Joseph Stern (born September 3, 1940) is an American television, film and theater producer and actor.

Life and career

Stern, who was born in Los Angeles, graduated from Fairfax High School and

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

. Aiming to become a professional Shakespearean actor, Stern auditioned at Joe Papp's Public Theatre and was hired there in his first paid acting job. As an actor, Stern played the role of Larry Hale on the CBS soap opera '' Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing'' from 1969 to 1971. During the 1970s, he made some guest appearances on TV series' including ''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974 to January 10, 1980, and remains in syndication. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator ...

'', ''

M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. The ...

'', ''

Kojak ''Kojak'' is an American action crime drama television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theodopolis "Theo" Kojak. Taking the time slot of the popular ''Cannon'' series, it ...

'', ''

Family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

'', ''

The Feather and Father Gang ''The Feather and Father Gang'' is a 1976–1977 American crime-drama television series starring Stefanie Powers and Harold Gould, which centers on an attorney who enlists her con-man father and his team of bunco artists to help her solve crim ...

'' and ''

Hart to Hart ''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset lifes ...

''. Stern is best known for producing such films and television series as ''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering on ...

'', ''

Cagney & Lacey ''Cagney & Lacey'' is an American police procedural drama television series that aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from March 25, 1982, to May 16, 1988. The show is about two New York City police detectives who lead very dif ...

'', ''

Judging Amy ''Judging Amy'' is an American legal drama television series that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly. Its main character (Brenneman) is a judge who serves in a ...

'', '' Dad'' and ''

No Man's Land No man's land is waste or unowned land or an uninhabited or desolate area that may be under dispute between parties who leave it unoccupied out of fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dump ...

''. In all, he has produced over 250 episodes of television, as well as numerous long form specials and films. He has had several overall deals and has worked for four studios and six networks. His development for them amounted to over twenty pilot scripts, eleven of which were shot and six that have made it to series. Stern is also the founder of ''

The Matrix Theatre Company The Matrix Theatre Company is a theatre company located in Los Angeles, California. The Matrix was opened in 1977 by producer Joseph Stern. In 2018 it hosted The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals by Starkid Productions. Awards and nominations ...

''.

Filmography

References

External links

* Living people 1940 births American film producers American television producers 20th-century American Jews American male film actors American male television actors American male stage actors 21st-century American Jews {{US-tv-bio-stub