James L. Brooks

This article is about series executive producer. For For the character, see James L. Brooks (character).

James L. Brooks

Crew Information Gender: Male ♂ Job: Producer Writer Birth date: May 9, 1940 (1940-05-09) Status: Active Number of episodes: 775 Seasons active: Season 1 - Present First episode: "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" Most recent episode: "Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes" First game: The Simpsons: Hit & Run Most recent game: The Simpsons Game

James Lawrence Brooks (born May 9, 1940), known professionally as James L. Brooks, is a producer, writer, and film director.

He is best known for producing classic TV shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Simpsons, Rhoda, Taxi, and The Tracey Ullman Show. His best-known film is his directorial debut, Terms of Endearment, for which he received three Academy Awards in 1984. He has also voiced himself in the episode "A Star Is Born Again". He was also interviewed in The Simpsons: Celebrity Friends, The Simpsons: Mischief & Mayhem, The Simpsons: Access All Areas, The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special – In 3-D! On Ice!, and The Simpsons: America's First Family. He will get a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame in 2015.

Biography

James L. Brooks was raised in a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York. Brooks began his television career as a writer for CBS News from 1964 to 1966. After working for the ABC television series Room 222 as executive story editor, Brooks was hired along with writing partner Allan Burns by television executive Grant Tinker to create a show that would later become The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show became a critical and commercial success and spawned other television shows created by Brooks and Burns such as Rhoda, Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers, Taxi, The Associates, and Lou Grant.

In 1978, Brooks began work on feature motion films. His first project was being writer and co-producer on the film Starting Over and later wrote, produced, and directed Terms of Endearment in 1983.

Brooks later started his own film and television production company, Gracie Films, in 1984. Gracie Films would produce the television series The Tracey Ullman Show and its spin-off, The Simpsons. He also produced the Jon Lovitz animated series The Critic. Gracie Films' notable film productions were Jerry Maguire, As Good as It Gets, Bottle Rocket, and Broadcast News.

Brooks had a cameo in the The Simpsons episode "A Star Is Born Again". He also played a semi-fictional version of himself in friend Albert Brooks' comedy Modern Romance as an opinionated film director.

Trivia

Brooks was well known for being in the studio audience of many shows that he produced in the mid 70s. Viewers can usually tell whether Brooks was in the audience by his distinctive loud guffaw. He would also make an occasional uncredited cameo appearance.

Brooks was a producer in the 1989 film War of the Roses, which Dan Castellaneta appeared in. This marked the first time a producer and actor worked on a project together outside of The Simpsons.

Credits

Special thanks to

• Video game – The Simpsons Bowling

Creative consultant

• Video game – The Simpsons: Hit & Run

The Simpsons executive producer

• Video game – The Simpsons Game

Written by

• Album – The Simpsons Sing the Blues ("Sibling Rivalry")

Interviewee

• Special – The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special – In 3-D! On Ice!

Commentary

• Commentary – Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire
• Commentary – Bart the Genius
• Commentary – Bart the General
• Commentary – Life on the Fast Lane
• Commentary – Some Enchanted Evening

External links

• James L. Brooks at the Internet Movie Database
• James L. Brooks at Wikipedia
• James L. Brooks at MobyGames

Showrunners
James L. Brooks • Matt Groening • Al Jean • George Meyer • David Mirkin • Bill Oakley • Mike Reiss • Mike Scully • Matt Selman • Sam Simon • Josh Weinstein
Co-showrunners
Brian Kelley • Rob LaZebnik • Tim Long • Carolyn Omine • Michael Price

