Garry Shandling

Shandling worked between 1949 and 2016 across actor, screenwriter, film producer, comedian and television producer and 5 further recorded occupations. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.

Garry Shandling studied at University of Arizona and Palo Verde High Magnet School. The recorded working language is English. Woody Allen and Johnny Carson are recorded as an influence. Distinctions recorded are Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.

• Name — Garry Shandling • Born — 29 November 1949 • Birthplace — Chicago, Illinois, U.S. • Died — 24 March 2016 • Place of death — Santa Monica, California, U.S. • Partner — Linda Doucett (1987–1994) • Website — https: garryshandling.com/ • Years Active — 1975–2016 • Notable Works — * It’s Garry Shandling’s Show • The Larry Sanders Show • Style — Comedy • Occupation — * Actor • comedian • writer • director • producer

Garry Emmanuel Shandling was born into a Jewish family in Chicago on November 29, 1949, the son of pet store proprietor Muriel Estelle (née Singer) and print shop owner Irving Shandling. He grew up in the Casa Loma Estates area of Tucson, Arizona, having moved there with his family so that his older brother Barry could receive treatment for cystic fibrosis. Barry died of the disease when Shandling was 10. After graduating from Palo Verde High School, Shandling attended the University of Arizona to major in electrical engineering, but instead completed a degree in marketing and pursued a year of postgraduate studies in creative writing.

When Shandling was 19, he drove two hours to a club in Phoenix and showed some jokes to George Carlin, who was performing there. The next day, on a repeat round-trip, Carlin told him that he had "funny stuff on every page" and should keep at it. In 1973, he moved to Los Angeles and worked at an advertising agency for a time, then sold a script for the popular NBC sitcom Sanford and Son. He also wrote scripts for the sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter and attended a story meeting for Three's Company.

Shandling said that he became a stand-up comedian because of an incident that happened one day at a story meeting for Three's Company, in which one of the show's producers complained about a line of dialogue and said, "Well, Chrissy wouldn't say that." He recalled, "I just looked. I said, 'I don't think I can do this.' And I stopped right there and went on to perform." In 1978, Shandling performed his first stand-up routine at The Comedy Store. A year later, he was one of the few performers to cross the picket line when a group of comedians organized a boycott against the Comedy Store, protesting owner Mitzi Shore's policy of not paying comedians to perform. According to William Knoedelseder, Shandling "was the scion of a family with decidedly antiunion views. He had not shared the struggling comic experience. He was a successful sitcom writer trying to break into stand-up, and prior to the strike, Shore had refused to put him in the regular lineup because she didn't think he was good enough. Of course, that changed the minute he crossed the picket line." Shandling's onstage persona was an anxiety-ridden, nervous, uptight, conservative man on the verge of a breakdown. After a couple of years on the road, he was booked by a talent scout from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson to appear as a guest in 1981. Shandling substituted for Carson on a regular basis until 1987, when he left to focus on his cable show, leaving Jay Leno as permanent guest host and Carson's eventual successor. In 1984, Shandling performed his first stand-up special, Garry Shandling: Alone in Vegas for Showtime, followed by a second televised special in 1986, The Garry Shandling Show: 25th Anniversary Special, also for Showtime. In 1991, a third special, Garry Shandling: Stand-Up, was part of the HBO Comedy Hour.

In 1985, Shandling and Alan Zweibel went on to create It's Garry Shandling's Show. Through 1990, it ran for 72 episodes on Showtime. The edited reruns played on the Fox network beginning in 1988. Shandling wrote 15 of the episodes. The series subverted the standard sitcom format by having its characters openly acknowledge that they were all part of a television series. Building on a concept that hearkened back to The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, in which George Burns would frequently break the "fourth wall" and speak directly to the audience, Shandling's series went so far as to incorporate the audience and elements of the studio itself into the storylines, calling attention to the show's artifice. The series was nominated for four Emmy Awards, including one for Shandling. He won an American Comedy Award for Funniest Male Performance in a Series; and four CableACE awards, two for Best Comedy Series. The show also won an award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy from the Television Critics Association.

