James Burrows, legendary director of some of America’s most-loved sitcoms, has died aged 85.
His death was confirmed by his family in a statement to People, which read: “We celebrate the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of James ‘Jimmy’ Burrows, who passed away peacefully today [Friday June 19] surrounded by his loving family.
“For more than five decades, Burrows was one of the most influential and beloved directors in television history. As a legendary director, mentor, and creative force, he helped shape generations of comedy and brought immeasurable joy to audiences around the world.”
Best-known as co-creator of the sitcom Cheers, Burrows directed more than 1,000 episodes of other TV comedy classics, including Friends, The Big Bang Theory, and Will and Grace.
In a career spanning more than 50 years, Burrows won 11 Emmy Awards and five Directors Guild of America Awards. He was also nominated 48 times for a Primetime Emmy.
Burrows was born in Los Angeles in 1940, but spent much of his childhood in New York. He attended the graduate programme of the Yale School of Drama, where he got his first taste of directing.
After several years behind the camera, he co-created the sitcom Cheers alongside the brothers Glen and Les Charles. The show quickly became a 1980s TV hit in both the US and UK.
Friends actor David Schwimmer is among those paying tribute, writing on Instagram: “Jimmy Burrows brought out the best in every actor he ever worked with, and elevated every show he directed, making it funnier and more moving than anyone expected.”
Lisa Kudrow also shared a photo of Burrows on her story, writing: “Thank you Jimmy. I mean, for everything…” Burrows directed Kudrow in Friends and played a version of himself alongside the actress in the HBO comedy The Comeback.
Matt LeBlanc wrote: “Words cannot describe the impact and influence you had on us and everyone who was lucky enough to have known you. You sir are a true icon on so many levels”
A spokesperson for NBC, which aired many of Burrows’ shows, said he was “the man behind the curtain”, whose loss to the television and comedy world would be “immeasurable”.
Actor Eric McCormack, who played Will in Will and Grace, shared a tribute on social media, saying Burrows left “an incredible legacy”.
“The 800 lb gorilla of television comedy for fifty years, he was beloved by everyone, and has left not a mark but a footprint,” he wrote.
Actress Beth Behrs, who worked with Burrows on the show 2 Broke Girls, also shared some memories on social media: “Dear Jimmy, I’ll never forget @katdenningsss and I becoming absolutely convinced you hated us during rehearsals for the pilot of 2 Broke Girls. We marched up to your podium like two fourth-graders called into the principal’s office and asked you point-blank. I’ll never forget the belly laugh. ‘Oh girls, of course not.'”
The Directors Guild of America, which awarded Burrows with a lifetime achievement award in television direction in 2015, described him as “an incredibly generous colleague” who shared his “wisdom, and warm humor with his fellow Guild members and all he worked with”.