Steven Levitan

Steven E. Levitan (born April 6, 1962) is an American director, screenwriter, and producer of television comedies. He has created such TV series as Just Shoot Me!, Stark Raving Mad, Stacked, Back to You, and Modern Family.

For the Canadian lawyer and producer, see Steven S. Levitan.

Steven Levitan
Levitan in 2010
Born
Steven E. Levitan

(1962-04-06) April 6, 1962
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Alma materGlenbrook South High School
University of Wisconsin–Madison (B.A.)
OccupationDirector, writer, producer
Years active1990–present
Spouse(s)
Krista Levitan (m. 1992)
Children3

Early life and education

Levitan was raised Jewish in Chicago, Illinois.[1][2] He attended Glenbrook South High School and University of Wisconsin–Madison (1980–1984), graduating with a bachelor's degree in Journalism. He is a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

Career

Levitan worked as a WKOW-TV on-air news reporter and morning anchorman in Madison, Wisconsin,[3] and as a copywriter at Leo Burnett Advertising in Chicago. He moved to Hollywood in 1989.

As executive producer, Levitan won an Emmy Award in 1996 for Frasier in the Outstanding Comedy Series category. He was also nominated in that same year for Outstanding Writing in Comedy Series category for The Larry Sanders Show. He was nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series category for Just Shoot Me! and two more as executive producer. Levitan won the Humanitas Prize (for writers whose work best communicates and encourages human values) in 1996 for the Frasier episode titled "Breaking the Ice". Levitan has also won a CableACE Award and a Writers Guild nomination for The Larry Sanders Show. He also garnered a Producers Guild Award and a Television Critics Association Award for Frasier, a People’s Choice Award for Stark Raving Mad and a Golden Globe nomination for Just Shoot Me!

His company, Steven Levitan Productions, has produced the series Just Shoot Me!, Stark Raving Mad, Greg the Bunny, Oliver Beene and Stacked.

Levitan and television writer/producer Christopher Lloyd joined as partners in 2006 and together created a production company named "Picture Day". It is under this company that they produced their co-creations Back to You and Modern Family. In 2010, Modern Family won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, as well as two other Emmy Awards: Outstanding Supporting Actor in Comedy Series for Eric Stonestreet, and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd.[4] He has also earned Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series nominations for Modern Family episodes "See You Next Fall" (2011) and "Baby on Board" (2012), winning the latter.[5]

On June 19, 2018, Levitan, along with Seth MacFarlane and Judd Apatow, announced he was considering leaving 20th Century Fox as protest of Fox News's reporting of Donald Trump's family separation policy which is at odds with Modern Family's programming.[6]

Personal life

Levitan is married to wife Krista, who was raised Catholic.[1] They have three children, two daughters Hannah and Alexa, and a son, Griffin. He and his family currently live in Los Angeles, California.

Filmography

Creator, writer, producer & director

Writer & producer

Writer

Producer

Director

Writer

Director

References
  1. Levitan, Steven (December 12, 2004). "Hollywood's 'elite': We're not villains". USA Today. I was raised Jewish, my wife was raised Catholic.
  2. Berrin, Danielle (September 23, 2012). "Politics, gender and Jewishness loom large at Emmys". The Jewish Journal.
  3. Weintraub, Joanne (August 20, 2002). "Wisconsinites walkin' tall this fall with major TV gigs". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 11, 2007. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  4. MacIntyre, April (August 30, 2010). "Emmy Awards 2010 Winners List, Surprises and Omissions". Monsters and Critics. Archived from the original on September 2, 2010. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
  5. "Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series Nominees / Winners 2012". Television Academy. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  6. Bradley, Laura (June 19, 2018). "Fox Creators Revolt as Fox News Condones Trump's Immigration Policy". Vanity Fair. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
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