How much was Garry Shandling worth?
| Net Worth: | $18 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional Comedian |
| Date of Birth: | November 29, 1949 |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | 1.79 m |
About Garry Shandling
Garry Emmanuel Shandling (November 29, 1949 – March 24, 2016) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, writer, and producer with an estimated net worth of $18 million. Like Woody Allen and Richard Lewis, comedian Garry Shandling made being neurotic very funny. With his trademark plastered smile disguising any number of fears and anxieties, Shandling mastered a kind of deadpan bewilderment at the world around him. In addition to being a terrific stand-up, Shandling also created and starred on two of the best, most influential sitcoms of all time: It’s Garry Shandling’s Show and The Larry Sanders Show. Even without his impressive stand-up career, Shandling’s legacy will live on just based on those two shows.
Quick Facts:
- Garry Shandling was born in Chicago but raised in Tucson, Arizona.
- He became a comedy and sitcom writer in 1973, writing for shows like Sanford and Son and Welcome Back, Kotter.
- In 1978, Shandling began performing stand-up in L.A. nightclubs.
- By the early 1980s, he became a regular on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and even became a regular fill-in for the show’s host.
- He created his own starring sitcom, It’s Garry Shandling’s Show, for Showtime in 1985. The show ran until 1990.
- In 1992, Shandling created another hit cable sitcom, The Larry Sanders Show, for HBO. It ran until 1998.
Early Comedy Career:
Born to a Jewish family in Chicago but raised in Tucson, Arizona, Garry Shandling didn’t always plan on being a comedian. After graduation from the University of Arizona with a degree in marketing, Shandling pursued a graduate degree in creative writing before relocating to Los Angeles in 1973. There, he became a moderately successful comedy and sitcom writer, turning out scripts for hit shows like Sanford and Son (starring Redd Foxx), Welcome Back, Kotter (starring Gabe Kaplan) and Three’s Company. In 1978, Shandling took the stage at The Comedy Store in L.A. for his first stand-up gig, and there was no looking back.
It’s Garry Shandling’s Show
By the early ’80s, Shandling had become a very popular stand-up and was chosen to act as guest host for an absent Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. Shandling’s returned regularly as a fill-in host until 1985.
In 1985, Shandling and co-writer Alan Zweibel created It’s Garry Shandling’s Show, a half-hour sitcom for the cable channel Showtime. The groundbreaking series was a meta-sitcom, with endless jokes about the format’s conventions and Shandling speaking directly to the audience. The series received four Emmy nominations during its run, which lasted until 1990.
This groundbreaking, meta-sitcom featured Garry Shandling as himself, fully aware that he was the star of his own sitcom (even the now-famous theme song was all about the theme song to a TV show). He would often address the audience and reference the fact that he and the rest of the cast were just characters on a sitcom. The majority of the episodes focused on Garry dealing with relationships with women, his friends (including neighbors The Schumachers) and family (his mother, portrayed by actress Barbara Cason, became a recurring character). The show — always brilliant — was more a cult hit than major success.
- It’s Garry Shandling’s Show was the first cable sitcom to be nominated for an Emmy award.
- In addition to Shandling, a large number of comedians made guest appearances on It’s Garry Shandling’s Show during its four-season run. They include: Blake Clark, Chevy Chase, Joy Behar, Dom Irrera, Martin Mull, Don Novello, Carl Reiner, Dave Coulier, Red Buttons and Steve Allen.
- In 1988, the FOX network began airing repeats of It’s Garry Shandling’s Show on Sunday nights. The repeats were canceled in 1989, even though Showtime continued to air new episodes until 1990.
- Nominated for four Emmy Awards, Winner of five Cable ACE Awards (three for Outstanding Comedy Series, two for Garry Shandling) and Winner of the American Comedy Award for Funniest Male Performance in a Comedy Series (1988)
Stand-up Specials
In 1984, Shandling taped his first stand-up special, Garry Shandling: Alone in Vegas, for Showtime. Two more stand-up specials would ultimately follow: The Garry Shandling Show: 25th Anniversary Special in 1986 (also on Showtime) and Garry Shandling: Stand-up for HBO in 1991.
Following his HBO special in 1991, Shandling developed a new series for the cable network a year later. The Larry Sanders Show, following the backstage exploits of a fictional, Tonight Show-like talk show (hosted by Shandling’s alter ego, Larry Sanders), was a commercial success and critical darling until its run ended in 1998.
Additional Facts:
- Shandling was nominated for an Emmy for his performance on It’s Garry Shandling’s Show (which received four nominations total). He also received two Cable Ace Awards for his performance, while the series received another two awards for Best Comedy Series.
- The Larry Sanders Show received 56 Emmy nominations during its run, but only three wins. He was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards, won eight Cable Ace Awards and two American Comedy Awards for his work on Larry Sanders.
- At one time, Shandling was considered as David Letterman’s successor as the host of Late Night on NBC.
- He acted as host of the Grammy Awards from 1990 to 1995, and twice hosted the Emmys (in 2000 and 2004).
- He has occasionally acted in films, including Town & Country, Hurlyburly and What Planet Are You From>, for which he wrote the screenplay.
Shandling died at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, on March 24, 2016. At the time of his death, Garry Shandling’s net worth was $18 million. He was 66 years old.
