Biographie
With decades of experience as a Production Designer, Gary Kordan propelled many iconic and culturally relevant scripted, sketch and variety series to success through his distinct creative vision.
In 2016, Gary won an Art Directors Guild Award, a Peabody Award and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for his work on the hit series 'Key & Peele' starring Keegan Michael-Key and Jordan Peele. Additionally, he was the first west coast Production Designer for an Amazon Prime series, (Betas), the second designer overall for Amazon Studios and the first Production Designer for Hulu with 'Quickdraw'.
In addition to the entire 54 episode run of the Emmy and Peabody Award winning 'Key & Peele', some of Gary's production design credits include: 'Miracle Workers' starring Daniel Radcliffe and Steve Buscemi (TBS), 'Atsuko Okastuka: Father' 2026 Art Directors Guild Awards Nomination for Production Design, Webby Award Winner (Hulu), 'Atsuko Okatsuka: The Intruder' (Max), 'Kenan' starring Kenan Thompson and Don Johnson (NBC), 'Downward Dog' (ABC), 'Ghosted' starring Adam Scott and Craig Robinson (FOX), Jordan Peele's 'Weird City' (YouTube), '@midnight' (Comedy Central), 'Workaholics' starring Blake Anderson, Adam Devine and Anders Holm, 'Just Add Magic' (Amazon Prime), 'Betas' (Amazon Prime) and 'The Barbarian and the Troll' 2022 Emmy Nomination for Production Design (Nickelodeon).
He also co-created and executive produced '#1 Single' with Lisa Loeb (E! Entertainment), directed two music videos for the alternative rock band Veruca Salt and wrote jokes for Joan Rivers, one of his many professional and personal collaborations with the comedy legend. Gary spent the fall and winter of 2002 in Paris as a writer for the massive reality hit 'Joe Millionaire' (FOX), its finale surpassing the Super Bowl ratings with 42.6 million viewers. In 2017 he followed Ike Turner with a camera, documenting the final months of his life which resulted in hours of footage, some of which was used in the critically acclaimed HBO Documentary 'Tina'.
Gary produced and hosted two public access shows on Manhattan Neighborhood Network, both resulting in a cult following, co-hosted 'Treasures In Your Home', a nightly live eBay style talk show that very often surpassed 'Late Night with David Letterman' in many markets and in 2000 was the Ellis Island red carpet arrivals host for the first 'X-Men' film.
Gary's life in art and comedy began at an early age, drawing portraits and caricatures of everyone he knew (most notably having a drawing featured on the set wall of 'The Uncle Floyd Show' at the tender age of 11) and working as a doorman at the legendary 'Catch A Rising Star' comedy club during the tail end of the late 80's, early 90's comedy boom.
Gary studied Fine Arts and Illustration at 'School of Visual Arts' in New York City and during his junior year landed full time job working for Joan Rivers on her daytime talk show, 'The Joan Rivers Show'. It was there, and because of Joan's encouragement, Gary began his career in the art department.
Gary is a member of the Art Directors Guild Local 800, a Daytime Emmy Judge, a member of the Television Academy Peer Group Executive Committee, Moderator of the first ever Television Academy Peer Circle Program, appeared on numerous Comic-Con and WonderCon panels and resides in Los Angeles with his photographer wife, Justine Ungaro. Together they owned 'Muse, Studio City', a creative home to photo, film and music video shoots, commercials, retail pop-ups, fundraisers and too many parties to count. Notable events included intimate concerts by Lisa Loeb, Letters To Cleo, Steve Kilby (The Church), Amanda Kramer (The Psychedelic Furs), Lou Barlow (Dinosaur Jr, Sebadoh), Tommy Stinson (The Replacements), Campfire Cassettes, Kay Hanley (Letters To Cleo), 'Rex Manning Day' featuring bands and actors from the film 'Empire Records', Olivia Sanabia (Just Add Magic), Alex Wassabi, David Poe, Joey Santiago (Pixies) and Danny Zucker & Timothy Simons (Veep) reading 'Trump Tweets'.
Fundraisers at 'Muse, Studio City' raised money for the Hurricane Harvey Relief, the Puerto Rico Hurricane, Music Cares, Cookies For Kids Cancer and Valley Community Fundraisers among many others. Classes offered included Calligraphy, Hair Braiding, Loom Weaving, The Art of Paper Flowers, and Watercolor Lettering.
In 2022, Justine and Gary moved 'Muse, Studio City' from its Ventura Blvd. location and opened three photography and film studios with dynamic standing sets, including a storefront/ event space in Los Angeles all under the new name 'StuSpaceLA'.