Executive producers and Co-executive producers

Current executive producers James L. Brooks • John Frink • Matt Groening • Al Jean • Matt Selman • Sam Simon* Former executive producers David X. Cohen • Tim Long • Ian Maxtone-Graham • George Meyer • David Mirkin • Bill Oakley • Carolyn Omine • Mike Reiss • Mike Scully • Josh Weinstein Other executive producers Scot Amos • Nick Bliobenes • Fritz Bronner • Dominic Buttimore • Steve Callaghan • Jeremy Chilnick • Charlie Dixon • Nandish Domlur • Jay Fukuto • Rick Giolito • Greg Goodrich • Seth Green • Dan Harmon • John Harvatine IV • Mark Hentemann • Clare Hollywood • Larry Jones • Foo Katan • Richard Kay • Leigh Kelly • Scott Krager • Brad Lewis • David Lipman • Jake Myrick • Jim Myrick • Rob Pratt • Kent Rice • Justin Roiland • Tom Root • Carl Rosendahl • Matthew Senreich • Eric Shanks • Denise Sirkot • Danny Smith • Gabe Spitzer • Morgan Spurlock • Chris Takami • Fumiaki Tanaka • Eric Towner • Kara Vallow • Nikki Vanzo • Michael Webb Current co-executive producers J. Stewart Burns • Dan Castellaneta • Joel H. Cohen • Brian Kelley • Ryan Koh • Rob LaZebnik • Tim Long • Christine Nangle • Michael Price • Dan Vebber • Jeff Westbrook Former co-executive producers Richard Appel • Elisabeth Kiernan Averick • Donick Cary • Daniel Chun • David X. Cohen • Kevin Curran • Greg Daniels • John Frink • Dana Gould • Dan Greaney • Ron Hauge • Al Jean • Josh Lieb • Ian Maxtone-Graham • George Meyer • Frank Mula • Bill Odenkirk • Carolyn Omine • Don Payne • Mike Reiss • Jace Richdale • Mike Scully • Matt Selman • Julie Thacker • Steve Tompkins • Matt Warburton • Marc Wilmore Other co-executive producers Cherry Chevapravatdumrong • Keith Crofford • Tom Devanney • Mike Lazzo • Patrick Meighan • Brian Scully • John Viener

Guest stars in season 14

Mick Jagger • Keith Richards • Tom Petty • Lenny Kravitz • Brian Setzer • Elvis Costello • Tony Bennett • Baha Men (Patrick Carey • Omerit Hield • Marvin Prosper) • Adam West • Burt Ward • Larry Holmes • David Lander • Kelsey Grammer • Little Richard • Elliott Gould • Pamela Reed • Ken Burns • Lisa Leslie • Tony Hawk • Blink-182 (Tom DeLonge • Mark Hoppus • Travis Barker) • George Plimpton • Marisa Tomei • Helen Fielding • James L. Brooks • Eric Idle • "Weird Al" Yankovic • Scott Thompson • Ben Schatz • David Byrne • Jonathan Taylor Thomas • Andy Serkis • Stacy Keach • Steve Buscemi • Jackson Browne • Jane Kaczmarek

The Simpsons: America's First Family interviewees
Hank Azaria • James L. Brooks • Nancy Cartwright • Dan Castellaneta • Alf Clausen • Mel Gibson • Matt Groening • Al Jean • Tom Jones • Julie Kavner • Steven Dean Moore • Mike Scully • Yeardley Smith • Joseph Wack

Interviewees in The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special – In 3-D! On Ice!

Host Morgan Spurlock Cast and crew Hank Azaria • Brad Bird • James L. Brooks • Nancy Cartwright • Dan Castellaneta • Dana Gould • Matt Groening • Al Jean • Julie Kavner • David Mirkin • Conan O'Brien • Mike Reiss • Mike Scully • Matt Selman • David Silverman • Sam Simon • Yeardley Smith • Matt Warburton Guest stars Hugh Hefner • Mike Judge • Joe Mantegna • Dan Rather • Jerry Springer • Sting • Tracey Ullman • John Waters Opening music montage Bellowhead • Chicha Libre • Jimmy Fallon • Flea • Eric Fraser • Sameer Gupta • Adam Lintz • Neel Murgai • The Bill Murray Experience • O.A.R. • People Under the Stairs (Double K • Thes One) • The Roots • Michael Sherman • Jonathan Stein • Andrew W.K. • ZZ Top (Billy Gibbons • Dusty Hill) Interviewees Noel Bankhead* • Bruce Bryant • George H. W. Bush* • Liz Cameron • Scott Choate • David Cross • William Anthony Donohue* • Ariel Filosa • Bjarni Gautur* • Paula Gobbi • Paul Halpern • Marc Horne • Jensen • Jimmy Kimmel • Seth MacFarlane • Mark McGhee • Seth Meyers • Moby • Rusty Nails • Gavin Newsom • Trey Parker • J. Scott Peterson • Kenneth Pogson • Lucas Pouyau • Rashad Robinson • Chad Rowland • Matt Stone • Richard Sumrall • Ruth Westheimer* • Jeremy Wilcox* • Andrena Williams • Brian Williams • Glynne Williams