which he also portrayed as a regular on Saved by the Bell: The College Years...
was nominated for an ALMA Award
Alma Award
The American Latino Media Arts Award, or ALMA Award is a distinction awarded to Latino performers who promote positive portrayals of Latinos in the entertainment field...
for "Outstanding Individual Performance in a Made-for-Television Movie or Mini-Series in a Crossover Role"