• Illustration — Shandling during the 1994 Emmy Awards rehearsals In 1992, Shandling launched another critical and commercial success by creating the mock behind-the-scenes talk show sitcom The Larry Sanders Show, which ran for 89 episodes through to 1998 on HBO. It garnered 56 Emmy Award nominations and three wins. Shandling based the series on his experiences guest-hosting The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. In 1993, NBC offered Shandling $5 million to take over Late Night when David Letterman announced his highly publicized move to CBS, but Shandling declined. He was subsequently offered The Late Late Show, but also declined in favor of continuing The Larry Sanders Show. Shandling wrote 38 episodes of the series and directed three in its final season. He was nominated for 18 Emmy Awards for the series: five for acting, seven for writing, and six for being co-executive producer with Brad Grey. He won one Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for the series finale "Flip." He was also nominated for two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor (Musical or Comedy) in 1994 and 1995. He won two American Comedy Awards for Funniest Male Performance in a Comedy Series, eight CableACE Awards, and a BAFTA Award. The series influenced other shows, such as Entourage, 30 Rock, and Curb Your Enthusiasm, where guest stars portray themselves. In 2002, TV Guide named The Larry Sanders Show as 38th Greatest Show of All Time. In 2008, Entertainment Weekly ranked it the 28th in the "100 best shows from 1983 to 2008" list, and it was included on Time magazine's 100 Greatest Shows of All Time. The first season was re-released in 2007, along with a Not Just the Best of the Larry Sanders Show, Shandling's picks of the best 23 episodes. In October 2012, Shandling returned with fellow cast members from The Larry Sanders Show for Entertainment Weeklys Reunions issue, where he was reunited with co-stars Rip Torn, Jeffrey Tambor, Sarah Silverman, Penny Johnson Jerald, Wallace Langham and Mary Lynn Rajskub.

• Illustration — Shandling at the 1992 Emmy Awards Shandling hosted the Grammy Awards in 1990, 1991, 1993 and 1994. He hosted the Emmy Awards in 2000 and 2004, and co-hosted (doing the opening monologue) in 2003. He appeared occasionally in films, beginning with a cameo as Mr. Vertisey in The Night We Never Met. He had supporting roles in Love Affair and Mixed Nuts; Dr. Dolittle (1998), as the voice of a live-action pigeon; the David Rabe play adaptation Hurlyburly (1998); and Trust the Man (2001). He wrote and starred in Mike Nichols's What Planet Are You From? (2000) and co-starred with Warren Beatty and others in Town & Country (2001). In October 1999, Shandling, with David Rensin, published Confessions of a Late Night Talk Show Host: The Autobiography of Larry Sanders, written in the voice of his alter-ego Larry Sanders. He also appeared in a brief cameo in Zoolander (2001). Shandling also co-starred as Verne in Over the Hedge (2006), which became one of his best-known roles. He appeared in Iron Man 2 (2010) as Senator Stern, and reprised the role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). He appeared in an uncredited cameo as a health inspector in The Dictator (2012). He starred as himself representing Fox Mulder, alongside Téa Leoni as Dana Scully in The X-Files season 7 spoof episode "Hollywood A.D." In February 2010, Shandling was staying at the same Waipio Valley hotel that Conan O'Brien checked into after his departure from The Tonight Show. They spent their entire vacations together, Shandling helping to rehabilitate O'Brien. Shandling was a longtime friend of Jerry Seinfeld. In 2016, two months before his death, he appeared on Seinfeld's show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.

