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George Shapiro, a highly esteemed comedy manager and producer, has built his career on a passion for humor and admiration for those who inspire it.
Alongside his partner and lifelong friend Howard West, he co-founded Shapiro/West Productions and executive produced the Emmy, Peabody, and Golden Globe-winning series "SEINFELD."
Born in the Bronx, Shapiro graduated from New York University with a degree in advertising and marketing. He began his career in the mailroom at the William Morris Agency in New York, quickly rising through the ranks to become an agent. He was instrumental in packaging popular television shows such as "THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW," "THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR," "THAT GIRL" starring Marlo Thomas, and "GOMER PYLE," featuring his client Jim Nabors. Shapiro also produced specials for Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, and Carol Channing. These early projects left a lasting impact on audiences and launched many cast members into stardom.
Shapiro eventually left William Morris to focus on personal management and producing. He managed Andy Kaufman, executive producing the comedian’s Showtime special "ANDY KAUFMAN AT CARNEGIE HALL," the ABC special "ANDY'S FUNHOUSE," and NBC’s "A COMEDY SALUTE TO ANDY KAUFMAN." He also executive produced the Universal Pictures film "MAN ON THE MOON," starring Jim Carrey as Kaufman, with Danny DeVito portraying Shapiro and directed by two-time Academy Award winner Milos Forman. Notably, "MAN ON THE MOON" marked Shapiro and West’s debut as feature film actors, with Shapiro playing Mr. Besserman, a club owner who fires Kaufman early in his career, and West as a tough network executive.
Shapiro's other feature film productions include "SUMMER RENTAL" starring John Candy and Rip Torn, "SUMMER SCHOOL" with Mark Harmon and Kirsty Alley, and "SIBLING RIVALRY" featuring Kirsty Alley and Jami Gertz. He produced documentaries such as "THE BRONX BOYS" (HBO-CINEMAX), "THE BRONX BOYS STILL PLAYING AT 80" (PBS), and "THE BRONX BOYS FINDING THE FUTURE" (currently in post-production). His recent HBO documentary "IF YOU'RE NOT IN THE OBIT, EAT BREAKFAST" was produced by Shapiro, hosted by Carl Reiner, and features Tony Bennett, Mel Brooks, Kirk Douglas, Norman Lear, Stan Lee, Jerry Seinfeld, Dick Van Dyke, and Betty White.
On Broadway, Shapiro co-produced "COLIN QUINN LONG STORY SHORT" at the Helen Hayes Theatre.
He has brought numerous acclaimed comedy specials to television, including executive producing Jerry Seinfeld's first stand-up special on HBO, "STAND-UP CONFIDENTIAL," introduced by Carl Reiner. He also packaged the animated classic "THE 2000 YEAR OLD MAN" featuring Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks.
Shapiro continues to innovate in television comedy as executive producer of Jerry Seinfeld’s Netflix specials, beginning with "JERRY BEFORE SEINFELD," available on Netflix. He also executive produces "COMEDIANS IN CARS GETTING COFFEE," which received Emmy nominations in its last two seasons and premiered 24 new episodes on Netflix in 2018. The series earned Producers Guild Awards for Digital Series in 2015, 2016, and 2017, along with two Webby Awards.
Recently, Shapiro served as executive producer for the CBS special "THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW - NOW IN LIVING COLOR," aired on December 22, 2017.
