Donald Paul Bellisario (born August 8, 1935)
is an American television producer and screenwriter who created and sometimes wrote episodes for the TV series ''
Magnum, P.I.
''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980 to May 8, 1988 during its first-run broadcast on ...
'' (1980), ''
Tales of the Gold Monkey
''Tales of the Gold Monkey'' is an American adventure drama television series broadcast in prime time on Wednesday nights by ABC from September 22, 1982, until June 1, 1983. Debuting the year following the release of ''Raiders of the Lost Ark' ...
'' (1982), ''
Airwolf
''Airwolf'' is an American action military drama television series that centers on a high-technology military helicopter, code-named ''Airwolf'', and its crew. The show follows them as they undertake various exotic missions, many involving e ...
'' (1984), ''
Quantum Leap
''Quantum Leap'' is an American science fiction television series, created by Donald P. Bellisario, that premiered on NBC and aired for five seasons, from March 26, 1989, to May 5, 1993. The series stars Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a phys ...
'' (1989), ''
JAG'' (1995), and ''
NCIS'' (2003). He has often included military veterans as characters.
Early life
Bellisario was born in
Cokeburg, Pennsylvania
Cokeburg is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States and part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area since 1950. Founded in 1902, the population was 626 at the 2020 census.
Geography
Cokeburg is located at (40.100120, -80.0636 ...
,
to an
Italian-American
Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeast and industrial Midwestern metropolitan areas, ...
father, and a
Serbian-American
Serbian Americans ( sr, / ) or American Serbs (), are Americans of Serb ethnic ancestry. As of 2013, there were about 190,000 American citizens who identified as having Serb ancestry. However, the number may be significantly higher, as there w ...
mother. He served in the
U.S. Marine Corps from 1955 to 1959, and attained the rank of
sergeant.
During his time in the Marines, he met American Presidential assassin
Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald (October 18, 1939 – November 24, 1963) was a U.S. Marine veteran who assassinated John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, on November 22, 1963.
Oswald was placed in juvenile detention at the age of 12 fo ...
.
Bellisario earned a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in journalism at
Pennsylvania State University in 1961.
Bellisario became an advertising
copywriter in
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1965, and three years later became creative director of the Bloom Agency in
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, Texas. After rising to senior vice president after eight years, he then moved to
Hollywood to pursue screenwriting and production.
Television career
After working under such television producers as
Glen A. Larson and
Stephen J. Cannell, Bellisario adopted some of their production techniques, for example, using a small pool of actors for his many productions. He created or co-created the TV series ''
Magnum, P.I.
''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980 to May 8, 1988 during its first-run broadcast on ...
'', ''
Airwolf
''Airwolf'' is an American action military drama television series that centers on a high-technology military helicopter, code-named ''Airwolf'', and its crew. The show follows them as they undertake various exotic missions, many involving e ...
'', ''
Quantum Leap
''Quantum Leap'' is an American science fiction television series, created by Donald P. Bellisario, that premiered on NBC and aired for five seasons, from March 26, 1989, to May 5, 1993. The series stars Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a phys ...
'', ''
JAG'', and ''
NCIS''. He was a writer and producer on ''
Black Sheep Squadron
''Baa Baa Black Sheep'' (renamed ''Black Sheep Squadron'' for the second season) is an American television series that aired on NBC from September 23, 1976, until April 6, 1978. It was part historical drama, period military drama, part comedy. I ...
'' and the original ''
Battlestar Galactica''. He wrote and directed the 1988 feature film ''
Last Rites
The last rites, also known as the Commendation of the Dying, are the last prayers and ministrations given to an individual of Christian faith, when possible, shortly before death. They may be administered to those awaiting execution, mortall ...
''.
Many of Bellisario's
protagonists are current or former members of the
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...
.
Tom Selleck
Thomas William Selleck (; born January 29, 1945) is an American actor. His breakout role was playing private investigator Thomas Magnum in the television series '' Magnum, P.I.'' (1980–1988), for which he received five Emmy Award nominations ...
