Bryan Gordon
Bryan Gordon is an American film and television director, writer and producer who is primarily known for directing comedy television shows.[1]
Early life
Gordon was born and raised in Dover, Delaware.[2] He graduated from Dover High School.[2] He graduated from the University of Delaware[3] in 1969. He is Jewish.[4]
Career
After college, Gordon moved to New York City and started his career as a comedy writer on the ABC late night variety show Fridays in the early 1980s.[2] He became an independent filmmaker, writing and directing the Academy Award-winning short Ray’s Male Heterosexual Dance Hall (1987)[2] and the feature film Pie in the Sky starring Anne Heche, John Goodman, and Josh Charles. He also directed the feature film Career Opportunities.
Gordon has directed episodes on such TV series as Grace and Frankie, The Office, Weeds, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The West Wing, Ally McBeal, Boston Public, Sports Night (also starring Josh Charles), Curb Your Enthusiasm (created, written by and starring Larry David, Gordon's co-worker on Fridays[2]), Freaks and Geeks and The Wonder Years.[5]
He has directed numerous television pilots — among them One Tree Hill — setting the look and design for the series. He directed and produced the TBS pilot The Wedding Band that premiered in 2012. Also in 2012, he directed the 30 for 30 documentary short for ESPN, "The Arnold Palmer",[6][1] which was nominated for a Sports Emmy for Outstanding New Approaches Sports Programming in 2013.[7]
In 2009 and 2010, he directed and produced the series Party Down for the Starz Network.[2] In 2015, he co-created, executive produced, and directed Yahoo Screen original series Sin City Saints.[8]
Honors and awards
Gordon has been nominated three times for the Directors Guild of America Award. In 2002, he received its Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series.[9]
He also been nominated for an Emmy Award twice — both for his work on the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm, which he directed numerous episodes over its entire run.
He is a member of his alma mater the University of Delaware’s Wall of Fame.[10]
Personal life
Bryan Gordon is married to filmmaker Jessie Nelson. They reside in Los Angeles and have a daughter, actress Molly Gordon (born c. 1995).[2]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Ray's Male Heterosexual Dance Hall | Director and writer |
| 1991 | Career Opportunities | Director |
| 1996 | Pie in the Sky | Director and writer |
Television
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1977-1978 | Laugh-In | Writer, 2 episodes |
| 1980-1981 | Fridays | Writer, 37 episodes |
| 1991-1992 | The Wonder Years | Director, 2 episodes |
| 1993 | Bakersfield, P.D. | Director, episode "The Snake Charmer" |
| 1999 | Action | Director, episode "Blood Money" |
| 1999-2000 | Freaks and Geeks | Director, 2 episodes |
| 2000 | Ally McBeal | Director, episode "The Oddball Parade" |
| Sports Night | Director, episode "Draft Day: Part I — It Can't Rain at Indian Wells" | |
| M.Y.O.B. | Director, 2 episodes | |
| Gideon's Crossing | Director, episode "Freak Show" | |
| Boston Public | Director, episode "Chapter Four" | |
| The Michael Richards Show | Director, episode "The Consultant" | |
| 2000-2017 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Director, 9 episodes |
| 2001 | The West Wing | Director, episode "The Stackhouse Filibuster" |
| Dead Last | Director, episode "Gastric Distress" | |
| 2001-2002 | Maybe It's Me | Director, 6 episodes |
| 2002 | Hidden Hills | Director, episode "Christmas" |
| That Was Then | Director, episode "Under Noah's Certain Terms" | |
| Do Over | Director, episode "Hollyween (a.k.a. Halloween Kiss)" | |
| 2003 | Andy Richter Controls the Universe | Director, episode "Bully the Kid" |
| The O'Keefes | Director, episode "Election" | |
| One Tree Hill | Director, 2 episodes | |
| 2004 | Jack & Bobby | Director, episode "The Lost Boys" |
| 2005-2006 | The Office | Director, 2 episodes: "The Alliance" and "The Injury" |
| 2006 | Weeds | Director, episode "Last Tango in Agrestic" |
| Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip | Director, episode "B-12" | |
| Help Me Help You | Director, episode "Raging Bill" | |
| 2007 | Life Is Wild | Director, episode "Pilot" |
| 2009-2010 | Party Down | Director, 9 episodes; Producer, 15 episodes |
| 2010 | Childrens Hospital | Director, 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Mr. Sunshine | Director, 2 episodes |
| The Paul Reiser Show | Director, episode "Pilot" | |
| Man Up! | Director, episode "Wingmen" | |
| Portlandia | Consulting producer, 6 episodes | |
| 2012 | Free Agents | Director, episode "Are You There, Helen? It's Me, God" |
| Wedding Band | Director and producer, episode "Pilot" | |
| 30 for 30 | Director, episode "The Arnold Palmer" | |
| Up All Night | Director, 2 episodes | |
| 2013 | How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) | Director, episode "How to Not Screw Up Your Kid" |
| Trophy Wife | Director, episode "Cold File" | |
| Welcome to the Family | Director, episode "Junior Takes a Stand" | |
| 2013-2014 | The Neighbors | Director, 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Bad Teacher | Director, episode "Fieldtrippers" |
| 2015 | Sin City Saints | Creator and executive producer, 8 episodes; Director, 6 episodes |
| Grace and Frankie | Director, episode "The Dinner" |
Acting Work
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | The Edge of Night | Ewell | Unknown episode |
| 1979 | The Seeding of Sarah Burns | Roger Deems | |
| California Fever | Mel Gaines | Episode "The Underground Jock" | |
| 1980 | Seeds of Innocence | Dr. Beyers | |
| 1985 | Amazing Stories | Father | Episode "Fine Tuning" |
| 1994 | Corrina, Corrina | Business Associate | |
| 1998 | Sour Grapes | Doug |
References
- Cingari, Jennifer (November 12, 2012). "Front & Center: Comedy director Bryan Gordon on directing 30 for 30 short film, The Arnold Palmer". espnfrontrow.com. ESPN. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
- Cormier, Ryan (October 30, 2009). "'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' Delaware-style". DelawareOnline.com. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
- "University of Delaware Prominent Alumni". bluehens.com. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
- "18 Things to Know About Molly Gordon". Alma. 20 May 2019.
- Bryan Gordon on IMDb
- "The Arnold Palmer". ESPN. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
- "The Nominees for the 34th Annual Sports Emmy® Awards". emmysonline.com. New York, New York: The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. March 20, 2013. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
- Sin City Saints at the Internet Movie Database
- "DGA Announces Winners of 2002 Outstanding Directorial Achievement Awards & Recipients of DGA 2003 Special Recognition Awards". Directors Guild of America. 2 March 2003. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
- "Inductees to the Wall of Fame". UDconnection.com.