Garry Marshall

GARRY MARSHALL is one of Hollywood's most respected writers, producers and directors of television, film and theater. He has also helped launch the careers of many film and television stars.

Marshall has directed a number of memorable box office hits, including the classic romantic comedy "Pretty Woman," starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. His long list of film directing credits includes "The Flamingo Kid," starring Matt Dillon, which Marshall also co-wrote; "Nothing in Common," teaming Tom Hanks and Jackie Gleason; "Overboard," starring Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell; "Beaches," starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey; "Frankie & Johnny," pairing Michelle Pfeiffer and Al Pacino; "The Other Sister," starring Diane Keaton, which he also co-wrote; "Runaway Bride," which reunited Marshall with Gere and Roberts; "The Princess Diaries" and "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement," both starring Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway; "Raising Helen," starring Kate Hudson and Joan Cusack; and the hit romantic comedy "Valentine's Day."

A Bronx native, Marshall began his career in television. He went on to create and executive produce some of the longest-running and most celebrated sitcoms in American television history, including "Happy Days," "Laverne & Shirley," "The Odd Couple" and "Mork & Mindy."

Also known for his work as an actor, some of Marshall's notable film roles include the casino owner in "Lost in America"; the head of the network in "Soapdish"; baseball team owner Mr. Harvey in "A League of Their Own," directed by his sister, Penny Marshall; Mr. Gold in "The Twilight of the Golds"; and Irwin, in his son's directorial debut, "Keeping Up with the Steins." He has also made cameo appearances in a number of his own films and has guest starred on numerous television series.

In 1997, Marshall, together with his daughter Kathleen, followed his dream by building the Falcon Theatre, a 130-seat live theatre space in Burbank, California. The theatre has flourished since its opening. In 2005, Marshall directed his first opera, Jacques Offenbach's "Grand Duchess," starring Frederica von Stade, which opened the season for the Los Angeles Opera. In 2008, he directed Donizetti's "L'Elisir d'Amore" ("The Elixir of Love") for the San Antonio Opera.

Over the course of his illustrious career, Marshall has been the recipient of such prestigious awards as the American Comedy Awards Lifetime Achievement Award and the Publicists Guild Motion Picture Showmanship Award for Film and Television. In 1995, he was voted the Valentine Davies Award winner by the Writers Guild of America. In November 1997, Marshall was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Television Academy Hall of Fame. He was honored in 2002 by Washington, D.C.'s National Italian American Foundation.

Adams Publishing released Marshall's autobiography Wake Me When It's Funny, which he wrote with his daughter Lori in 1995. In April 2012, Random House, Inc.'s Crown division My Happy Days In Hollywood, a new memoir written by Marshall and Lori about his five decades in television and film.

© 2011 New Line Cinema