Chuck Lorre | |
|---|---|
 Lorre in early 2013 | |
| Born | Charles Michael Levine (1952-10-18)October 18, 1952 (age 73) Plainview, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, producer, director, composer |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | chucklorre |
Charles Michael Lorre (/ˈlɔːri/LOR-ee;[1]néLevine; born October 18, 1952)[2][3] is an Americantelevision producer, writer,director, andcomposer. Nicknamed the "King of Sitcoms",[4][5][6][7] Lorre has created/co-created and produced many sitcoms includingCybill (1995–1998),Dharma & Greg (1997–2002),Two and a Half Men (2003–2015),The Big Bang Theory (2007–2019) and its spinoffsYoung Sheldon (2017–2024) andGeorgie & Mandy's First Marriage (2024-Present), andMom (2013–2021). He also served as an executive producer ofRoseanne. Lorre won threeGolden Globe Awards for his work onRoseanne,Cybill, andThe Kominsky Method.[8]
Lorre was born inPlainview, New York, to aJewish family and given the Hebrew name Chaim.[9][10][11] His father, Robert,[12] opened aluncheonette that did poorly, which caused financial problems. After graduating from high school, Lorre attended theState University of New York at Potsdam, dropping out after two years to pursue a career as a songwriter.[3] During his two years at college he "majored in rock 'n' roll and pot and minored in LSD". In 2011, he admitted to drinking heavily in his past, tellingEntertainment Weekly (EW) that he "led a dissolute youth until 47" and also stating he was in addiction recovery at the time.[13] He changed his surname from Levine to Lorre at age 26.[1]
After leaving school, Lorre toured the United States as a guitarist and songwriter.[14] He wrote the song "French Kissin", whichDeborah Harry later recorded for her 1986Rockbird album[14] and which became a UK Top 10 hit. In the early 1980s, he turned to writing scripts for animated shows; his first project was theDIC version ofHeathcliff.[15] He co-wrote the soundtrack to the 1987 television seriesTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles withDennis Challen Brown.[16][better source needed]
Lorre rejected an invitation fromDIC Animation City to be story editor forThe New Adventures of Beany and Cecil, only to accept the offer as animation writers were not affected by the1988 Writers Guild of America strike, which put him out of work, while also being contracted to compose stock music for the series. Despite gaining support fromABC, he was immediately shunned by developerJohn Kricfalusi and practically everyone else involved for the quality of his work and lack of passion. He was fired after an argument with original creatorBob Clampett's widow and son on this matter for this regard after complaints by other crew members.[17]
In the late 1980s, he shifted into writing for sitcoms, and joined the writing staff ofRoseanne. Though he was fired over "irreconcilable creative differences",[citation needed] Lorre's time onRoseanne impressed producers, and led to his creating his first show,Frannie's Turn. It was cancelled after 5 weeks.[14][18]
Lorre's second show as creator,Grace Under Fire, starred comedianBrett Butler.[14] It premiered onABC in 1993, and was nominated at the52nd Golden Globe Awards forBest Television Series – Musical or Comedy. His next show wasCybill, starringCybill Shepherd. While Lorre left after two seasons,Cybill went on to air for four seasons onCBS, receiving critical acclaim and winning aPrimetime Emmy Award in 1995 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for co-starChristine Baranski, and twoGolden Globe Awards in 1996 for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy and Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy for Cybill Shepherd. Lorre signed a deal with Carsey-Werner Productions in 1994.[19]
Lorre then moved to 20th Century Fox in 1995,[20] creatingDharma & Greg in partnership withDottie Zicklin (credited as Dottie Dartland), which premiered one year before the end ofCybill in 1997.[3] It starredJenna Elfman andThomas Gibson as the title characters, whose personalities were complete opposites—Dharma's world view being more spiritual and 'free spirit'-style, instilled by "hippie" parents, contrasted with Greg's world view of structure, social status requirements, and "white collar duty" instilled by his generations of affluent parents/ancestors.[21] The show received eight Golden Globe nominations, six Emmy Award nominations, and six Satellite Awards nominations,[22] and Elfman won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in 1999.[21]
To move on to his next project, Lorre signed a long-term deal with Warner Bros. Television in 2000, a relationship that continues to this day.[23] Lorre created his fifth show,Two and a Half Men, with co-creatorLee Aronsohn. It focuses on the two Harper brothers,Charlie andAlan. Charlie is a hedonistic, successful commercial jingles composer and womanizer who owns a beach house inMalibu. Alan is a neurotic chiropractor, thrown out of his own house by his divorcing wife. The premise is that Alan worms himself into Charlie's house and clashes with his lifestyle. Alan also has a son, Jake, the "half", who comes to visit him and Charlie on weekends.Two and a Half Men premiered on CBS in 2003 and became the highest-rated sitcom in America.[3][14] In 2011, CBS put the show on hiatus following a series of incidents of production shutdowns due toCharlie Sheen's personal problems related to substance abuse and erratic behaviors, which culminated in the verbal attacks directed at Lorre during a radio interview.[24][25] Sheen was fired from the show and then filed a $100 million lawsuit against Lorre andWarner Bros. Television for wrongful termination.[26][27] Lorre killed off Sheen's character and hiredAshton Kutcher as his replacement for the show's later four seasons.
