James L. Brooks

Personal Info

Known For

Production

Known Credits

21

Gender

Male

Birthday

1940-05-09 (83 years old)

Place of Birth

North Bergen, New Jersey, USA

James L. Brooks

Biography

James Lawrence Brooks is an American director, producer and screenwriter. Growing up in North Bergen, New Jersey, Brooks endured a fractured family life and passed the time by reading and writing. After dropping out of New York University, he got a job as an usher at CBS, going on to write for the CBS News broadcasts. He moved to Los Angeles in 1965 to work on David L. Wolper's documentaries. After being laid off he met producer Allan Burns who secured him a job as a writer on the series My Mother the Car.

Brooks wrote for several shows before being hired as a story editor on My Friend Tony and later creating the series Room 222. Grant Tinker hired Brooks and Burns at MTM Productions to create The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1970. The show, one of the first to feature an independent working woman as its lead character, was critically acclaimed and won Brooks several Primetime Emmy Awards. Brooks and Burns then created two successful spin-offs from Mary Tyler Moore in the shape of Rhoda (a comedy) and Lou Grant (a drama). Brooks left MTM Productions in 1978 to co-create the sitcom Taxi which, despite winning multiple Emmys, suffered from low ratings and was canceled twice.

He moved into feature film work when he wrote and co-produced the 1979 film Starting Over. His next project was the critically acclaimed film Terms of Endearment, which he produced, directed and wrote, winning an Academy Award for all three positions. Basing his next film, Broadcast News, on his journalistic experiences the film earned him a further two Academy Award nominations. Although his 1994 work I'll Do Anything was hampered by negative press attention due to the cutting of all of its recorded musical numbers, As Good as It Gets (co-written with Mark Andrus) earned further praise. It was seven years until his next film, which came in the shape of 2004's Spanglish. His sixth film, How Do You Know, was released in 2010. Brooks also produced and mentored Cameron Crowe on Say Anything... (1989) and Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson on Bottle Rocket (1996).

Although he did not intend to do so, Brooks returned to television in 1987 as the producer of The Tracey Ullman Show. He hired cartoonist Matt Groening to create a series of shorts for the show, which eventually led to The Simpsons in 1989. The Simpsons won numerous awards and is still running after 20 years. Brooks also co-produced and co-wrote the 2007 film adaptation of the show, The Simpsons Movie. In total, Brooks has received 47 Emmy nominations, winning 20 of them.

Known For

The Simpsons
8.0%

The Simpsons

Dec 17, 1989

Lost in America
6.9%

Lost in America

Feb 8, 1985

Modern Romance
6.8%

Modern Romance

Mar 13, 1981

Real Life
6.6%

Real Life

Mar 2, 1979

Misery Loves Comedy
6.3%

Misery Loves Comedy

Jan 23, 2015

Being Mary Tyler Moore
6.6%

Being Mary Tyler Moore

Mar 13, 2023

Dreams on Spec
5.4%

Dreams on Spec

Mar 23, 2007

    • View by:
    • Media type:
    • Department:

Acting

The Process
2023
Albert Brooks: Defending My Life as Self
2023
Thank You Very Much as Self
2023
Being Mary Tyler Moore as Self (voice)
2022
Hans Zimmer: Hollywood Rebel as Self
2019
Alan Pakula: Going for Truth as Self
2018
The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling as Self
2016
Harry Benson: Shoot First as Self
2016
Mike Nichols: An American Master as Self
2015
Misery Loves Comedy as Self
2011
Hans Zimmer: The Sound of Hollywood as Self
2011
James L. Brooks - A Singular Voice as Self (archive footage)
2008
The Making of 'Bottle Rocket' as Self
2007
Dreams on Spec as Self
1989
The Simpsons as James L. Brooks (voice)
1989
Prisoners of Gravity as Self
1985
Lost in America as Party Guest (uncredited)
1981
Modern Romance as David
1979
Real Life as Driving Evaluator
1976
Audience Research as Paul Reynold
1970
The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Rabbi (uncredited)

Creator

1987
The Tracey Ullman Show as Creator
1979
The Associates as Creator
1978
Taxi as Creator
1977
Lou Grant as Creator
1974
Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers as Creator
1974
Rhoda as Creator
1970
The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Creator
1969
Room 222 as Creator

Crew

2014
Ride as Thanks
2011
50/50 as Thanks
2007
A Terrifying Message from Al Gore as Thanks
1991
My Own Private Idaho as Thanks
1986
Jumpin' Jack Flash as Thanks

Directing

Ella McCay as Director
2010
How Do You Know as Director
2004
Spanglish as Director
1997
As Good as It Gets as Director
1994
I'll Do Anything as Director
1987
Broadcast News as Director
1983
Terms of Endearment as Director

Production

Ella McCay as Producer
2023
Maggie Simpson in Rogue Not Quite One as Producer
2023
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. as Producer
2022
Welcome to the Club as Producer
2022
The Simpsons: When Billie Met Lisa as Producer
2021
The Simpsons in Plusaversary as Producer
2021
The Simpsons - Balenciaga as Producer
2021
The Simpsons: The Good, the Bart, and the Loki as Producer
2021
Maggie Simpson in "The Force Awakens from Its Nap" as Producer
2020
Maggie Simpson in "Playdate with Destiny" as Producer
2016
The Edge of Seventeen as Producer
2012
Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare" as Producer
2010
How Do You Know as Producer
2007
The Simpsons Movie as Producer
2004
Spanglish as Producer
2001
Riding in Cars with Boys as Producer
2001
What About Joan? as Producer
1997
As Good as It Gets as Producer
1996
Jerry Maguire as Producer
1996
Bottle Rocket as Executive Producer
1994
I'll Do Anything as Producer
1994
The Critic as Producer
1993
Phenom as Producer
1992
Sibs as Producer
1990
The Best of the Tracey Ullman Show as Executive Producer
1989
The Simpsons as Executive Producer
1989
The Simpsons as Development Manager
1989
The War of the Roses as Producer
1989
Say Anything... as Executive Producer
1988
Big as Producer
1987
Broadcast News as Producer
1987
The Tracey Ullman Show as Executive Producer
1983
Terms of Endearment as Producer
1979
Starting Over as Producer
1979
The Associates as Producer
1978
Taxi as Executive Producer
1978
Cindy as Producer
1977
Lou Grant as Producer
1974
Rhoda as Producer
1974
Thursday's Game as Producer
1970
The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Executive Producer

Writing

Ella McCay as Writer
2020
Maggie Simpson in "Playdate with Destiny" as Writer
2016
Planet of the Couches as Writer
2012
Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare" as Writer
2010
How Do You Know as Writer
2007
The Simpsons Movie as Screenplay
2004
Spanglish as Writer
2003
The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror as Writer
1999
The Simpsons: Too Hot For TV as Scenario Writer
1997
As Good as It Gets as Screenplay
1994
I'll Do Anything as Writer
1989
The Simpsons as Writer
1987
Broadcast News as Screenplay
1987
The Tracey Ullman Show as Writer
1983
Terms of Endearment as Screenplay
1980
Carlton Your Doorman as Characters
1979
Starting Over as Writer
1978
Taxi as Writer
1978
Cindy as Writer
1977
Lou Grant as Writer
1974
Rhoda as Writer
1974
Thursday's Game as Writer
1970
The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Writer
1968
The Doris Day Show as Writer
1967
Accidental Family as Writer
1966
That Girl as Writer
1965
My Mother the Car as Writer
1960
The Andy Griffith Show as Writer
Movies
TV Shows
People
Search