Failing to find success as an actor in films and TV, this son of film producer Don Devlin ("My Bodyguard" 1980; "The Witches of Eastwick" 1987) and former TV actress Pilar Devlin (best known for a guest shot on the original "Star Trek") turned to producing and screenwriting with eventually stellar results at the box office. In collaboration with German writer-director Roland Emmerich, Devlin co-wrote and/or produced such enjoyable if minor sci-fi outings as "Universal Soldier" (1992), "Stargate" (1994) and, most popular of all, "Independence Day" (1996). No one's idea of genre classics, these
Grew up on movie sets with his producer father and actor mother
Made 8mm sci-fi film shorts as a youth
1980
Feature debut at age 14, served as a production assistant and appeared as a performer (playing "Boy") in "My Bodyguard", produced by his father Don Devlin
1984
Appeared in a bit part in "The Wild Life"
Lacking the grades for film school, moved to NYC where he worked as Al Pacino's chauffeur