Lorre's next show wasThe Big Bang Theory with co-creatorBill Prady. It follows two genius physicists,Sheldon Cooper andLeonard Hofstadter, with few social skills who befriend their neighbor, an attractive, outgoing young woman with average intelligence and no college education. The episodes usually focus primarily on the daily lives of the men and two of their brilliant but equally socially challenged friends, with a dose of absurdity from the relationship with their less educated but socially astute neighbor. The two main protagonists are named after actor andtelevision producerSheldon Leonard.[28] The show was broadcast on CBS from 2007 to 2019 and was the highest rated comedy series in the United States.[14] The show also launched two spin-offs:Young Sheldon andGeorgie & Mandy's First Marriage.
In 2018, Lorre createdThe Kominsky Method, which follows a fictional aging acting coach used to success. It starsMichael Douglas andAlan Arkin and won Lorre a Golden Globe Award in 2019.[29]
Lorre was executive producer ofMike & Molly, created byMark Roberts, which premiered on CBS in September 2010.[30] His seventh show, created with Gemma Baker andEddie Gorodetsky,Mom, premiered on CBS on September 23, 2013.[31] On March 13, 2014, CBS announced the second season renewal ofMom. It ran for eight seasons.[32]
Controversy surroundedUnited States of Al, a show produced by Lorre forCBS. Released to mostly negative reviews,United States of Al and its makers were criticized for the show's humor, use of antiquated tropes, and in particular, the casting of a South-African-born Indian actor to play an Afghan lead and his use of an inauthentic accent.[33]
The uniquevanity cards forChuck Lorre Productions have become a "trademark" for Lorre,[34][35] starting withDharma & Greg and used for every one of his shows since.[36] AnApple Macintosh computer was used for Lorre's production card on the earlier episodes ofCybill.
Typically, on the end of every episode of his productions, Lorre includes a different message that usually reads like an editorial, essay, or observation on life. A typical card might include a range of topics as diverse as what theBee Gees never learned, the cancellation ofDharma & Greg, his support ofBarack Obama, the competence ofAOL Time Warner management, and the genesis ofTwo and a Half Men.
The card is shown for only a few seconds at most, so longer messages require the viewer to pause at the right spot or visit Lorre's website where he posts the cards. CBS has censored Lorre's vanity cards on several occasions;[37] Lorre posts both the censored and uncensored versions of the cards.
DuringCharlie Sheen's controversial departure fromTwo and a Half Men in 2011, Lorre referenced Sheen in several cards.[35] Lorre used the vanity card for the series finale, "Of Course He's Dead", to address the circumstances of Sheen's absence from the episode.
Lorre published a compilation of his vanity cards in a coffee table book titledWhat Doesn't Kill Us Makes Us Bitter, released on October 16, 2012.[38] The book takes its title from Vanity Card #1, which first aired following the first episode ofDharma & Greg on September 24, 1997.[39]
DuringThe Big Bang Theory episode titled "The Hook-Up Reverberation", Vanity Card #463 was displayed. It discussed Lorre's lost or matured angst along with the news that he would stop writing the vanity cards. Vanity card #464 was shown after the next episode, stating it was his last and that he felt like they would not be missed. However, he resumed the cards. Card #493 on March 5, 2015, was a tribute to the lateLeonard Nimoy, who had guest-starred on the show as the voice of Sheldon's conscience three years earlier.[40]
WhenChanning Dungey, chairwoman and CEO ofWarner Bros. Television Studios discussed the reemergence of the sitcom in a February 2023Deadline article,Deadline opined: "There are fewer and fewer younger writers that are attracted to the form, however, making finding the next Chuck Lorre trickier," with Dungey commenting "I worry that it’s becoming a bit of a lost art".[41] When Lorre read this, he used Vanity Card #723 to ask "The next Chuck Lorre?! What the &$@? is wrong with the one you have now?!".[42]
