Bryan Gordon is an American film and television director, writer, actor and producer who is primarily known for directing comedy television shows.[1]
Gordon was born and raised in Dover, Delaware.[2] He graduated from Dover High School. He graduated from the University of Delaware[3] in 1969. He is Jewish.[4]
After college, Gordon moved to New York City and started his career as a comedy writer on the ABC late night variety show Fridays in the early 1980s. He became an independent filmmaker, writing and directing the Academy Award-winning short film Ray's Male Heterosexual Dance Hall (1987). His other film directing credits include his full-length directorial debut Career Opportunities (1991), written by John Hughes and starring Frank Whaley and Jennifer Connelly and Pie in the Sky (1996) starring Josh Charles, Anne Heche and John Goodman.
Gordon has directed episodes on such TV series as Grace and Frankie, The Office, Weeds, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The West Wing, Ally McBeal, Boston Public, Sports Night (also starring Josh Charles), Curb Your Enthusiasm (created, written by and starring Larry David, Gordon's co-worker on Fridays), Freaks and Geeks and The Wonder Years.
He has directed numerous television pilots — among them One Tree Hill — setting the look and design for the series. He directed and produced the TBS pilot The Wedding Band that premiered in 2012. Also in 2012, he directed the 30 for 30 documentary short for ESPN, "The Arnold Palmer",[5] which was nominated for a Sports Emmy for Outstanding New Approaches Sports Programming in 2013.[6]
In 2009 and 2010, he directed and produced the series Party Down for the Starz Network. In 2015, he co-created, executive produced, and directed Yahoo Screen original series Sin City Saints.[7]
Gordon has been nominated three times for the Directors Guild of America Award. In 2002, he received its Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series.[8]
He also been nominated for an Emmy Award twice — both for his work on the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm, which he directed numerous episodes over its entire run.
He is a member of his alma mater the University of Delaware's Wall of Fame.[9]
Bryan Gordon is married to filmmaker Jessie Nelson. They reside in Los Angeles and have a daughter, actress Molly Gordon (b. 1995).
| Year | Title | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Ray's Male Heterosexual Dance Hall | Director and writer | |
| 1991 | Career Opportunities | Director | |
| 1995 | Pie in the Sky | Director and writer |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1977-1978 | Laugh-In | Writer, 2 episodes |
| 1980-1981 | Fridays | Writer, 37 episodes |
| 1991-1992 | The Wonder Years | Director, 2 episodes |
| 1993 | Bakersfield, P.D. | Director, episode "The Snake Charmer" |
| 1999 | Action | Director, episode "Blood Money" |
| 1999-2000 | Freaks and Geeks | Director, 2 episodes |
| 2000 | Ally McBeal | Director, episode "The Oddball Parade" |
| Sports Night | Director, episode "Draft Day: Part I — It Can't Rain at Indian Wells" | |
| M.Y.O.B. | Director, 2 episodes | |
| Gideon's Crossing | Director, episode "Freak Show" | |
| Boston Public | Director, episode "Chapter Four" | |
| The Michael Richards Show | Director, episode "The Consultant" | |
| 2000-2017 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Director, 9 episodes |
| 2001 | The West Wing | Director, episode "The Stackhouse Filibuster" |
| Dead Last | Director, episode "Gastric Distress" | |
| 2001-2002 | Maybe It's Me | Director, 6 episodes |
| 2002 | Hidden Hills | Director, episode "Christmas" |
| That Was Then | Director, episode "Under Noah's Certain Terms" | |
| Do Over | Director, episode "Hollyween (a.k.a. Halloween Kiss)" | |
| 2003 | Andy Richter Controls the Universe | Director, episode "Bully the Kid" |
| The O'Keefes | Director, episode "Election" | |
| One Tree Hill | Director, 2 episodes | |
| 2004 | Jack & Bobby | Director, episode "The Lost Boys" |
| 2005-2006 | The Office | Director, 2 episodes: "The Alliance" and "The Injury" |
| 2006 | Weeds | Director, episode "Last Tango in Agrestic" |
| Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip | Director, episode "B-12" | |
| Help Me Help You | Director, episode "Raging Bill" | |
| 2007 | Life Is Wild | Director, episode "Pilot" |
| 2009-2010 | Party Down | Director, 9 episodes; Producer, 15 episodes |
| 2010 | Childrens Hospital | Director, 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Mr. Sunshine | Director, 2 episodes |
| The Paul Reiser Show | Director, episode "Pilot" | |
| Man Up! | Director, episode "Wingmen" | |
| Portlandia | Consulting producer, 6 episodes | |
| 2012 | Free Agents | Director, episode "Are You There, Helen? It's Me, God" |
| Wedding Band | Director and producer, episode "Pilot" | |
| 30 for 30 | Director, episode "The Arnold Palmer" | |
| Up All Night | Director, 2 episodes | |
| 2013 | How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) | Director, episode "How to Not Screw Up Your Kid" |
| Trophy Wife | Director, episode "Cold File" | |
| Welcome to the Family | Director, episode "Junior Takes a Stand" | |
| 2013-2014 | The Neighbors | Director, 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Bad Teacher | Director, episode "Fieldtrippers" |
| 2015 | Sin City Saints | Creator and executive producer, 8 episodes; Director, 6 episodes |
| Grace and Frankie | Director, episode "The Dinner" |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | The Edge of Night | Ewell | Unknown episode | |
| 1979 | The Seeding of Sarah Burns | Roger Deems | ||
| California Fever | Mel Gaines | Episode "The Underground Jock" | ||
| 1980 | Seeds of Innocence | Dr. Beyers | ||
| 1985 | Amazing Stories | Father | Episode "Fine Tuning" | |
| 1994 | Corrina, Corrina | Business Associate | ||
| 1998 | Sour Grapes | Doug |