- Born
- Died
- Gary David Goldberg was born in Brooklyn, New York on June 25, 1944. After a prolonged and checkered collegiate career, which began at Brandeis University in 1962 and ended at San Diego State University in 1975 (with many other schools in between), he moved to Hollywood to try to make it as a writer.
In 1976 he landed his first "real" job at MTM as a writer for "The Bob Newhart Show." Remaining at MTM, he moved over to become story editor and then producer of "The Tony Randall Show," and then in 1978, producer of "Lou Grant." In 1980 he created and executive produced "The Last Resort," also for MTM.
In 1981, Goldberg left MTM to form his own company, UBU Productions. Under this banner, he created nine television series, including the enormously successful "Family Ties," which ran on NBC 1982-1989, and the critically acclaimed "Brooklyn Bridge" which aired on CBS 1991-1993. In association with DreamWorks, UBU produced "Spin City" which ran for six seasons on ABC.
Goldberg has been the recipient of numerous honors during his career, including an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe as co-producer of "Lou Grant" and an Emmy Award as writer of the "Family Ties" episode "'A,' My Name is Alex"; five additional Emmy nominations for "Lou Grant" and "Family Ties"; a Peabody for "Lou Grant"; two Writers Guild Awards, one for an episode of "M*A*S*H*" and another for the "'A,' My Name is Alex" episode of "Family Ties"; five Writers Guild nominations for episodes of "Lou Grant," "Making the Grade," and "Family Ties"; five Humanitas Awards for "Lou Grant," and "Family Ties," as well as five additional Humanitas nominations, the Producers Guild Award as Producer of the Year in 1991 and the Valentine Davies Award from the Writers Guild in 1998 for his contributions to the entertainment industry and the community-at-large. In 2002 he won the Award of Excellence at Banff's World Television Festival. And, in 2003 he was honored with the Outstanding Television Writer Award at the Austin Film Festival. Goldberg is a member of the Broadcasting Magazine Hall of Fame.
During its run, "Brooklyn Bridge" received several honors -- a Golden Globe Award for Best Comedy Series, one Humanitas Prize and an additional Humanitas nomination for enriching television; a Christopher Award, two Viewers for Quality Television awards for Best Comedy, and eight Emmy nominations.
In 1989, Goldberg made his feature film debut when he produced and directed Universal Pictures' Mon père (1989), starring Jack Lemmon. He also wrote the screenplay, which was adapted from the novel of the same name by William Wharton. His second feature film, Bye Bye Love (2008), starred Paul Reiser, Matthew Modine, and Randy Quaid, as three divorced fathers on a weekend, all with custody of their children.
In August of 2005 Warner Bros. released La main au collier (2005) starring Diane Lane and John Cusack which Goldberg wrote and directed, adapting the Claire Cook novel of the same name.
Gary Goldberg is married to Diana Meehan. They have two children, Shana and Cailin.- IMDb mini biography by: Stacey J. Miller, S. J. Miller Communications
- SpouseDiana Meehan(1990 - June 22, 2013) (his death, 2 children)
- Children
- Was a mentor to actor Michael J. Fox.
- Dropped out of college and spent time in the 1960s and '70s waiting tables at The Village gate in Greenwich Village, hitchhiking around the world for over a year with his future wife Diane, a former stewardess. They also started a day care center with her in Northern California.
- His father, George, was a Post Office worker and his mother, Anne, was a bookkeeper in her father's hat company. His maternal grandparents lived downstairs and his grandmother proved to be remarkably influential in Goldberg's life: 'Anything that happened to me that's been good really goes back to Brooklyn and...my grandmother's apartment,' he once said.
- He and his wife Diana were, predictably, the models for the liberal parents Steven and Elyse Keaton on 'Family Ties (1982)(TV)'. Their daughter Shana Goldberg-Meehan would further use Gary as the inspiration for Jack Geller (Elliott Gould).
- Didn't own a computer.
- I don't own a computer. Yet, oddly enough, I could see myself producing material directly for the Internet. What frustrated me at the end of my TV career was the filter between myself and the audience, that filter being a studio and a network. Without that interference and static, it could be fun again.
- I watched very little TV growing up and never thought I would end up as a TV and film writer, producer and director. I thought I would play center field for the Brooklyn Dodgers and when that fell through I really had no back up plan. Which is how a lot of people end up in show business, I think.
- I watch absolutely no television series. None. Even though I know I am missing out on some very good programs, we have chosen to live almost a "culture free" life here in the hills of Vermont. I'm reading the books I was supposed to read in college. Walking with my wife and our five dogs. Food from the garden. Wine from California.
- [re Sacrée famille (1982)] I was interested in the dynamic of a couple that had been together long term, that were still very physically active and attracted to each other, a house where there was romance and where the parents' relationship to the kids reflected expanded lanes of communication and represented the way families were changing. This father was not threatened by the growing power of his own children. They were trying to have a relationship that would continue into the future. His goal was not to show how he could control and coerce these kids. It was ruling by love. It was the power of love that kept everybody - and respect - which is more powerful than fear. I wanted to show those elements.
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