ACTORS

Last updated 6/21/07

Actors, Show Business Professionals As Writers, Opens New Opportunities To Reach Target Goals

Mulling over scripts, screenplays, and/or stories offering the most advantageous role for performing artists to project their unique gifts and talent in any stage, screen, poetry reading or radio production is a central challenge and in most cases a critical first step to finding work and getting underway with a production. Needless to say many indie filmmakers get their starts by casting themselves (and a cast of like minded colleagues) in roles most familiar to them rather than to wait for the talent agent's phone call. Many performers with writing and song-writing skills have penned their starring vehicles and in so doing create a vehicle optimally tailored to bring out the personal strengths in their craft. Although it will be noted the many categories an artist has performed duty in (e.g. actor, director, exec. producer, etc.) the focus of this page will be to highlight writers who act (actors who write) as well as actors as songwriters but not necessarily musical composers even if that is one of their many writing talents.

In these listings an effort is made to reference at least one writing, lyricist or songwriting (but not musical composing) credit, though these highlighted entries are not necessarily ones in which the subject both acted in and wrote. Rather, an artist with multi talents (actor, producer, writer, director, composer) may have written and directed or written and produced but not have found the opportunity to act in the production. It all points to the self-initiative that some talented performing artists exercise in assuming control or directing the flow of events of their career. Reference the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) link or any oher provided link for more in-depth information.

Mort Abrahams, Producer, Writer, Actor, Born: New York, NY, March 26, 1916; writer TV shows, 1963-64. IMBD REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0009025/

J J Abrams, Writer, Director, Producer, Composer, Actor, Born: New York, June 27, 1966. Writer of ASCAP's Film and Television Music Awards 2005. Composer, Nightbeast. IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0009190/

Ben Affleck, Actor, Writer, Director, Producer. Born: Berkeley, CA, August 15, 1972. Phantoms Armageddon, Shakespeare in Love. IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0000255/

Alan Alda. Actor, Writer, Director. Born: New York, NY, January 28, 1936; writer and actor on M*A*S*H. IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0000257/

Woody Allen. Actor, Director, Writer. Born: New York, NY, December 1, 1935. Actor-TV comedy shows; Screenplay: Wha's New Pussycat? What's Up Tiger Lily? IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0000095/

Theo Angelopoulos. Director, Writer, Producer, Actor. Born: Athens, Greece, April 17, 1935. Voyage to Kythera (Cannes Film Fest. Award, Best Screenplay, 1984) IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0000766/

Rowan Atkinson. Actor, Writer. Born: England, January 6, 1955. Not the Nine O'Clock News (also writer, BAFTA Award for acting). IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0000100/

Dan Aykroyd. Actor, Writer. Born: Ottawa, Canada, July 1, 1952. Saturday Night Live, 1975-79, writer and performer; and Emmy award for writing in 1977. IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0000101/

Charles Aznavour. Actor, Singer, Songwriter. Born: Paris, France, May 22, 1924. An international concert star by the 1970s who has also composed music for film. Has appeared in 87 pictures acting and/or composing songs. IMBD REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0002198/

Steve Barkett. Actor, Director, Producer, Film Editor, Writer. Born: Oklahoma City, OK, January 1, 1950. Co-wrote and performed 42 episodes of Captain Nemo's Video Review for radio. IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0055020/

Warren Beatty. Actor, Producer, Director, Writer. Born: Richmond, VA, March 30, 1937. The Only Game In Town, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, The Parallax View, Shampoo, Co-screenplay. IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0000886/

Roberto Benigni. Actor, Writer, Director, Producer. Born: Misericordia, Arezzo, Italy, October 27, 1952. Coffee and Cigarettes, Le Tigre e la neve (also writer, dir/prod.). IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0000905/

Robby Benson. Actor, Writer, Director. Born: Dallas, TX, January 21, 1956. Betrayal of the Dove (screenplay only). IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000913/

Steven Berkoff. Actor, Director, Writer. Born: London, England, August 3, 1937. Author of plays, East, West, Greek Decadence, Sink the Belgrano, Kvetch (London, NY). IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0000925/

Ruben Blades. Actor, Composer, Singer, Writer. Born: Panama City, Panama, July 16, 1948. Gained widespread recognition in 1985 as co-writer and star of the independent "Crossover Dreams" (1985) and wrote the song "Tu y Yo" for Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" (1989). IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0001952/

Peter Bogdanovich. Director, Producer, Writer, Actor. Born: Kingston, NY, July 30, 1939. Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women (dir., screenplay, narrator, billed as Derek Thomas); The Last Picture Show. IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0000953/

