View Full Version : TV Sitcom Actors who Direct


Rosslover
04-24-2008, 03:41 PM
Everyone knows Ron Howard is one of the best directors around and he started on Tv and sitcoms...another two famous ones were Rob Reiner and Penny Marshall.....now a new one enters the picture ... the awesome director of Run Fat Boy Run... who will forever be known as Ross... David Schwimmer..

what other sitcom actors have directed i can think of these

Alan Alda
Mike Farrell
Joe Regabulto
Laura Innes
Larry Hagman
Patrick Duffy
Matthew Perry.. yes he directed an episode of Scrubs

catlover79
04-24-2008, 03:49 PM
Frank Bonner (WKRP) is a director, as is Peter Bonerz (Bob Newhart Show), and two other Happy Days alumni: Henry Winkler and Anson Williams.

Zoneboy
04-24-2008, 03:54 PM
Ivan Dixon :rip:
Howard Morris :rip:
Jerry Paris :rip:
Lee Philips :rip:
Sydney Pollack

catlover79
04-24-2008, 03:58 PM
I almost forgot - David White (Larry Tate) directed a Bewitched episode in either the 6th or 7th season.

Superstar
04-24-2008, 04:25 PM
Melissa Joan Hart directed multiple episodes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch

tv star collector
04-24-2008, 07:43 PM
Bill Bixby
Bonnie Franklin

Zoneboy
04-24-2008, 08:28 PM
Rob Reiner
Penny Marshall
Otto Preminger
Ted Bessell
Burt Reynolds

tv star collector
04-25-2008, 07:38 AM
Rob Reiner
Penny Marshall
Otto Preminger
Ted Bessell
Burt Reynolds

When did Otto Preminger act in a TV sitcom??

Race's Girl
04-25-2008, 07:49 AM
Melissa Joan Hart directed multiple episodes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch

Wow, kick ass

Zoneboy
04-25-2008, 07:51 AM
When did Otto Preminger act in a TV sitcom??

Technically he didn't but Batman is close. :lol: Actually, I didn't pay close enough attention to the thread title, I was thinking it was for all genres and not just sitcom actors.

Pavan
04-25-2008, 11:13 AM
Richard Kline, Scott Baio, Jim Belushi, Larry Joe Campbell, Kimberly Williams all have directed sitcom episodes. Joana Kerns does mostly drama episodes, but she has done some sitcom directing.

Charles in Charge's James Widdoes is now a big time sitcom director.

tv star collector
04-25-2008, 02:53 PM
Technically he didn't but Batman is close. :lol: Actually, I didn't pay close enough attention to the thread title, I was thinking it was for all genres and not just sitcom actors.

Well, I guess one could say (with tongue in cheek) that Adam West's Batman was unintentionally a comedy series! :lol:

megamanj2004
04-25-2008, 02:57 PM
Jason Bateman - he first became a director when he directed a few episodes of "The Hogan Family." And by directed a few eps., he holds the distinction of becoming one of the youngest people to ever direct a sitcom.

catlover79
04-25-2008, 03:47 PM
Will Mackenzie is an accomplished TV director, but his best known acting role is probably that of Larry Bondurant (Carol's husband) on the Bob Newhart Show.

BeatleMoe
04-25-2008, 06:13 PM
Kelsey Grammer directed numerous episodes of FRASIER and John Ratzenberger directed an episode of CHEERS as well as George Wendt for four episodes of Cheers.

megamanj2004
04-28-2008, 12:12 AM
Bryan Cranston (Hal on Malcolm in the Middle) - directed a quite a few eps. of Malcolm in the Middle.

treky
04-28-2008, 04:23 PM
Frank Bonner (WKRP) is a director, as is Peter Bonerz (Bob Newhart Show), and two other Happy Days alumni: Henry Winkler and Anson Williams.
they have? Really? I always wondered what ever happened to all those guys!

catlover79
04-28-2008, 06:00 PM
they have? Really? I always wondered what ever happened to all those guys!
Yup, Frank Bonner mentions that in an audio commentary for WKRP, as does Peter Bonerz in a commentary for BNS.

