Barnet Kellman

Barnet Kellman directed the feature film comedies STRAIGHT TALK (Disney) KEY EXCHANGE (Fox) and STINKERS (Sony). His highly regarded work on television includes the directing the pilots of the network series MURPHY BROWN, MAD ABOUT YOU, SUDDENLY SUSAN, SOMETHING WILDER, THE GEORGE LOPEZ SHOW and MY BOYS. His work on television has been recognized with two Emmys Awards and seven Emmy nominations, a Directors’ Guild Award and three nominations, and a Monitor Award.  He has directed twenty-one pilots that became on-air series, and continued with many of them as Executive Producer/Director.

In addition he has directed episodes of the award winning series ALIAS, ALLY MCBEAL, ONCE AND AGAIN, FELICITY and E.R. and the ABC hit comedy THE MIDDLE, starring Patricia Heaton.

Barnet began his career in the New York theatre, directing the premiere productions of KEY EXCHANGE, DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, THE GOOD PARTS, THE LOMAN FAMILY PICNIC, FRIENDS and BREAKFAST WITH LES AND BESS. His New York productions have been seen at the American Place Theatre, the New York Shakespeare Festival, Playwrights’ Horizons, Circle in the Square, The Manhattan Theatre Club and the Ensemble Studio Theatre. He has also directed works at the Geffen Theatre, the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, the Yale Repertory Theatre, The Folger Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival and the Actors’ Theatre of Louisville. Barnet made his radio debut with Wendy Wasserstein’s THE SISTERS ROSENSWEIG for L.A. Theatreworks, and KCRW.

He graduated magna cum laude from Colgate University in 1969.  A member of Phi Beta Kappa, he was a recipient of the prestigious Danforth Graduate Fellowship, and the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship.  He attended the Yale School of Drama, and received a Ph.D. from The Union Institute. He is a Professor of Directing at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, founder and Co-Director of its comedy initiative, USC Comedy, and Vice-Chair of its Production Division.