Eric Bogosian. Actor, Writer. Born: Woburn, MA, April 24, 1953. Sex Drugs Rock & Roll; SubUrbia (writer, lyricist). IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0091899/

Joseph Bologna. Actor, Writer. Born: Brooklyn, NY, December 30, 1938. Lovers and Other Strangers (Academy Award nomination, 1971). IMBD REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0004767/

Kenneth Branagh. Actor, Director, Producer, Author. Born: Belfast, Northern Ireland, December 10, 1960. Left Royal Shakespeare Company to form his own Renaissance Theater Co. with actor David Parfitt at which he wrote the play Public Enemy; Love's Labour Lost. IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0000110/

Jim Broadbent. Actor, Writer. Born: Lincolnshire, England, May 24, 1949. Wrote and starred in A Sense of History (Clermont-Ferrand Intl. Film Fest. Award). IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0000980/

Eleanor Bron. Actress, Writer. Born: Stanmore, Middlesex, England, March 14, 1934. The Late Show; Where Was Spring? IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0111376/

Albert Brooks. Director, Writer, Actor. Born: Los Angeles, CA, July 22, 1947. Sports writer KMPC, L.A. 1962-63; Mother (also director, and NY Society of Film Critics Award, Natl Society of Film Critics Award for best screenplay, 1997); Saturday Night Live (writer 1975). IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0000983/

Mel Brooks. Writer, Director, Actor. Born: Brooklyn, NY, June 28, 1926. Became writer for Sid Caesar on TV's Broadway Review and Your Show of Shows.Won Academy Award for Best Short Subject of the animated comedy, The Critic. Co-writer of Shinbone Alley. IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0000316/

Roscoe Lee Brown. Actor, Director, Writer. Born: Woodbury, NJ, May 2, 1925. Professional acting debut, 1956, in Julius Caesar at the NY Shakespeare Fest; published poet and short story writer. Trustee for Millay Colony for the Arts. IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0001975/

Simon Callow. Actor, Writer, Director. Born: London, England, June 13, 1949. Author of Being An Actor. IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0001003/

Stephen Cannell. Writer, Producer, Actor. Born: Los Angeles, CA, May 2, 1941. Received Mystery Writers award, 1975; 4 Writers Guild Awards. It Waits; The Tooth Fairy (also writer); The A-Team; The Rockford Files (creator, writer, producer; Emmy Award 1978). IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0004798/

Nick Cassavetes. Actor, Director, Writer. Born: New York, NY, May 21, 1959. Blow, Five Dollars a Day, Alpha Dog (also writer). IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0001024/#actor

Dick Cavett. Actor, Writer. Born: Kearny, NE, November 19, 1936. Acted in TV dramas and army training films. Was writer for Jack Paar on the Tonight Show. Wrote comedy for Merv Griffin, Jerry Lewis, Johnny Carson. In 1967 began performing own comedy material in night clubs. The Dick Cavett Show (ABC late night talk show, 1969-72, won Emmy Award 1972). IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0147118/

Jackie Chan. Actor, Director, Writer. Born: Hong Kong, April 7, 1954. Dragon Lord, The Young Master (also director, co-screenplay; Rob-B-Hood (also writer and stunt coordinator). IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0000329/

Tommy Chong. Actor, Writer, Director. Born: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, May 24, 1938. Up in Smoke; Cheech and Chong's Next Movie; The Corsican Brothers (also director, screenplay or co-screenplay) IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0001045/

Dick Clark. Producer, Actor, Writer. Born: Mt. Vernon, NY, November 30, 1929. Killers Three; American Dreams (writer). IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0163863/

John Cleese. Actor, Writer. Born: Weston-Super-Mare, England, October 27, 1939. Co-creator of Monty Python's Flying Circus (co-author); A Fish Called Wanda (also co-screenplay, executive producer, BAFTA Award, Writer's Guild of American nominee, Oscar nominee). IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0000092/

Sofia Coppola. Director, Screenwriter, Actor, Costume Designer, Executive Producer. Born: Manhattan, NY, May 12, 1971. As an infant, first appeared in film in her father's (Francis Ford Coppola) production, The Godfather. Won an Oscar for best original screenplay for the 2003 production, Lost in Translation. IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0001068/

Alex Cox. Actor, Director, Writer. Born: Liverpool, England, December 15, 1954. Repo Man (also screenplay); Sid and Nancy (also co-screenplay); In His Life: The John Lennon Story, A Hard Look. IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0007182/

