| Chuck Lorre | |
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| Born | Charles Michael Levine October 18, 1952 Long Island, New York, U.S. |
| Other name(s) | Chuck Lorre |
| Occupation | Writer, Television producer, Composer, Director, Production manager |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Official website | |
Chuck Lorre (born Charles Michael Levine on October 18, 1952) is a writer, director, producer and composer who has worked on many American sitcoms, including Grace Under Fire, Dharma & Greg, Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory and the Canadian 1980's to 90's show My Secret Identity.
He wrote Deborah Harry's radio hit single "French Kissin' in the USA" for the 1986 Rockbird album.
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Biography
Born in Long Island on October 18, 1952, Lorre is divorced and has two children.[1][2]
Lorre attended State University of New York at Potsdam, but dropped out after two years.[2] After leaving school, he toured the United States as a guitarist and songwriter. By 1986, Lorre changed his focus to television.
On March 12, 2009, Lorre received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[3]
On May 17, 2009, Lorre received an Honorary Doctoral Degree for Humane Letters from the State University of New York at Potsdam and gave a keynote address at the graduation. [4]
Vanity Cards
At the end of most episodes of Dharma & Greg, Two and a Half Men, and The Big Bang Theory, Lorre features a vanity card consisting of a message that usually reads like an editorial, essay, or observation on life. Because the card is shown for only a few seconds at most, the viewer who wants to read it likely would have to do so via playback and pause. Lorre also posts his vanity cards on his website. CBS has censored Lorre's vanity cards on several separate occasions.[5] The uncensored cards can be found on his website. The production card used on Grace under Fire and Cybill featured a wooden disk with a Mac.
Selected filmography
- Roseanne, 1990–1992, (writer, co-executive producer / supervising producer)
- Grace Under Fire, 1993–1998 (creator, writer, co-executive producer / supervising producer)
- Cybill, 1995–1998 (creator, writer and executive producer)
- Dharma & Greg, 1997–2002 (creator, writer, executive producer)
- Two and a Half Men, 2003–present (creator, writer, executive producer)
- The Big Bang Theory, 2007–present (creator, writer, executive producer)
Career
Grace Under Fire
Lorre's first produced show as creator was the popular ABC sitcom Grace Under Fire. It premiered on ABC in 1993, and gained a large viewer base. The show was nominated in 1995 for the Golden Globe Award for Best TV series (Musical or Comedy).
Cybill
Lorre's next project was the sitcom Cybill. The show aired for four seasons on CBS and received critical acclaim, winning an Emmy in 1995: Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy series for co-star Christine Baranski and 2 Golden Globe Awards in 1996: Best TV series (Musical or Comedy) and Best Actress in a TV series (Musical or Comedy).
The Big Bang Theory
Lorre's most recent show is The Big Bang Theory, which follows two young male academics living next door to an attractive young woman. Each episode usually focuses on the daily lives of the men and two of their friends, with a dose of absurdity from the relationship with their normal neighbor. The show is known for its ability to relate an obscure scientific theory with a common every-day occurrence, while at the same time illustrating the vast differences between the nerds and the girl. The two protagonists, Sheldon and Leonard, are named for the famous actor and television producer Sheldon Leonard.[6]
Show Crossovers
On "The Big Bang Theory" Sheldon, Leonard, and Penny are seen watching Oshikuru: Demon Samurai. Oshikuru: Demon Samurai was the show Charlie wrote the theme song for on "Two And A Half Men".
Music
Lorre won the BMI Television Music Awards in 2004, 2005, and 2008 for Two and a Half Men. He also composed the soundtrack to the 1987 television series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with Dennis Challen Brown.[7][8]
Charity
Chuck Lorre has been a long-time contributor to the Venice Family Clinic. In 1999, he established the Dharma/Grace Foundation where he insisted that the foundation directly benefit the people for whom the money was intended.[citation needed] On February 10, 2002, Lorre was honored with the Silver Circle Humanitarian Award.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Herbert, Steven (16 March 2009). ""Series of Miracles" Led to Walk Star for Lorre". msnbc. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29664941/. Retrieved 24 March 2009.
- ^ a b Rice, Lynette (8 December 2006). "It Hurts to Laugh". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1567715,00.html. Retrieved 24 March 2009.
- ^ "TV producer Chuck Lorre receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame". Washington Times. 5 March 2009. http://washingtontimes.com/events/2009/mar/12/2410/. Retrieved 24 March 2009.
- ^ ""Two and a Half Men" creator Chuck Lorre to speak at SUNY undergrad commencement". The State University of New York at Potsdam. 12 Feb 2009. http://www.potsdam.edu/newsandevents/209_lorre.cfm. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
- ^ Malcolm, Shawna. "Vanity cards let Lorre sound off". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118001051.html?categoryId=3567&cs=1. Retrieved 24 March 2009.
- ^ Strachan, Alex (11 March 2009). "The hilarity of the nerds: Big Bang Theory ignites hope for TV sitcoms". The Vancouver Sun. http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/hilarity+nerds+Bang+Theory+ignites+hope+sitcoms/1377951/story.html. Retrieved 26 March 2009.
- ^ Chuck Lorre. "Vanity Card #165". http://www.chucklorre.com/index.php?p=165. Retrieved 2008-04-19.
- ^ Chuck Lorre. "Vanity Card #243". http://www.chucklorre.com/index.php?p=243. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
External links
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