• Illustration — Shandling in April 2011 In 1976, Shandling was involved in a car crash in Encino that left him in critical condition for two days and hospitalized for two weeks with a crushed spleen. While in the hospital, he had a near-death experience and later said, "I had a vivid near-death experience that involved a voice asking, 'Do you want to continue leading Garry Shandling's life?' Without thinking, I said, 'Yes.' Since then, I've been stuck living in the physical world while knowing, without a doubt, that there's something much more meaningful within it all. That realization is what drives my life and work." The accident inspired him to pursue a career in comedy, and he later turned the accident into part of his routine. Shandling never married and had no children. He shared an apartment with his fiancée, actress Linda Doucett, from 1987 until they split in 1994. He subsequently had her dismissed from The Larry Sanders Show, and she filed a lawsuit against his production company Brillstein Entertainment Partners for sexual discrimination and wrongful termination. The case was settled out of court in 1997 for $1 million. Although Doucett sued him and the show's producer, when Shandling died Doucett shared some details of their time together, including that the only reason they split in 1994 was that he didn't want to enlarge his family. She was in her late 30s and early 40s during their relationship, she wanted children, and Shandling was afraid his children might be born with cystic fibrosis, the genetic problem that killed his brother Barry. However, he later stated in a 1998 interview by Charlie Rose that he was still contemplating the possibility of having children. Shandling and Sharon Stone were students of acting coach Roy London and dated briefly, and she appeared on The Larry Sanders Show in the episode "The Mr. Sharon Stone Show." They remained close friends until Shandling's death in 2016. In the documentary Special Thanks to Roy London, interviews with Stone and Shandling discuss their relationship. A Los Angeles Times article reads: Shandling preferred to reveal little about his personal life during interviews. He was a Buddhist who enjoyed meditating, playing basketball, and boxing four times per week. He co-owned a boxing gym in Santa Monica, TSB 44 (Tough Strong Bold No. 44), with actor and director Peter Berg. He was also a licensed amateur radio operator. Starting as a teenager, he held the callsigns WA7BKG, KD6OY, and KQ6KA. The latter he held with a pseudonym, Dave Waddell, to avoid undue attention when he operated.

On March 24, 2016 Shandling died from pulmonary thrombosis, a blood clot that traveled from his leg to his lungs. He died at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 66. The LAPD reported that he had suddenly collapsed in his home and was rushed to the hospital, suffering from an apparent medical emergency. When paramedics arrived, he was unconscious. He had felt unwell during a trip to Hawaii and had complained to a doctor about shortness of breath and leg pain. Shandling had suffered from hyperparathyroidism, a disease which often goes undiagnosed or untreated. Shandling left behind a liquid estate worth around $668,000, which was given to his lawyer and best friend Bill Isaacson, as Shandling had no family or relatives. However, the bulk of his wealth was held in a private trust he had created. On February 4, 2019, his estate bestowed $15.2 million to benefit medical research at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. His gift established and endowed the Garry Shandling Endocrine Surgery Research Fund, the Garry Shandling Infectious Diseases Innovation Fund, and the Garry Shandling Pancreatic Diseases Fund. The remainder of the bequest established the Garry Shandling Medical Research Fund, operated under the direction of the medical school's dean. In his memory, UCLA also named a sqft multipurpose space in Geffen Hall, the school's medical education building, the Garry Shandling Learning Studio.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1990 — Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme — Jack • 1993 — data-sort-value="Night We Never Met, The" | The Night We Never Met — Mr. Vertisey — Uncredited • 1994 — Love Affair — Kip DeMay • Mixed Nuts — Stanley • 1998 — Dr. Dolittle — Male Pigeon (voice) • Hurlyburly — Artie • 2000 — What Planet Are You From? — Harold Anderson — Also producer, writer • 2001 — Town & Country — Griffin Morris • Zoolander — Himself — Cameo • 2002 — Run Ronnie Run! • data-sort-value="Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch, The" | The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch • 2005 — Trust the Man — Dr. Beekman • 2006 — Over the Hedge — Verne (voice) • Hammy's Boomerang Adventure — Short • 2010 — Iron Man 2 — Senator Stern • 2011 — data-sort-value="Brain Storm, The" | The Brain Storm — Garry Shandling — Short • 2012 — data-sort-value="Dictator, The" | The Dictator — Health Inspector — Uncredited cameo • 2014 — Captain America: The Winter Soldier — Senator Stern • 2016 — data-sort-value="Jungle Book, The" | The Jungle Book — Ikki (voice) — Posthumous release (final film role), dedicated in memory • Dying Laughing — Himself — Posthumous release (final film appearance) • 2018 — data-sort-value="Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling, The" | The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling — Posthumous release (documentary)