's character in ''Magnum, P.I.'' was a
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...
graduate, former Naval Intelligence officer and
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
veteran;
Jan-Michael Vincent
Jan-Michael Vincent (July 15, 1944 – February 10, 2019) was an American actor known for portraying helicopter pilot Stringfellow Hawke in the TV series ''Airwolf'' (1984–1987) and the protagonist, Matt Johnson, in the 1978 film ''Big W ...
's character in ''Airwolf'' was a Vietnam veteran;
Commander Harmon "Harm" Rabb, Jr., the main character of ''
JAG'', was a Naval Academy graduate and former
Naval Aviator; and ''NCIS''s main character,
Leroy Jethro Gibbs, is a retired Marine Corps
Gunnery Sergeant and
Scout Sniper
United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper (MOS 0317, formerly 8541) is a secondary MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) designator of U.S. Marine Corps infantrymen and reconnaissance Marines that have graduated from a U.S. Marine Corps Scout Snipe ...
; Jake Cutter (
Stephen Collins
Stephen Weaver Collins (born October 1, 1947) is an American former actor and writer. He is known for playing Eric Camden on the television series '' 7th Heaven'' from 1996 to 2007. Afterwards, Collins played the roles of Dayton King on the ABC ...
) from ''
Tales of the Gold Monkey
''Tales of the Gold Monkey'' is an American adventure drama television series broadcast in prime time on Wednesday nights by ABC from September 22, 1982, until June 1, 1983. Debuting the year following the release of ''Raiders of the Lost Ark' ...
'' was a former
Flying Tigers
The First American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Republic of China Air Force, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was formed to help oppose the Japanese invasion of China. Operating in 1941–1942, it was composed of pilots from the United States ...
pilot; and
Albert "Al" Calavicci in ''
Quantum Leap
''Quantum Leap'' is an American science fiction television series, created by Donald P. Bellisario, that premiered on NBC and aired for five seasons, from March 26, 1989, to May 5, 1993. The series stars Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a phys ...
'' was a former Naval Aviator, Vietnam
prisoner of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...
and
rear admiral. Several of his main characters share August 8 as their birthday.
Bellisario received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004, which was shown in a Season 9 ''JAG'' episode, "Trojan Horse". In an interview with
Sci-Fi Channel
Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. ...
in the late 1990s, Bellisario said he was inspired to create ''Quantum Leap'' in 1988 after reading a novel about time travel. His service alongside John F. Kennedy's assassin,
Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald (October 18, 1939 – November 24, 1963) was a U.S. Marine veteran who assassinated John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, on November 22, 1963.
Oswald was placed in juvenile detention at the age of 12 fo ...
, was the basis for the ''Quantum Leap'' fifth season double-length episode "Lee Harvey Oswald" (originally aired September 22, 1992).
Bellisario retired in 2007, after widely reported tension with star
Mark Harmon ended with the former's departure from ''NCIS''. Although he retains the title of executive producer, he has not had any real creative or executive involvement with ''NCIS'' since then. Bellisario later sued CBS over the creation of ''
NCIS: Los Angeles'', arguing his contract with the network entitled him to the first rights to create any ''NCIS'' spin off, as well as some share of profits from the new show. The suit was settled before trial in 2011 for an undisclosed amount. Bellisario's production company was named "Belisarius Productions" after the Roman general
Belisarius
Belisarius (; el, Βελισάριος; The exact date of his birth is unknown. – 565) was a military commander of the Byzantine Empire under the emperor Justinian I. He was instrumental in the reconquest of much of the Mediterranean terr ...
, of which "Bellisario" is an Italian-language variant.
