James L. Brooks
James L. Brooks is a three-time Academy Award-winner and twenty-time Emmy Award-winner. He began his television career as a writer who then later produced television hits such as “Taxi,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Rhoda,” “Lou Grant,” “Room 222, ” “The Tracy Ullman Show,” and “The Simpsons.” He also wrote and produced the television movie “Thursday’s Game.”
Brooks began working in film in 1979 when he wrote the screenplay for “Starting Over” which he co-produced with Alan J. Pakula. In 1983, Brooks wrote, produced and directed “Terms of Endearment’ for which he earned three Academy Awards. In 1987, he wrote, produced and directed “Broadcast News” which won the New York Dramas Critics Award for best picture and best screenplay. Through Gracie Films, Brooks executive produced the feature film “Say Anything”, produced “War of the Roses” and co-produced with Robert Greenhut “Big.”
In 1990, Brooks produced and directed his first play, “Brooklyn Laundry,” a Los Angeles production starring Glenn Close, Woody Harrelson and Laura Dern.
Brooks’ company, Gracie Films, made an overall deal with Sony Pictures in 1990. He produced two new series for ABC (“The Critic,” another prime time animated series starring Jon Lovitz and “Phenom” starring Judith Light, William Devane and Angela Goethals”) and directed the feature for Columbia Pictures, “I’ll Do Anything” starring Nick Nolte, Albert Brooks, and Julie Kavner.
In 1996, Brooks executive produced the film “Bottle Rocket”, directed by Wes Anderson, for Columbia Pictures and produced Cameron Crowe’s “Jerry Maguire,” starring Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Renee Zellweger for Tri Star pictures. In 1997, Brooks co-wrote, produced, and directed “As Good As It Gets”, starring Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, and Greg Kinnear . The film was nominated for 7 Academy awards including Best Picture and both Nicholson and Hunt won Oscars for their performances.
In 2001, Brooks produced the film “Riding in Cars with Boys”, starring Drew Barrymore and directed by Penny Marshall. He also executive produced the ABC series, “What About Joan,”starring Joan Cusack.
In 2004, Brooks wrote and directed the film, “Spanglish”, starring Adam Sandler, Tea Leoni and Paz Vega for Columbia Pictures.
In July 2007 Brooks co-wrote and produced “The Simpsons Movie,” the movie version of the Fox hit.
Brooks wrote and directed the film “How Do You Know”, starring Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd, and Jack Nicholson. The film was released in December 2010.
In early 2017, Brooks produced the film “Edge of Seventeen,” written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig for STX Productions. It stars Hailee Steinfeld, Woody Harrelson and Kyra Sedgwick.