Billy Crystal. Actor, Writer, Producer, Director. Born: Long Island, NY, March 14, 1947. Mr. Saturday Night (Golden Globe nominee, 1993, also director, producer, co-screenplay); The 64th Annual Academy Awards, 1992. IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0000345/

Robert Culp. Actor, Writer, Director. Born: Berkeley, CA, August 16, 1930. Wrote and acted in Rifleman, Cain's Hundred, The Dick Powell Show. I Spy (also wrote plot and 6 shows, garnering 4 Emmy nominees for it. IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0191685/

Matt Damon. Actor, Writer. Born: Cambridge, MA, October 8, 1970. Good Will Hunting (also screenplay, Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Best Screenplay, 1997); Gerry. IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0000354/

Bill Dana. Actor, Writer. Born: Quincy, MA, October 5, 1924. The Nude Bomb (also screenplay). The Steve Allen Show (performer, head writer, 1961). The Bill Dana Jose Jimenez Show (star, writer). Milton Berle Show (producer, writer, performer). IMDB REF: http://www.imdBorn:com/name/nm0199049/

Jules Dassin. Director, Writer, Actor. Born: Middletown, CT, December 18, 1911. Radio writer. Rififi (also co-screenplay, actor); Phaedra (also producer, co-screenplay, actor). IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0202088/

Mac Davis. Singer, Songwriter, Actor. Born: Lubbock TX, January 21, 1942. Recording artist and composer of many popular songs. Ocean's Eleven, Jackpot, Bruce Almighty, The Mac Davis Show. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0205067/

Dean Devlin. Actor, Writer, Producer. Born: New York, NY. August 27, 1962. Stargate, Independence Day, Godzilla, The Triangle. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002041/

Roy E. Disney. Actor, Producer, Director, Cameraman, Film Editor. Born: Los Angeles, CA. January 10, 1930. The Black Cauldron (voice actor, writer); Disneyland, Mysteries of the Deep, Zorro. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004877/

Brian Doyle-Murray. Actor, Writer. Born: Chicago, IL. October 31, 1945. Brother is comedian Bill Murray. Cadyshack (co-screenplay); Saturday Night Live (also writer). IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0236519/

Bob Dylan. Performer, Composer, Author, Actor. Born: Duluth, MN. May 24, 1941. Author, Tarantula; Lyrics: 1962-2002, Bob Dylan Chronicles: Vol. 1, Bob Dylan Chronicles, Vol. II. Renaldo and Clara (also director, editor, writer); Masked and Anonymous. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001168/

Clint Eastwood. Actor, Director, Producer, Soundtrack, Composer, Camera, Writer. Born: San Francisco, CA. May 31, 1930. Per un pugno di dollari (aka A Fistful of Dollars). IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000142/

Atom Egoyan. Director, Writer, Producer, Editor, Actor, Cinematographer. Born Cairo, Egypt, July 19, 1960. Felicia's Journey (director, screenplay). IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000382/

Chris Elliott. Actor, Writer. Born New York, NY, May 31, 1960. Became writer/performer for David Letterman starting in 1982 and winning 2 Emmy Awardss for writing in 1984, 1985. Author: Daddy's Boy: A Son's Shocking Account of Life With a Famous Father (1989). Cabin Boy (also co-story). FDR: A One Man Show. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0254402/

David Essex. Actor, Singer, Composer, Writer. Born Plaistow, London, England, July 21, 1947. Dick, The Devils Rejects (soundtrack, writer, performer "Rock On"). IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0261390/

Emilio Estevez. Actor, Director, Writer. Born New York, NY, May 12, 1962. That Was Then This is Now, Wisdom, Men At Work, Bobby. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000389/

Jon Favreau. Actor, Writer, Director. Born Queens, NY, October 19, 1966. Swingers, Made, The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0269463/

Harvey Fierstein. Actor, Writer. Born New York, NY, June 6, 1954. Actor/Writer in Torch Song Trilogy (NY and London. Tony Awards for best actor and play. Theatre World Award). Spookhouse. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001213/

Carrie Fisher. Actress, Writer. Born Beverly Hills, CA, October 21, 1956. Postcards From the Edge, Carrie Fisher: The Hollywood Family, The 79th Annual Academy Awards. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000402/

Fannie Flagg. Actress, Writer. Born Birmingham, AL, September 21, 1944. Had her own live 30 minute tv show in Birmingham. Wrote and appeared in revues for Upstairs at the Downstairs Club. Candid Camera; Fried Green Tomatos (also co-screenplay; Academy Award nominee for screenplay in 1992). IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0280840/