Personal life
Bellisario married Margaret Schaffran in 1956 and they divorced in 1974. They had four children, Joy Bellisario-Jenkins (born c. 1956), David Bellisario (1957–2020) a producer on ''
NCIS: Los Angeles'', Leslie Bellisario-Ingham (born c. 1961), and Julie Bellisario-Watson (producer on ''
NCIS'').
Bellisario married Lynn Halpern in 1979 and they divorced in 1984. They had a son,
Michael Bellisario
Michael Angelo Bellisario (born April 7, 1980) is an American actor and the son of scriptwriter and producer Donald P. Bellisario.
Bellisario has mostly had parts in series produced by his father. He played Midshipman Michael "Mikey" Robert ...
, born on April 7, 1980. Michael had a recurring role as
Midshipman Michael Roberts on ''JAG'' and played Charles "Chip" Sterling on ''NCIS''.
He married
Deborah Pratt
Deborah M. Pratt is an American actress, writer, and television producer.
Early life
Pratt was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Geraldine (''née'' Bryant) and Col. Bertram Roberson Pratt, a vice president of Pullman Heritag ...
, known for her character in Bellisario's ''
Airwolf
''Airwolf'' is an American action military drama television series that centers on a high-technology military helicopter, code-named ''Airwolf'', and its crew. The show follows them as they undertake various exotic missions, many involving e ...
'', in 1984 and they divorced in 1991. They had two children,
Troian (born October 28, 1985) and Nicholas (born August 27, 1991). Troian portrayed Sarah McGee on ''
NCIS'', Teresa on ''
Quantum Leap
''Quantum Leap'' is an American science fiction television series, created by Donald P. Bellisario, that premiered on NBC and aired for five seasons, from March 26, 1989, to May 5, 1993. The series stars Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a phys ...
'', and Erin on ''
JAG'', but has become best known for her 2010–2017 role as
Spencer Hastings
Spencer Jill Hastings is a fictional character, one of the five main characters who appear in the ''Pretty Little Liars'' novel series and its Freeform television adaptation. Created by American author Sara Shepard, she is a member of the gro ...
on ''
Pretty Little Liars
''Pretty Little Liars'' is an American mystery teen drama television series based on the novel series of the same name written by Sara Shepard. Developed by I. Marlene King, the series was broadcast on Freeform between June 8, 2010, and June ...
'', a series her father did not produce.
Bellisario married Vivienne Murray (née Lee), on November 27, 1998. He gained two stepsons from the marriage, Chad and
Sean Murray, the latter an actor who plays
Timothy McGee
Timothy Farragut "Tim" McGee () is a fictional character from the CBS television series '' NCIS''. He is portrayed by Sean Murray. McGee specializes in cybersecurity and computer crime, and is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and MIT.
...
on ''NCIS''.
Philanthropy and awards
In 2001, Penn State named Bellisario a Distinguished Alumnus, the highest honor bestowed on a graduate.
In 2006, Bellisario
endowed
A financial endowment is a legal structure for managing, and in many cases indefinitely perpetuating, a pool of financial, real estate, or other investments for a specific purpose according to the will of its founders and donors. Endowments are of ...
a $1 million Trustee Matching Scholarship in the Penn State College of Communications. He recalled:
On October 27, 2016, he received a Visionary Award at the UCLA Neurosurgery Visionary Ball.
On April 21, 2017, the
Pennsylvania State University Board of Trustees voted to rename the College of Communications th
Donald P. Bellisario College of Communicationsin recognition of a $30 million endowment from Bellisario. The donation is one of the largest gifts in Penn State history.
Filmography
References
Further reading
* About Donald P. Bellisario.
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bellisario, Donald
1935 births
American writers of Italian descent
American people of Serbian descent
American male screenwriters
American television directors
Television producers from Pennsylvania
American television writers
Edgar Award winners
Living people
Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications alumni
People from Washington County, Pennsylvania
Military personnel from Pennsylvania
United States Marines
American male television writers
Film directors from Pennsylvania
Screenwriters from Pennsylvania
Bellisario family