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Kevin S. Bright

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Kevin S. Bright
Bright in 2016
Born (1954-11-15) November 15, 1954 (age 69)
Occupation(s)Television producer and director
Notable workDream On
Friends

Kevin S. Bright (born November 15, 1954) is an American television executive producer and director. He is best known as the showrunner of the sitcoms Dream On and Friends.[1]

Early life

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Born to a Jewish-American family[2][3] in New York City, Bright attended the East Side Hebrew Institute on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and graduated magna cum laude from Emerson College.

Career

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Bright started his professional career under the tutelage of his father, Jackie Bright.[citation needed] After graduation, he worked in New York with Joseph Cates, where he produced specials for George Burns, Johnny Cash, David Copperfield, and Dolly Parton. After moving to Los Angeles in 1982, he started work in comedy programming such as The History of White People in America and comedy specials starring Robin Williams, Martin Mull, Harry Shearer, Paul Shaffer, and Merrill Markoe.

In 1993, Bright entered a partnership with Marta Kauffman and David Crane to form Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions and began a development deal with Warner Bros. Television to produce the comedy series Friends. He also directed 60 episodes of the series, including the series finale. After Friends, he went on to executive-produce the spin-off series Joey with Friends producers Shana Goldberg-Meehan and Scott Silveri. Joey starred Friends actor Matt LeBlanc as the title character and featured Jennifer Coolidge, also an Emerson College attendee. Joey was cancelled on May 15, 2006, during its second season after a major ratings slump.

After Joey, Bright moved back to Boston where he began working at his alma mater, Emerson College. Over the last four years at Emerson, he executive produced three-sketch comedy shows, Zebro: A Laugh Show and Chocolate Cake City, four original half-hour situation comedies, Browne At Midnight, Saturdays, Ground Floor, and Record Cellar, and a live multi-cam stand-up comedy special, Die Laughing. He also serves as an advisor to The EVVY Awards.

Bright then went on to teach a series of television production classes in the Visual Media Arts department, and helped develop the program for Emerson's new LA Center, which opened in 2013. Kevin ran a diversity workshop for high school students through Emerson College, and worked with Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, to develop a method of teaching television production to the blind.

Bright moved back to Los Angeles in 2013, when he was appointed as Founding Director of the Emerson Los Angeles program. There, he has focused on building new programs that take full advantage of the opportunities Emerson's expanded presence in Los Angeles provides. He directed a documentary in 2007 with Linda Feferman called Who Ordered Tax? about his father, Jackie, who was an actor and vaudevillian performer.

In 2016, Bright served as the executive producer of the documentary Best and Most Beautiful Things about Michelle Smith, a woman from Bangor, Maine who is both legally blind and autistic. Bright also directed on CBS comedy Man with a Plan in 2019 for one episode, reuniting with Friends alum Matt LeBlanc.

In 2024, Bright served as an executive producer of the documentary My Own Normal about Alexander Freeman, a filmmaker from Newton, Massachusetts who has cerebral palsy, following his journey of becoming a partner and father and confronting the pain of his parent's reaction. The documentary premiered at Independent Film Festival Boston. [4]

Personal life

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Bright lives with his wife, Claudia Wilsey Bright in Saratoga Springs, New York.[5]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Contribution Notes
1988 Portrait of a White Marriage Producer Feature film
2007 Who Ordered Tax? Executive Producer/Director Short film
2016 Best and Most Beautiful Things Executive Producer Documentary
2016 Jack Krash: Slave to Rock Executive Producer Short film
2017 The Lion Executive Producer/Director Feature film
2024 My Own Normal Executive Producer Documentary