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1979 — Make Me Laugh — Himself — Comedy game show • 1984 — Garry Shandling: Alone in Vegas — Stand-up special • 1985 — Michael Nesmith in Television Parts — Skits in 2 episodes • 1986 — data-sort-value="Garry Shandling Show: 25th Anniversary Special, The" | The Garry Shandling Show: 25th Anniversary Special — Garry Shandling — Parody of a The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson-type anniversary • 1986–1987 — data-sort-value="Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The" | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Himself (guest host) — 7 episodes; June and October 1986, January and September 1987 • 1986–1990 — It's Garry Shandling's Show — Garry Shandling — 72 episodes; also co-creator, executive producer, writer • 1987 — Saturday Night Live — Himself (host) — Episode: "Garry Shandling/Los Lobos" • 1990 — 32nd Annual Grammy Awards — Television special • 1991 — 33rd Annual Grammy Awards • Garry Shandling: Stand-Up — Himself — Stand-up special • 1992 — data-sort-value="Ben Stiller Show, The" | The Ben Stiller Show — Garry Shandling — Episode: "With Garry Shandling" • 1992–1998 — data-sort-value="Larry Sanders Show, The" | The Larry Sanders Show — Larry Sanders — 89 episodes; also co-creator, executive producer, writer, director • 1993 — 35th Annual Grammy Awards — Himself (host) — Television special • 1994 — 36th Annual Grammy Awards • 1996 — Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist — Garry (voice) — Episode: "Sticky Notes" • 1998 — Caroline in the City — Steve — Episode: "Caroline and the Marriage Counselor: Part 2" • 2000 — data-sort-value="X-Files, The" | The X-Files — Himself — Episode: "Hollywood A.D." • 52nd Primetime Emmy Awards — Himself (host) — Television special • 2002 — My Adventures in Television — Himself — Episode: "Death Be Not Pre-Empted" • 2004 — 56th Primetime Emmy Awards — Himself (host) — Television special • 2006 — Tom Goes to the Mayor — Captain Pat Lewellen (voice) — Episode: "Couple's Therapy" • 2007–2009 — Real Time with Bill Maher — Himself — 4 episodes; 101 (2007), 129, 135 (both 2008), and 172 (2009) • 2016 — Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee — Episode: "It's Great That Garry Shandling Is Still Alive"

Garry Shandling was born on 29 November 1949 in Chicago. Shandling held the nationality of United States. Shandling was educated at University of Arizona and Palo Verde High Magnet School. Recorded partner: Linda Doucett. Shandling worked as actor, screenwriter, film producer and comedian, and the authority record catalogues a further 6 occupations under the same name, among them television producer, film actor, television actor, television director, film director and voice actor. Shandling was active from 1984. Shandling worked in English.

• Year — Title — Notes • 1975–1976 — Sanford and Son — 4 episodes • 1976 — Welcome Back, Kotter — Episode: "Horshack vs. Carvelli" • 1978 — data-sort-value="Harvey Korman Show, The" | The Harvey Korman Show — Episode: "The One Where Harvey Won't Change"

• Confessions of a Late-Night Talk-show Host: The Autobiography of Larry Sanders was written in-character as Larry Sanders by Shandling with David Rensin. It was released on October 4, 1999, and was the topic of season five's episode "The Book". *