George Shapiro, a highly respected and talented director, producer and co-founder of Shapiro/West & Associates, died of natural causes at his home in Beverly Hills on Thursday night. He was 91 years old.
Along with his partner and childhood friend Howard West, Shapiro was the personal director of comedy majesty Jerry Seinfeld, Andy Kaufmann and Carl Rainer and more. He and West would remain as executive producers. SeinfeldOne of the best comedy series of all time.
A native of New York, Shapiro spent the summer as a teenager at the Tamiment Resort in Poconos, where he met artists such as Dick Shawn, Pat Carroll and Carol Burnett, singer Barbara Cook and choreographer Herb Ross. At that time, he also met talented agents.
“These guys came out. I didn’t even know what a manager was, but they came to watch the show, talk to the girls, talk to the comedians,” Shapiro said in a recent interview with the Television Academy Foundation. “Is that your job?” I said. Watch the show, have a nice dinner, come to the lakeside resort? I have to take care of that.”
After graduating from New York University and serving in the military, William Morris met Shapiro for a job in New York through his uncle Carl Rainer. He became a junior agent, making $38 a week in the agency’s packaging division, but staying close to comedy, seeing Lenny Bruce, Mike Nichols, and Phil’s New York distributor Elaine May. He also hired PS 80 friend West to join him at the agency.
A few years later, Shapiro began to acknowledge that big comedy shows and performances had moved to Hollywood. So he started gossiping about William Morris, which he was going to send to his Los Angeles office. This rumor turned into a perfect prophecy in itself, and Shapiro brought it to Vest as he moved.
He was a wrapper for television shows in Los Angeles. The Steve Allen Show, This Girl! Y Gomer Peel USMC. He also made several specials for Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, and Carol Channing, which helped many cast members become superstars.
In 1973, Shapiro decided he wanted to become a personal manager to develop a deeper relationship and partnership with clients, so he left William Morris and founded a management company and later West. Shapiro/West Associates was born.
Shapiro directed Andy Kaufman for many years and directed the comics specialties. Andy Kaufman at Carnegie Hall for showtime and Andy Kaufman Special for ABC. He has also appeared in several television comedy specials: Showtime’s Broadway doll with Elaine Busler; Starring HBO’s Stand-Up Confidential Seinfeld; And Rainer and Mel Brook’s animated setting 2000 year old man.
Shapiro is also an executive producer. man in the moon With West, where Jim Carrey plays Andy Kaufman. Danny DeVito played the role of George Shapiro in the movie Milos Forman, while Shapiro played the club owner Mr. Besserman, who fired Kaufman early in his career, and West played the hardcore network manager.
“George was one of the most beloved kids on the planet,” DeVito said in a statement. We had to see this smiling face every Friday evening during the “Taxi” days. He wouldn’t miss any show. Peace bro. “
Other feature films produced by Shapiro include: Comedian, Holiday Rental Y სკოლაSummer school. He has also made documentaries. kids in the bronx and yes You’re not on your obituary, enjoy your breakfast. It was introduced by Rainer. He is also the producer of the HBO documentary. Bronx, United States, It marked his hometown.
In recent years, Shapiro has been executive producer of Seinfeld’s. Comedians make coffee in the car And Netflix’s stand-up comedy feature Seinfeld to Jerry Seinfield Y 23 hours will pour. His last movie was 2021. Super Bob Einstein Movie For HBO, about the life of late actor and comedian Bob Einstein.
Shapiro was also a founding member of the National Comedy Center’s Advisory Board. “We are deeply saddened by the passing of our friend George Shapiro,” Executive Director Journey Gunderson said in a statement. Said. In addition to his outstanding achievements as an executive and producer at the forefront of his career for top comedy talent, George was a founding member of the National Comedy Center’s Advisory Board. He believed deeply in our mission to celebrate and preserve the legacy of comedy, and we enthusiastically welcome him at our grand opening events. We miss him so much. “
Shapiro stayed with his lifelong friend and mother of his children, Melody Shapiro; brother Don Shapiro; son Danny Shapiro and daughter-in-law Hester Parker; daughter Carrie Shapiro Fuentes and son-in-law Mark Fuentes; Daughter Stephanie Shapiro and 5 grandchildren, Adam Shapiro, Nathan Fuentes, Audrey Fuentes, Skylar Shapiro and Alana Shapiro.
George Shapiro, one of the most precious people I have ever known, has passed away. I bless our friendship, and at 99, I’m sure I’ll see him relatively soon. pic.twitter.com/3JGipf1P93
-Norman Lear (@TheNormanLear) 28 May 2022
! If function(f, b, e, v, n, t, s) { (f.fbq) returns; n = f.fbq = function() { n.callMethod ? n.callMethod.apply(n, arguments): n.queue.push(arguments) } ; if (!f._fbq) f._fbq = n; n.push = n; n.loaded = !0; n.version = ‘2.0’; n.tail = []; t = b.createElement(e); t.async = !0; t.src = v; s = b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t, s) }(window, document, ‘script’, ‘https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’); fbq(‘init’, ‘422369225140645’); fbq(‘track’, ‘Page View’);
Source: Deadline
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