Rodman Flender. Director, Producer, Actor, Writer. Born New York, NY, June 9, 1962. In the Heat of Passion (also producer and screenplay); Idle Hands, Dracula Rising. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0281869/

Bryan Forbes. Actor, Writer, Producer, Director. Born Stratford, London, England, UK, July 22, 1926. President, Writers Guild of Great Britain, 1988-1991. Restless Natives; Chaplin (director, writer). I Was Monty's Double, Of Human Bondage, The League of Gentlemen. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0285302/

Lewis Gilbert. Producer, Writer, Director, Actor. Born London, England, UK, March 6, 1920. In 1944 joined G.B.I. as writer and director in 1948; Gainsborough Pictures as writer, director in 1949. Marry Me (screenplay only); Haunted. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0318150/

Terry Gilliam. Writer, Director, Actor, Animator. Born Minneapolis, MN, November 22, 1940. And Now for Something Completely Different (animator, co-screenplay, actor); Monty Python and the Holy Grail (co-director, co-screenplay, actor, animator); jabberwocky (director, co-screenplay); Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (co-screenplay, actor, animator). IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000416/

Philip Glass. Composer, Actor, Writer. Born Baltimore, MD, January 31, 1937. Satyagraha. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001275/

Keith Gordon. Actor, Director, Writer. Born Bronx, NY, February 3, 1961. Static (also co-screenplay, co-producer); The Chocolate War; A Midnight Clear. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0330360/

Carl Gotlieb. Writer, Director, Actor. Born New York, NY, March 18, 1938. Co-writer, actor of Jaws (Golden Globe nominee, 1976). Smothers Bros. Comedy Hour (Emmy Award, 1969). The Jerk. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0331956/

Todd Graff. Actor, Writer. Born New York, NY, October 22, 1959. Used People, The Vanishing, Fly By Night. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0333804/

Charles Grodin. Actor, Director, Writer. Born Pittsburgh, PA, April 21, 1935. Price of Fame, One of the All-Time Greats. Movers and Shakers (also screen play, co-producer). The Muppets at Walt Disney World Specials. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001301/

Christopher Guest. Actor, Writer, Composer, Director. Born New York, NY, February 5, 1948. For Your Consideration; A Mighty Wind; D.O.A.; Saturday Night Live, The T.V. Show, The Lily Tomlin Special. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001302/

Peter Hammond. Actor, Writer, Director. Born London, England, November 15, 1923. Jack The Ripper. TV plays, 1959-61, Director, Writer. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358759/

Todd Haynes. Director, Writer, Producer, Editor, Actor. Born Los Angeles, CA, January 2, 1961. Far From Heaven (aka Loin du paradis); Velvet Goldmine; I'm Not There. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001331/

Buck Henry. Actor, Writer. Born New York, NY, December 9, 1930. Actor and writer in the following productions: Town & Country, To Die For, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Saturday Night Live, Is There Sex After Death? The Owl and the Pussycat, Catch-22, The Graduate, The Troublemaker. Get Smart, TV Series, 1965-1970 (co-creator with Mel Brooks, story editor). IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0377750/

John Herzfeld. Writer, Director, Actor, Producer. Born Newark, NY, Birthdate: unknown. Remember, The Ryan White Story, On Fire, ABC Afterschool Specials. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0381273/

Paul Hogan. Writer, Actor. Born Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia, October 8, 1939. Crocodile Dundee (also co-screenplay); Almost an Angel (also exec. producer, screenplay); Lightning Jack; The Paul Hogan Show (1 episode). IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001357/

Eric Idle. Actor, Writer. Born South Shields, England, March 29, 1943. Co-author of (and acted in most) Monty Python books: Monty Python's Big Red Book, The Brand New Monty Python Book, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Complete Works of Shakespeare and Monty Python. Life of Brian; Steve Martin's Best Show Ever; Splitting Heirs. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001385/

Henry Jaglom. Director, Writer, Editor, Actor. Born London, England, January 28, 1943. Sitting Ducks; New Year's Day; Venice/Venice; Someone to Love. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0415617/

Jim Jarmusch. Director, Writer, Composer, Actor. Born Akron, Ohio, January 22, 1953. Mystery Train; Coffee and Cigarettes. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000464/

Terry Jones. Writer, Actor, Director. Born Colwyn Bay, North Wales, February 1, 1942. Worked with various rep. groups before joining BBC script department. Was member of Monty Python's Flying Circus. And Now for Something Completely Different (also co-screenplay); Monty Python and the Holy Grail (also co-director, co-screenplay) Monty Python's Life of Brian (also director, co-screenplay). IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001402/

