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Photo of James L. Brooks

James L. Brooks

Producer, Writer, Director, Actor, Additional CreditsBorn May 9, 1940 (85 years)
James Lawrence Brooks (born May 9, 1940) is an American director, producer, screenwriter and co-founder of Gracie Films. He co-created the sitcoms The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi, and The Simpsons and directed the films Terms of Endearment (1983), Broadcast News (1987), and As Good as It Gets (1997). He received numerous accolades, including three Academy Awards, 22 Emmy Awards, and a Golden Globe Award.

Brooks started his career as an usher at CBS, going on to write for the CBS News broadcasts. He moved to Los Angeles in 1965 to work on David L. Wolper's documentaries. He wrote for My Mother the Car and My Friend Tony and created the series Room 222. Grant Tinker hired Brooks and producer Allan Burns at MTM Productions to create The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1970. Brooks and Burns then created two successful spin-offs from Mary Tyler Moore: Rhoda (a comedy) and Lou Grant (a drama). Brooks left MTM Productions in 1978 to co-create the sitcom Taxi (1978-1983).

Brooks moved into feature film work when he wrote and co-produced the 1979 film Starting Over. His next project was the critically acclaimed film Terms of Endearment, which he produced, directed and wrote, winning an Academy Award for all three roles. He earned acclaim for his films Broadcast News (1987) and As Good as It Gets (1997). He received mixed reviews for  I'll Do Anything (1994), Spanglish (2004), and How Do You Know (2010). Brooks also produced Cameron Crowe's Say Anything... (1989) and Wes Anderson's Bottle Rocket (1996).

In 1986, Brooks founded Gracie Films, a television and film company. Although he did not intend to do so, Brooks returned to television in 1987 as the producer of The Tracey Ullman Show. He hired cartoonist Matt Groening to create a series of shorts for the show, which led in 1989 to The Simpsons. The Simpsons won numerous awards and is still running after over 35 years. Brooks also co-produced and co-wrote the 2007 film adaptation of the show, The Simpsons Movie. Brooks has received 53 Emmy nominations, winning 21 of them.

Description above from the Wikipedia article James L. Brooks, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

  • As Good as It Gets
  • Jerry Maguire
  • Big
  • Terms of Endearment
  • The Simpsons
  • The Simpsons Movie
  • Spanglish
  • Broadcast News
  • The War of the Roses
  • How Do You Know
  • Bottle Rocket
  • Say Anything
  • Taxi
  • The Edge of Seventeen
  • The Mary Tyler Moore Show
  • The Longest Daycare
  • Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
  • Riding in Cars with Boys

Featured Videos

    Filmography

    2027
    2025
    2024
    2024
    2024
    2023
    2023
    2022
    2022
    2022
    2021
    2021
    2021
    2020
    2018
    2016
    2012
    2010
    2008
    2007
    2004
    2004
    The Simpsons - Heaven and Hell · as Executive Producer
    2001
    2000
    What About Joan (TV Series)
    1997
    1996
    1996
    Bottle Rocket · as Executive Producer
    1994
    Related by Birth · as Executive Producer
    1994
    1994
    The Critic (TV Series)
    1993
    Phenom (TV Series)
    1991
    Sibs (TV Series)
    1990
    Bart Simpson: Do the Bartman · as Executive Producer
    1989
    The Simpsons (TV Series) · as Executive Producer
    1989
    1989
    Say Anything · as Executive Producer
    1988
    1987
    1987
    The Simpsons: Tracey Ullman Shorts (TV Series) · as Executive Producer
    1987
    The Tracey Ullman Show (TV Series) · as Executive Producer
    1983
    1979
    1979
    1978
    Taxi (TV Series) · as Executive Producer
    1978
    1977
    Lou Grant (TV Series)
    1974
    Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers (TV Series) · as Executive Producer
    1974
    Rhoda (TV Series)
    1974
    1970
    The Mary Tyler Moore Show (TV Series) · as Executive Producer

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