Lorre created a special, unnumbered vanity card forBookie, his first show released exclusively to streaming television. In the vanity card, Lorre remarked on the irrelevancy of writing vanity cards in an age where most streaming platforms encourage credits-skipping, remarking "Why on earth am I writing vanity cards for BOOKIE?" and "If a vanity card is written onMAX, and no one reads it, was it amusing?".[43] This vanity card on the 7th episode ofBookie, titled "TheSuper Bowl: God's Gift to Bookies", which aired on December 21, 2023, on MAX, was dedicated to Marvin Miles, who died on August 3, 2023, at the age of 72. The tombstone reads: "R.I.P. Marvin Miles (October 6, 1950–August 3, 2023)". The vanity card reads: "In Memory of "Marvelous" Marvin Miles".[44] Lorre discusses about algorithm, or bot, or some sort of silicon-based magical genie to secure the future ofGeorgie & Mandy's First Marriage, becauseGeorgie & Mandy's First Marriage premiered on October 17, 2024 onCBS.[45][46] Later in the season, he used the vanity card to express his gratitude to theLos Angeles Fire Department for saving his home during the2025 California wildfires.[47]
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| Title | Year | Creator /Showrunner | Director | Writer | Executive Producer | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heathcliff | 1984–1985 | No | No | Yes | No | Syndicated | |
| Pole Position | 1984 | No | No | Yes | No | CBS | |
| Wolf Rock TV | 1984 | No | No | Yes | No | ABC | |
| M.A.S.K. | 1985 | No | No | Yes | No | Syndicated | |
| Muppets, Babies and Monsters | 1985 | No | No | Yes | No | CBS | |
| My Little Pony 'n Friends | 1986 | No | No | Yes | No | Syndicated | |
| Defenders of the Earth | 1986–1987 | No | No | Yes | No | Syndicated | |
| Charles in Charge | 1987 | No | No | Yes | No | CBS | |
| My Two Dads | 1987–1990 | No | No | Yes | No | NBC | |
| The New Adventures of Beany and Cecil | 1988 | No | No | Yes | No | ABC | |
| Roseanne | 1990–1992 | No | No | Yes | Yes | ABC | |
| Toxic Crusaders | 1991 | No | No | Yes | No | Syndicated | |
| Frannie's Turn | 1992 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | CBS | |
| Grace Under Fire | 1993–1998 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | ABC | |
| Cybill | 1995–1998 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | CBS | |
| Dharma & Greg | 1997–2002 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ABC | |
| Two and a Half Men | 2003–2015 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | CBS | |
| The Big Bang Theory | 2007–2019 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | CBS | |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | 2008 | No | No | Yes | No | CBS | |
| Mike & Molly | 2010–2016 | No | No | Yes | Yes | CBS | |
| Mom | 2013–2021 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | CBS | |
| Disjointed | 2017–2018 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Netflix | |
| Young Sheldon | 2017–2024 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | CBS | |
| The Kominsky Method | 2018–2021 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Netflix | |
| Bob Hearts Abishola | 2019–2024 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | CBS | |
| B Positive | 2020–2022 | No | No | Yes | Yes | CBS | |
| United States of Al | 2021–2022 | No | No | Yes | Yes | CBS | |
| Bookie | 2023–2025 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Max | |
| Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage | 2024–present | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | CBS | |
| Leanne | 2025–present | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Netflix |
Lorre wonBMI Television Music Awards in 2004,[48] 2005,[49] 2008[50] and 2009[51] forTwo and a Half Men. On March 12, 2009, Lorre received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame, located at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard.[52] Three months later, Lorre received an honorary degree from theState University of New York at Potsdam and gave a keynote address at the graduation.[53]
In March 2012, Lorre was inducted into theTelevision Academy Hall of Fame.[54][55] Lorre has wonGolden Globe Awards forRoseanne (1993),Cybill (1996),[56] andThe Kominsky Method (2019).[29] Lorre was awarded the Critics' Choice Award for Creative Achievement in 2019.[57]
Lorre was first married to his business partner Paula Smith in 1979. They ended both partnerships after 13 years and the births of their two children.[58]
He was married toKaren Witter, an actress, model and author. They divorced in July 2010 after a decade's marriage.[12][59]
From 2010 to 2011, he was in a relationship withEmmanuelle Vaugier, a Canadian actress and model, who appeared in 12 episodes ofTwo and a Half Men.
In September 2018, Lorre married Arielle Mandelson, a wellness influencer. Lorre filed for divorce in 2022.[60] The divorce was finalized in February 2024.[61][62]
He has publicly discussed his decades of struggle with the autoimmune diseaseulcerative colitis, along withdepression,anxiety, and bouts ofanger orrage, saying, "Put me in paradise and I will focus on the one thing that will make me angry." In an interview withEntertainment Weekly, he said, "I am wired on some deep level to seek out something to be worried and obsess about."[63]