Erland Josephson. Actor, Director, Writer. Born Stockholm, Sweden, June 15, 1923. Co-authored screenplay The Pleasure Garden and Now About These Women. Also has published poetry, six novels, and scripts for stage, screen and radio. Marmeladupproret; En och en; Sceningång. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0430746/

Tim Kazurinsky. Actor, Writer, Producer. Born Johnstown, PA, March 3, 1950. Worked as a copywriter for a Chicago ad agency. Took acting class at Second City and quit the ad job to become an actor and head writer for Second City Comedy Troupe. Joined cast of Saturday Night Live as a writer-actor, 1981-84. Road to Ruin; Cherokee Kid; Billions for Boris (also screenplay). IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0443730/

Zalman King. Actor, Director, Writer. Born Trenton, NJ, May 23, 1942. Roadie (also co-story); Red Shoe Diaries. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0455394/

Walter Koenig. Actor, Writer. Born Chicago, IL, September 14, 1936. Creator and writer of the comic book series Raver. Bone Eater; Star Trek. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000479/

Hardy Kruger. Actor, Writer. Born Berlin, Germany, April 12, 1928. Has published 11 books, novels, travelogues. The Globe Trotter, Parts 1 & 2 (writer, producer). IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0473228/

John Landis. Director, Producer, Writer, Actor. Born Chicago, IL, August 3, 1950. Schlock; The Blues Brothers (also co-screenplay); An American Werewolf in London (also screenplay); Twilight Zone - The Movie (sequence director, also screenplay, co-producer). IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000484/

Tom Laughlin. Actor, Producer, Director, Writer. Born Minneapolis, MN, August 10, 1938. Produced and starred in Billy Jack and The Trial of Billy Jack, also writing the screenplay with wife under the pseudonym, Frank Christina. The Master Gunfighter. Wild Bill: A Hollywood Maverick (actor, director, producer, writer). IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0490871/

Spike Lee. Director, Producer, Writer, Actor. Born Atlanta, GA, March 20, 1957. Completed two student features at NYU, and an hour-long thesis: Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads, which won the Student Academy Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. Wrote, produced, directed, co-starred in his independent feature, She's Gotta Have It, budgeted at $175,000. Author of five books on his films. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000490/

David Leland. Director, Writer, Actor. Born Cambridge, England, April 20, 1947. Appeared in his own Personal Services (Peter Sellers Award for Comedy). Wrote play Psy-Warriors. Mona Lisa (co-screenplay); The White River Kid; Birth of a Nation (writer); Ligmalion: A Musical for the 80s. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0500896/

David Letterman. Performer, Writer. Born Indianapolis, IN, April 12, 1947. Started career as a weatherman and talk show host, then began making cameo appearances in films Cabin Boy, Beavis and Butt-head, Do America (voice), Private Parts, Man on the Moon, Meeting People Is Easy. Late Night with David Letterman (1982-93, on NBC; 4 Emmy Awards for Writing). Also, Good Times; Paul Lynde Comedy Hour; John Denver Special; Bob Hope Special. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001468/

Marc Levin. Director, Writer, Actor, Producer. Raised in New Jersey, 1951. Street Time; Brooklyn Babylon; Whiteboyz; Slam. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0505660/

Barry Levinson. Director, Producer, Writer, Actor. Born Baltimore, MD, April 6, 1942. Wrote and acted in LA comedy show leading to work on network television including writing and performing on The Carol Burnett Show. Co-wrote film scripts with Mel Brooks and ex-wife Valerie Curtin. Also, The Jury, Jimmy Hollywood, High Anxiety, Silent Movie, The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001469/

Eugene Levy. Actor, Writer, Director. Born Hamilton, Canada, December 17, 1946. Waiting for Guffman (also screenplay), Best in Show (also screenplay), Sodbusters (co-writer), Second City (also writer), SCTV Network (Emmy Award as writer, 1983), For Your Consideration (also writer), A Mighty Wind (also writer). IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0506405/

Jerry Lewis. Actor, Director, Writer, Producer. Born Newark, NJ, March 16, 1926. In 1956 formed Jerry Lewis Productions, Inc., functioning as producer, director, writer and star. Full professor at USC taught graduate film direction. Book: The Total Filmmaker (1971) based on classroom lectures. The Nutty Professor (1963), Cracking Up, Hardly Working, The Day The Clown Cried, The Big Mouth, The Family Jewels, The Patsy, The Errand Boy, The Ladies Man. IMDB REF: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001471/