Biografia
Keyser became involved in theater during his final two years at Harvard College, participating in several theatrical productions. He then attended Harvard Law School, graduating with honors and receiving job offers from prestigious New York City law firms. However, during law school, Keyser's interest shifted toward screenwriting, where he met his future writing partner, Amy Lippman. After graduating in 1985, Keyser and Lippman moved to New York City to pursue television writing. In 1988, they relocated to Los Angeles, where their legal backgrounds helped them write teleplays for L.A. Law and Equal Justice. From 1991 to 1996, they had the opportunity to write and produce the hit shows Sisters and Eddie Dodd.
They quickly established themselves as a formidable team in the TV industry, achieving major success with Party of Five, a prime-time family-oriented soap opera popular among teenage girls and young gay men. The show centered on the Salinger family, who were suddenly orphaned after their parents were killed by a drunk driver. The eldest son assumes responsibility for the family, the eldest daughter aspires to be a professional writer, and the youngest daughter is a musical prodigy with an active social life. The series explored themes of relationships, conflict, romance, school, work, growing up, and life-and-death challenges while also focusing on their efforts to maintain the family and keep their restaurant business running.
In 1996, Party of Five won the Golden Globe Award for Best Drama Series. Keyser and Lippman received the Humanitas Prize, which included a mini-glass statuette and $15,000, for the episode "Thanksgiving," in which the main characters confront the drunk driver responsible for their parents' deaths. Lacey Chabert earned several YoungStar Awards, and Neve Campbell, who had her breakout role on the show, described it as "the most realistic show on television."
As the actors gained recognition and received major offers, the show eventually ended. Campbell and Jennifer Love Hewitt went on to pursue film careers, Chabert balanced work in both film and TV, and Matthew Fox moved on to other successful TV projects. Meanwhile, Keyser and Lippman continued developing television programs such as Significant Others and Time of Your Life, a Party of Five spin-off centered on Love Hewitt's character, Sarah, as she leaves San Francisco for New York in search of her biological family.
Keyser currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, who is also an attorney, and their two children.
