George Shapiro obit

Jerry Seinfeld's manager and 'Seinfeld' producer George Shapiro dead at 91

 

 He was not on the list.

George Shapiro, known as the producer of "Seinfeld" and personal manager of Jerry Seinfeld himself, has died.

Shapiro died Thursday of natural causes at his home in Beverly Hills, his publicist told The Hollywood Reporter.

Tributes to the producer and manager poured in on social media. TV writer Norman Lear shared a touching message after learning the news.

"One of the dearest people I have ever known, George Shapiro, just passed," he captioned an Instagram post. "I bless our friendship and, at 99, I'm sure I'll see him relatively soon."

"Seinfeld" star Jason Alexander also paid tribute to the producer on Twitter.

"A wonderful man named George Shapiro passed yesterday at age 91," he wrote. "He was a key producer of SEINFELD. But more, his kindness and joyful optimism was a constant reminder to live life fully, gratefully and with as big a smile as possible. Thanks, George."

Shapiro, alongside the late Howard West, brought "Seinfeld" to life. The two were also involved in the production of Seinfeld's "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee."

The producer also worked on "Summer Rental" and "Summer School."

Besides Seinfeld, Shapiro also managed others, including Andy Kaufman, Carl Reiner, Marty Feldman and Robert Wuhl.

A vivacious personality, Shapiro was known for his long relationships with clients and for his infectious enthusiasm for the business of entertainment. “Shapiro’s love of laughter and reverence for those who inspire it helped him build a career in comedy as an unabashed supporter of comic performers and comedy writers,” Shapiro’s family stated.

Danny De Vito, who co-starred with Andy Kaufman in the influential 1978-1983 sitcom “Taxi,” recalled Shapiro’s presence during the production of the Paramount Television series that aired on ABC and NBC. De Vito would later play Shapiro in the 1999 Kaufman biopic “Man On the Moon,” starring Jim Carrey.

“George was one of the sweetest guys on the planet. We got to see that smiling face every Friday night during the ‘Taxi’ days. He never missed a show,” De Vito said in a statement. “Peace brother.”

Shapiro’s role as a force in the comedy business for more than a half-century was saluted in a statement from the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, N.Y., for which he was a founding advisory board member. “He believed deeply in our mission to celebrate and preserve comedy’s heritage,” said Journey Gunderson, executive director of the center.

Raised in the Bronx, Shapiro had a decades-long partnership with West, who was a childhood friend. Shapiro was related to Reiner by marriage, as a nephew to Reiner’s wife, Estelle Reiner. Shapiro’s formative years were chronicled in 2019 in the HBO documentary “The Bronx, USA.”

Shapiro also executive produced the 2001 documentary “Comedian,” chronicling Jerry Seinfeld’s return to standup after the end of “Seinfeld.” Other Shapiro film credits include 1985’s “Summer Rental,” starring John Candy and Rip Torn; and 1987’s “Summer School,” starring Mark Harmon and Kirstie Alley.

Shapiro was long a champion of projects about his native borough. He produced the 2003 documentary “The Bronx Boys,” about Shapiro and West’s cohort of friends from their elementary school days as P.S. 80. That was followed 10 years later by “The Bronx Boys Still Playing at 80” for PBS. In 2017, Shapiro, Reiner, Brooks and others were featured in the HBO documentary about elderly comedians “If You’re Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast.”

Shapiro is survived by his brother Don, partner Melody Shapiro and their three children, Danny, Carrie and Stefanie.