Scoobiedoo30
04-29-2008, 01:21 AM
I did not know that Mike Farrell did some Directing

oz615
04-29-2008, 02:40 PM
Michael Lembeck (One Day at a Time) and Ted Wass (Blossom) build up quite a ressume over the last several years as well

catlover79
04-29-2008, 04:05 PM
Craig T. Nelson also directed some Coach episodes.

treky
04-30-2008, 02:38 AM
Jerry Paris directed several episodes of "THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW" also episodes of "THE ODD COUPLE", "HAPPY DAYS", & "MORK & MINDY". Don Adams directed a couple episodes of "GET SMART".

KurtfromPitts
04-30-2008, 02:02 PM
Amanda Bearse on "Married...With Children".

Scoobiedoo30
04-30-2008, 02:07 PM
witch seasdon did Amanda Bearse Direc Married With Children

megamanj2004
04-30-2008, 03:57 PM
witch seasdon did Amanda Bearse Direc Married With Children

She directed at least one final season ep. along the way.

andress_jade
04-30-2008, 10:41 PM
Larry Hagman directed three episodes of I Dream of Jeannie. I don't know if did any directing on Dallas.

catlover79
04-30-2008, 11:12 PM
Larry Hagman directed three episodes of I Dream of Jeannie. I don't know if did any directing on Dallas.
Yes, he did direct quite a few Dallas episodes.

catlover79
05-04-2008, 01:06 AM
Oh, we forgot to add Betty Thomas, even though I guess Hill Street Blues is not a sitcom...Dwayne Hickman aka Dobie Gillis directed some Designing Women episodes. I guess we should add Jodie Foster, since she was in a TV version of Paper Moon among others.

Gemini_89
03-18-2016, 07:15 PM
Kim Fields directed a couple of episodes of Living Single, a few episodes of Kenan & Kel, some episodes of Taina, some episodes of a Tyler Perry sitcom, and BET's Let's Stay Together.

Nancy Mckeon directed some episodes of The Division.

Torgo
03-18-2016, 07:18 PM
Well, I guess one could say (with tongue in cheek) that Adam West's Batman was unintentionally a comedy series! :lol:

The 1960s Batman was intentional comedy all the way.

Torgo
03-18-2016, 07:20 PM
Jason Bateman - he first became a director when he directed a few episodes of "The Hogan Family." And by directed a few eps., he holds the distinction of becoming one of the youngest people to ever direct a sitcom.

And Jason has now directed two feature films- Bad Words, and The Family Fang.

Torgo
03-18-2016, 07:22 PM
Larry Hagman directed three episodes of I Dream of Jeannie. I don't know if did any directing on Dallas.

Larry also directed the 1972 horror film Beware! The Blob.

Torgo
03-18-2016, 07:29 PM
David Nelson directed a few episodes of Ozzie and Harriet, an episode of Adam 12, Goodnight Beantown, Ozzie's Girls...

He also directed 5 feature films: Childish Things, Easy To Be Free, Death Screams, Last Plane Out, and Rare Breed.

Torgo
03-18-2016, 07:32 PM
Tony Dow did quite a bit of TV directing in the 90's.

Schmoopie
03-21-2016, 04:52 AM
I'm not sure if this counts but David Hyde Pierce (Of Frasier fame) has directed several things on and off Broadway

William Hogan Jr
03-21-2016, 12:16 PM
Harry Morgan directed some episodes of M*A*S*H, and Jamie Farr even directed an episode.

bmasters9
03-21-2016, 07:50 PM
Hal Linden directed three episodes of Barney Miller.

treky
03-22-2016, 03:48 AM
Don dams directed an episode of GET SMART.

William Conrad who starred in GUNSMOKE when it was on the radio directed 2 episodes of the TV show.