Michael Elias | |
|---|---|
 Elias in 2018 | |
| Born | Michael Herman Elias (1940-09-20)September 20, 1940 (age 85) Woodbourne, New York, U.S. |
| Occupations | Writer, producer, director |
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Known for | The Jerk,Lush Life,Head of the Class |
| Spouse(s) | Caroline Bielefelt (m. 1963 div. 1973), Laraine Mestman (m. 1991 div. 2001), |
| Children | 4 |
Michael Herman Elias (born September 20, 1940) is an American writer, film director and producer.
Elias was born in upstateNew York. He inherited his left-wing politics from his parents. His father was a doctor, the son of immigrants to the US from Hungary who spent some time inSpain in the 1930s during theSpanish Civil War. His mother was a librarian and trade union activist, whose parents came to the US fromRussia. The family moved toWoodstock in the early 1960s. Elias attended Woodbourne Elementary School, Fallsburg High Central Junior and Senior High School. From there he went toSt. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, graduating in 1962 with a degree in mathematics and philosophy. He was President of The Rogers Albritton Film Club and acted in The King William Players productions ofShakespeare,Brecht, andBeckett. Elias is the brother ofRuth Rogers[1] (Lady Rogers) who is married to British born architectRichard Rogers[citation needed] (Lord Rogers) and Susan Elias,[2] an artist living in Berlin who is married to artistReinhard Voigt.[3][4]
Elias has been married three times: Caroline Bielefelt 1963–1974, Laraine Mestman 1991–2001, and Bianca Roberts[5] former executive director of theMona Bismarck American Center in Paris. Elias has one son with Laraine Mestman, Frederick Mestman, and three step-sons: Ernie Klein, Siggy Bodolai, and James Bulliard.
After college Elias went to New York, studied withBill Hickey,Uta Hagen atHB Studio andLee Strasberg atThe Actors Studio. At the same time Elias joinedThe Living Theatre where he appeared on stage in Kenneth Brown'sThe Brig 1963 as well as the 1964 film byJonas Mekas. Elias traveled to London with The Living Theatre for a production ofThe Brig at the Mermaid Theatre, then returned to New York where he appeared in plays at theJudson Poets Theatre byAl Carmines,Rochelle Owens, andMaria Irene Fornes. In 1963, Elias, along with other members of the cast were arrested whenFederal Marshals seized the theatre.[6]
In the late 1960s, Elias joined Frank Shaw[7] and formed the comedy team of Elias and Shaw.[8] They made their first appearance onThe Tonight Show in 1967, then played New York nightclubsThe Bitter End,Upstairs at the Downstairs, Bon Soir,The Village Gate. After another appearance onThe Tonight Show they were seen by Ernest Chambers,[9] a television producer who hired them to come toHollywood as writers. They gave up the act and wrote forLeslie Uggams,Glen Campbell, andBill Cosby. They also wrote the screenplay for the filmThe Frisco Kid which starredGene Wilder andHarrison Ford.
In 1971, Elias andSteve Martin were both staff writers onThe Pat Paulsen Half A Comedy Show. When Martin decided to devote himself to stand-up he invited Elias to write material for him. This began a long collaboration that also included Martin's comedy albums and two of his network TV specials,A Wild and Crazy Guy (1978) andComedy Is Not Pretty! (1980), and the screenplay forThe Jerk (1979).[10]
In 1978, Elias partnered withRich Eustis and began a 20-year collaboration in which they created and produced the hit sitcomHead of the Class starringHoward Hesseman about gifted but socially inept high school students. It ran for five seasons onABC. In the last yearHoward Hesseman was replaced by the Scottish comedianBilly Connolly.The Hollywood Reporter confirmed in 2019 that a reboot is planned forHBO Max.[11] Two of the 115 episodes ofHead of The Class were filmed in theUSSR ("Mission to Moscow Pts. 1 & 2").[12] It was the first American television show to be shot inMoscow. In addition, Elias and Eustis wrote screenplays forYoung Doctors in Love,Serial,North Dallas,Back to School and other television series includingEye to Eye,Tall Hopes, and numerous pilots forWarner Brothers.
In 1992, Elias and Eustis amicably dissolved their partnership. Elias went on to write and direct the award-winning Showtime movieLush Life[13][14] withForest Whitaker andJeff Goldblum. He was nominated for best director at theCableACE Awards.
In 2007,Paul Mazursky directed Elias's semi-autobiographical playThe Catskill Sonata.[15][16][17][18] TheLA Weekly named it one of the best ten plays of the year.[19]
Elias' novels includeThe Last Conquistador[20] published in 2013 byOpen Road Media.[21] In 2020, Michael released his latest novelYou Can Go Home Now published byHarperCollins.[22][23][24]
In July 2011, Michael Elias and Rich Eustis filed a lawsuit againstCreative Artists Agency (CAA), the talent agency which had represented them from the 1970s until 1995. The suit claimed that in addition to the agency's package fee of US$3.2 million forHead of the Class, the agency had an undisclosed "side deal" with Warner Bros. for 10% of profits which was paid before and cut into the creators' profits. According to the suit, CAA allegedly received US$9 million from this deal. CAA denied the allegations.[25][26]
| Year | Film | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Pat Paulsen's Half a Comedy Hour | Writer, Story Editor | |
| 1969–1971 | The Bill Cosby Show | Writer | |
| 1970–1971 | The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour | Writer | |
| 1972 | All's Fair | Writer, Co-producer | |
| 1973–1974 | The New Dick Van Dyke Show | Writer, producer | |
| 1975 | Black Bartbased onBlazing Saddles | Writer, producer | Developed for television, Co- written with Frank Shaw |
| 1978 | Steve Martin: A Wild and Crazy Guy | Writer | Co-written with Jack Handey, Steve Martin and Alan Metter |
| 1979 | Co-Ed Fever | Created by | |
| 1980 | Comedy is Not Pretty | Writer | Co-written with Jack Handey, Steve Martin, Carmen Finestra, Robert Garland and Connie Turner |
| 1986–1991 | Head of the Class | Written by, Co-Creator, Executive Producer with Rich Eustis | |
| 1992 | Billy | Written by, Co-Creator, Executive Producer with Rich Eustis | |
| 1993 | Tall Hopes | Written by, Co-Creator, Executive Producer with Rich Eustis | |
| 2010 | The Best Friend | Executive producer |
| Year | Film | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Trick Baby | Writer | Written as A. Neuberg, with T. Raewin (Uncredited) |
| 1979 | The Jerk | Screenplay | Screenplay co-written with Steve Martin and Carl Gottlieb |
| 1979 | The Frisco Kid | Writer | Co-written with Frank Shaw |
| 1980 | Serial | Writer | Co-written with Rich Eustis |
| 1982 | Young Doctors in Love | Writer | Co-written with Rich Eustis |
| 1988 | Envoyez Les Violons | Story Written with Ève Babitz | Screenplay co-written with Roger Andrieux |
| 1993 | Lush Life | Writer, director | Nominated CableACE Award |
| 1998 | No Laughing Matter | Writer, director |
| Year | Play | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Catskill Sonata (2007) | Playwright | Directed by Paul Mazursky |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