Television

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Year Title Contribution Notes
1979 The Magic of David Copperfield II Associate Producer Television Special
1979 Johnny Cash Christmas Associate Producer Television Movie
1980 The Magic of David Copperfield III: Levitating Ferrari Associate Producer Television Special
1981 Johnny Cash and the Country Girls Associate Producer Television Movie
1982 Magic with the Stars Associate Producer Television Movie
1982 Madame's Place Associate Producer Associate Producer of 51 episodes
1983 Movie Blockbusters: The 15 Greatest Hits of All Time Associate Producer Television Documentary
1984 The Magic of David Copperfield VI: Floating Over the Grand Canyond Producer Television Special
1985 The Magic of David Copperfield VII: Familiares Producer Television Special
1985 FTV Producer Episode: "11.23.85"
1985 The Star Games Producer unknown episode
1986 George Burns' 90th Birthday Party: A Very Special Special Associate Producer Television Special
1986 FTV Producer Episode: "2.7.86"
1986 The Magic of David Copperfield: China Producer Television Special
1986 The Young Comedians All-Star Reunion Producer Television Special
1986 Viva Shaf Vegas Producer Television Movie
1987 This Week Indoors Producer Television Movie
1987 Martin Mull Live from North Ridgeville, Ohio Producer Television Special
1988 The Magic of David Copperfield 10: The Bermuda Triangle Producer Television Special
1988 Harry Shearer...The Magic of Love Producer/Executive Producer Television Special
1988 Merrill Markoe's Guide to Glamorous Living Producer/Executive Producer Television Movie
1990 The American Film Institute Presents: TV or Not TV? Producer Television Movie
1990 In Living Color Supervising Producer Supervising Producer of 11 episodes
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series (1990)
1990 The Late Mr. Pete Show Executive Producer/Writer unknown episode
1990–1991 Haywire Co-Executive Producer Co-Executive Producer of 2 episodes
1990–1992 Totally Hidden Video Co-Executive Producer Co-Executive Producer of 9 episodes
1990–1996 Dream On Executive Producer/Director Executive Producer of 105 episodes
Writer of 3 episodes
CableACE Award for Comedy Series (1992)
Nominated - CableACE Award for Comedy Series (1991, 1993–1995)
1991 The Ron Reagan Show Executive Producer Executive Producer of 2 episodes
1993 Family Album Executive Producer/Writer Executive Producer of 6 episodes
Writer of 6 episodes
1994 Couples Executive Producer Television Movie
1994 The Adventures of Brisco Country Jr. Writer Episode: "And Baby Makes Three"
1994–2004 Friends Executive Producer/Director Executive Producer of 236 episodes
Director of 54 episodes
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series (2002)
Nominated - Gold Derby Award for Episode of the Year for episode "The Last One (Part 1 & 2)" (2004)
Nominated - Online Film & Television Association Award for Best Direction in a Comedy Series (2002)
Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series (1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2003)
1995 The News Hole Executive Producer unknown episode
1997–2000 Veronica's Closet Executive Producer/Director Executive Producer of 66 episodes
Writer of 2 episodes
1998–2000 Jesse Executive Producer/Director Executive Producer of 34 episodes
Writer of 5 episodes
2001 DAG Director Episode: "The Triangle Report"
2002 Romeo Fire Executive Producer Television Movie
2003 The Tracy Morgan Show Director Episode: "Haircut Night"
2004–2006 Joey Executive Producer/Director Executive Producer of 46 episodes
Writer of 19 episodes
2006 Chabad Telethon Consulting Producer Television Movie
2006 Love, Inc. Director Episode: "Fired Up"
2007 Chabad Telethon Consulting Producer Television Movie
2017 Independent Lens Executive Producer Episode: "Best and Most Beautiful Things"
2017 Long Day's Journey Into Night: Live Executive Producer Television Movie
2019 Man with a Plan Director Episode: "Adam Acts His Age"
2021 Friends: The Reunion Producer Television special

References

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  1. ^ Zeitchik, Steven (December 19, 2016). "'Friends' producer Kevin Bright's very non-Central Perk post-show journey". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  2. ^ "Larry King & Kevin Bright (Friends)". Retrieved April 29, 2012.
  3. ^ "The One with the Holiday Armadillo [Audio Commentary]". Friends. 06:36 minutes in.
  4. ^ Ertischek, David (30 April 2024). "Emerson-Directed Films Aplenty at IFFBoston". Emerson Today. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  5. ^ Levith, Will (April 12, 2020). "Kevin Bright, Emmy-Winning Executive Producer/Director Of 'Friends', And His Wife, Claudia, Welcome You Into Their Saratoga Home". Saratoga Living. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
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