James Burrows, co-creator of the hit sitcom ‘Cheers’ and director of more than 1,000 episodes of some of television’s most beloved comedies, has died aged 85, his family confirmed.
Burrows passed away peacefully surrounded by his family, according to a statement released on Friday. Attorney Tom Hoberman also confirmed the news to CBS News.
The acclaimed television director, whose career spanned more than five decades, was widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in comedy television. He directed episodes of landmark sitcoms including ‘Friends’, ‘The Big Bang Theory’ and ‘Will & Grace’, earning 11 Emmy Awards and five Directors Guild of America Awards.
In a statement shared with People, his family said: “We celebrate the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of James ‘Jimmy’ Burrows, who passed away peacefully today surrounded by his loving family.
“For more than five decades, Burrows was one of the most influential and beloved directors in television history. As a legendary director, mentor, and creative force, he helped shape generations of comedy and brought immeasurable joy to audiences around the world.”
Born in Los Angeles in 1940, Burrows spent much of his childhood in New York. He later attended the graduate programme at the Yale School of Drama, where he gained his first directing experience.
After several years working behind the camera, he co-created Cheers alongside brothers Glen and Les Charles. The sitcom became one of the defining television successes of the 1980s in both the US and the UK.
Throughout his career, Burrows received 48 Primetime Emmy nominations and worked on some of television’s most enduring comedy series.
The Directors Guild of America, which honoured him with its Lifetime Achievement Award in Television Direction in 2015, described him as “an incredibly generous colleague” who shared his “wisdom, and warm humor with his fellow Guild members and all he worked with”.
Tributes from actors and colleagues quickly followed news of his death.
Actor Eric McCormack, who starred as Will Truman in ‘Will & Grace’, said Burrows left behind “an incredible legacy”.
“The 800 lb gorilla of television comedy for fifty years, he was beloved by everyone, and has left not a mark but a footprint,” McCormack wrote on social media.
Actress Beth Behrs, who worked with Burrows on ‘2 Broke Girls’, shared a personal memory from the show’s early days, recalling how she and co-star Kat Dennings mistakenly thought the director disliked them during rehearsals.
Lisa Kudrow, best known for playing Phoebe Buffay in Friends, paid tribute on Instagram, writing: “Thank you Jimmy. I mean, for everything…”
Burrows directed Kudrow in ‘Friends’ and later appeared as himself alongside her in the HBO comedy ‘The Comeback’.
A spokesperson for NBC, home to many of Burrows’ most successful series, described him as “the man behind the curtain” and said his loss to the television and comedy industry would be “immeasurable”.
Burrows is remembered as a pioneering creative force whose work helped define modern television comedy and influenced generations of performers, writers and directors.
