Biography
Over the course of four decades, a Simon play or musical opened most seasons on Broadway and were often turned into major motion pictures within a couple of years, including "Barefoot in the Park" (1967), "The Out-of-Towners" (1969), "The Sunshine Boys" (1975) and "California Suite" (1978). Simon also wrote his share of original screenplays, such as the mystery spoof "Murder By Death" (1976) and the charming romantic comedy "Seems Like Old …
Latest Tv Credits
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Career Milestones
| Was a staff writer on "Your Shows of Shows", starring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca | ||
| Was a staff writer on the TV series "Stanley", starring Buddy Hackett | ||
| Wrote comedy material for radio with brother Danny | ||
| Wrote for "The Phil Silvers Show/You'll Never Get Rich" | ||
1945 | Served with US Army Air Force | |
1955 | First writing for stage, collaborated with brother on material for the Broadway revue "Catch a Star" | |
1961 | First produced play, "Come Blow Your Horn"; adapted for film in 1963 | |
1962 | Wrote the book for the Broadway musical, "Little Me", starring Sid Caesar | |
1965 | Sold the stage rights to "Barefoot in the Park" and the ancillary rights to "The Odd Couple" to Paramount Pictures for $125,000, possibly the worst business decision of career; received no money from the popular "The Odd Couple" TV series (ABC, 1970-1975), starring Jack Klugman and Tony Randall | |
1966 | First screenplay, "After the Fox", adapted from his story | |
1967 | First film as associate producer, "Barefoot in the Park"; also scripted | |
1968 | Garnered first Oscar nomination for adapting "The Odd Couple"; film teamed Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau | |
1968 | Wrote book for musical "Promises, Promises", based on the classic Billy Wilder film "The Apartment" | |
1972 | First screenplay not based on own work, "The Heartbreak Kid", adapted from a Bruce Jay Friedman short story | |
1975 | Garnered second Oscar nomination for screenplay for "The Sunshine Boys" | |
1977 | First of five screenplays starring second wife Marsha Mason, "The Goodbye Girl"; received third Academy Award nomination | |
1978 | Earned last Oscar nomination (to date) for adapting "California Suite" | |
1982 | Wrote first of trilogy of autobiographical plays, "Brighton Beach Memoirs" | |
1985 | Second play in trilogy "Biloxi Blues", about his miliatary experiences, received Tony as Best Play | |
1986 | Third play in trilogy "Broadway Bound" focused on early success as a comedy writer | |
1991 | Received Pulitzer Prize in Drama for "Lost in Yonkers", a semi-autobiographical work | |
1992 | "Neil Simon's 'Broadway Bound'" produced for ABC-TV; first adaptation of a Simon play made directly for TV | |
1993 | "Laughter on the 23rd Floor", based on his experience writing for Sid Caesar, opened on Broadway starring Nathan Lane | |
1994 | Created stir in theater world when he opted to allow new play "London Suite" to be produced Off-Broadway, citing economics of producing original non-musical work on Broadway | |
1997 | 30th play, "Proposals", featuring his first major black character, opened and closed on Broadway; the revival of "The Sunshine Boys" exhibited more staying power with a run in excess of six months, due in no small part to the chemistry of its stars Randall and Klugman | |
1998 | Remake of "The-Out-of-Towners", based on his original screenplay, starred Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn in the roles once played by Lemmon and Sandy Dennis | |
1998 | Wrote film sequel "The Odd Couple II", which sank at the box office despite the presence of Matthau and Lemmon | |
2000 | Had new play "The Dinner Party" open on Broadway | |
2001 | Adapted semi-autobiographical play about working on "Your Show of Show" for Showtime as "Neil Simon's Laughter on the 23rd Floor" | |
2001 | Returned to Broadway with the comedy "45 Seconds From Broadway"; was unable to attend opening night due to back surgery | |
Awards
1957 | Primetime Emmy Award for Best Comedy Writing-Variety or Situation Comedy in Caesar's Hour |
1965 | Tony Award for Author (Dramatic) |
1968 | Academy Award for Writing (Screenplay--Based On Material From Another Medium) in The Odd Couple |
1972 | Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture in The Heartbreak Kid |
1975 | Academy Award for Writing (Screenplay Adapted From Other Material) in The Sunshine Boys |
1975 | Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture in The Sunshine Boys |
1976 | BAFTA Award for Screenplay in The Sunshine Boys |
1977 | Academy Award for Writing (Screenplay Written Directly For the Screen--Based On Factual Material or On Story Material Not Previously Published or in The Goodbye Girl |
1977 | Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture in The Goodbye Girl |
1978 | Academy Award for Writing (Screenplay Based On Material From Another Medium) in California Suite |
1978 | BAFTA Award for Screenplay in The Goodbye Girl |
1985 | Tony Award for Play |
1991 | Tony Award for Play |
1992 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement In Writing In a Miniseries or a Special in Neil Simon's Broadway Bound |
2001 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Made For Television Movie in Laughter on the 23rd Floor |