James Burrows was born on the 30th December 1940, in Los Angeles, California USA, and is a Primetime Emmy Award-winning television director and producer, best known for creating such TV series as “Taxi” (1978-1982), “Frasier” (1993-2004), “Will & Grace” (1998- ), and “Mike & Molly” (2010-2016). Burrows’ career started in 1974.
Have you ever wondered how rich James Burrows is, as of early 2017? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Burrows’ net worth is as high as $500 million, an amount earned through his successful career on television. In addition to being a director, Burrows also works as a producer, which has improved his wealth too.
James Burrows Net Worth $500 Million
James Burrows is a son of Ruth and Abe Burrows, a composer, director and writer, and grew up in New York in a Jewish family with his sister Laurie Burrows Grad. He went to the High School of Music & Art, and later studied at Oberlin College and then the Yale School of Drama, from where he graduated.
Burrows’ directional debut came in an episode of the Golden Globe Award-winning series “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” in 1974, and he made three more episodes through 1976. From 1975 to 1977, James directed 19 episodes of the Golden Globe Award-winning “Phyllis”, while he also worked on “The Bob Newhart Show” (1975-1977), “The Tony Randall Show” (1976-1977), and “Laverne & Shirley” (1976-1977). His net worth was well established.
From 1978 to 1982, James directed 75 episodes of the Golden Globe Award-winning show called “Taxi” starring Judd Hirsch, Jeff Conaway, and Danny DeVito. Burrows made a feature movie titled “Partners” (1982) starring Ryan O’Neal and John Hurt, but he spent most of the ‘80s working on the Golden Globe Award-winning series “Cheers” (1982-1993), directing 237 episodes in that span.
From 1993 to 1997, James created 32 episodes of the Golden Globe-winning show “Frasier”, and he also worked on the Primetime Emmy Award-winning series “News Radio” (1995-1996). He ended the 90’s with such series as “Caroline in the City” (1995-1998), “Friends” (1994-1998), and “Will & Grace” (1998- ). Burrows made pilot episodes for both “Two and a Half Men” (2003) and “The Big Bang Theory” (2007), while he also directed all 19 episodes of the Primetime Emmy Award-nominated “The Class” (2006-2007). In the late 2000s, James made 17 episodes of “Back to You” (2007-2008) and 36 episodes of “Gary Unmarried” (2008-2010), all of which increased his net worth by a large margin.
From 2010 to 2016, Burrows directed 49 episodes of the Primetime Emmy Award-nominated series “Mike & Molly”, 12 episodes of “Partners” (2012-2013), and 32 episodes of “The Millers” (2013-2015). Most recently, James has worked on “Crowded” (2016) and “Man with a Plan” (2016- ), and will direct the ninth season of “Will & Grace”, 11 years after the eighth season was aired.
Regarding his personal life, James Burrows was married to Linda Solomon from 1981 to 1993 and has three children with her, while in 1997, he married Debbie Easton, and the pair is living in Manhattan, New York.
Directors Guild of America awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, TCA Career Achievement Award (2014), DGA Lifetime Achievement Award (2015)
Nominations
Danny Thomas Producer of the Year Award in Episodic Television - Comedy (2003-2005), Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Informational Special (1991)
Movies
More Than Friends, Partners, The One Where Monica Gets A Roommate, The Broadway Melody, Pilot, Nathan vs. Nurture
TV Shows
“Taxi” (1978-1982), “Frasier” (1993-2004), “Will & Grace” (1998- ), “Mike & Molly” (2010-2016), “News Radio” (1995-1996), “Two and a Half Men” (2003), “The Big Bang Theory” (2007), “The Class” (2006-2007), “Caroline in the City” (1995-1998), “Friends” (1994-19...
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Trademark
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Unseen Characters
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Rapid change of expressions
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Conversations that involves frequent movement
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Quote
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I'll tell you what I love about directing: the surprise. You never know what's going to happen with your piece until an audience weighs in. You may think that you know what will be funny as shit but then a group of bused-in Middle Americans says is is shit and you're shaking your head in dismay. This surprise I find exhilarating and scary--and I love it.
On several television series he's worked on, the spouse of a main character is never actually seen by the audience. They are Norm Peterson's wife Vera (Cheers (1982)), Niles Crane's wife Maris (Frasier (1993)) and Karen Walker's husband Stanley (Will & Grace (1998)), Phylis Lynstrom's husband Lars (Mary Tyler Moore (1970)). Although not spouses, Carlton the Doorman on (Rhoda (1974)), and Louie De Palma's mother on (Taxi (1978)) were never seen.Louie DePalma's mother was in 2 episodes in 1981 Louie's mother and Louie's mom remarries played by his real mother Juila DeVito .
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Has been nominated for an Emmy Award for directing a comedy episode 24 times in 26 years, one nomination every year since 1980, excluding 1997 and 2004. He has won (as director) 5 times.
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Graduated from Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio in 1962. Received a masters degree in theater from Yale University in 1965.
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Formed Charles Burrows Charles Productions with writer-producers Glen Charles and Les Charles in 1982 to produce Cheers (1982).
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Even though he became very wealthy from his work in television, he once said in an interview that he continues to direct situation comedy episodes on a freelance basis because it is what he loves to do.
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He and TV director George Schaefer are tied at 15 each for the most nominations ever received from the Directors Guild of America.
$500 Million
