Neal Israel (born July 27, 1945) is an American actor, screenwriter, film and television producer, and director best known for his comedic work in the 1980s for films such as ''

Police Academy A police academy, also known as a law enforcement training center, police college, or police university, is a training school for police cadets, designed to prepare them for the law enforcement agency they will be joining upon graduation, or othe ...

'', ''

Real Genius ''Real Genius'' is a 1985 American comic science fiction film directed by Martha Coolidge and written by Neal Israel, Pat Proft, and PJ Torokvei. Starring Val Kilmer and Gabriel Jarret, the film, set on the campus of Pacific Tech, a science ...

'', and ''

Bachelor Party A bachelor party (in the United States and sometimes in Canada), also known as a stag weekend, stag do or stag party (in the United Kingdom, Commonwealth countries, and Ireland), or a buck's night (in Australia), is a party held/arranged by th ...

''.

Biography

Career

Raised in Manhattan in a Jewish family, Israel started his career on the Broadway stage as assistant to legendary director

George Abbott George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887 – January 31, 1995) was an American theatre producer, director, playwright, screenwriter, film director and producer whose career spanned eight decades. Early years Abbott was born in Forestville, New Yo ...

. After working at the New Dramatists Guild and the Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference, he came to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, and was an executive at both ABC and CBS. During this time he wrote and directed the break through indie hit ''

Tunnel Vision Tunnel vision is the loss of peripheral vision with retention of central vision, resulting in a constricted circular tunnel-like field of vision. Causes Tunnel vision can be caused by: Eyeglass users Eyeglass users experience tunnel vision t ...

,'' which introduced such future stars as

Chevy Chase Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor and writer. He became a key cast member in the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'', where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment became a staple of the ...

John Candy John Franklin Candy (October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994) was a Canadian actor and comedian known mainly for his work in Hollywood films. Candy rose to fame in the 1970s as a member of the Toronto branch of the Second City and its '' SCTV'' ser ...

and

Al Franken Alan Stuart Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an American comedian, politician, media personality, and author who served as a United States senator from Minnesota from 2009 to 2018. He gained fame as a writer and performer on the television comed ...

. On television, he wrote '' Ringo,'' a special that starred

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...

and

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

. He then wrote with his partner,

Pat Proft Pat Proft is an American comedy writer, actor, and director. Born in Minnesota in 1947, Proft began his career at Dudley Riggs' Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis in the mid 1960s. He went on to perform as a one-man comedy act in the late 1960s. I ...

, the first ''Police Academy'' movie, which spawned six sequels. He directed and co-wrote ''

'', which starred

Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...

. He followed this with the comedy ''

Moving Violations ''Moving Violations'' is a 1985 comedy film based around a traffic school. Directed by Neal Israel, the film stars John Murray, Jennifer Tilly, Brian Backer, Sally Kellerman, Nedra Volz, Clara Peller, Wendie Jo Sperber, Fred Willard, and the ...

''. ''

'', another of his scripts, was made into a successful film starring

Val Kilmer Val Edward Kilmer (born December 31, 1959) is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer found fame after appearances in comedy films, starting with ''Top Secret!'' (1984) and ''Real Genius'' (1985), as well as the military action film ...

, and in 1987, he produced the film ''

Three O'Clock High ''Three O'Clock High'' is a 1987 American teen comedy film directed by Phil Joanou. The script, about a meek high schooler who is forced into a fight with a volatile new transfer student, is based on the high school experiences of screenwriters R ...

''. He also directed '' Breaking The Rules'' starring Jason Bateman and the cult classic '' Surf Ninjas'' with Rob Schneider and Leslie Nielsen. Neal continues to work in both film and television as a writer, director, producer, and script doctor. He has directed numerous movies of the week, pilots, and episodes of shows such as ''

The Wonder Years ''The Wonder Years'' is an American coming-of-age story, coming-of-age situation comedy, comedy/Drama (film and television), drama television series created by Neal Marlens and Carol L. Black, Carol Black. It ran on American Broadcasting Company ...

'', '' Nash Bridges'', ''

Joan of Arcadia ''Joan of Arcadia'' is an American fantasy family drama television series telling the story of teenager Joan Girardi (Amber Tamblyn), who sees and speaks with God and performs tasks she is given. The series originally aired on Fridays on CBS for ...

'', and ''

Even Stevens ''Even Stevens'' is an American comedy television series that originally aired on Disney Channel from June 17, 2000, to June 2, 2003, airing a total of 65 episodes over three seasons. It follows the life of the Stevens, a family living in subur ...

''. Recent directing credits include Disney's ''Zeke and Luther'' and ''Kickin It.'' In 2004, he executive-produced the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

-nominated film '' Finding Neverland'', which starred

Johnny Depp John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...

and

Kate Winslet Kate Elizabeth Winslet (; born 5 October 1975) is an English actress. Known for her work in independent films, particularly period dramas, and for her portrayals of headstrong and complicated women, she has received numerous accolades, incl ...

. In July 2017, Israel said he was working on a comedy with his longterm partner

that will feature stars of the predominant comedic films of the '70s and '80s.

Personal life

His first marriage was to American singer/songwriter

Lori Lieberman Lori Lieberman (born November 15, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter who accompanies herself on guitar and piano. She first came to public attention in the early 1970s with a series of albums on Capitol Records, the first of which featured t ...

. They divorced in 1980. After being hired by director

Amy Heckerling Amy Heckerling (born May 7, 1954) is an American filmmaker. An alumna of both New York University and the American Film Institute, she directed the commercially successful films ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' (1982), ''National Lampoon's Europ ...

to work on ''

Johnny Dangerously ''Johnny Dangerously'' is a 1984 American crime comedy film, and a parody of 1930s crime/gangster movies. It was directed by Amy Heckerling. The film stars Michael Keaton as an honest, goodhearted man who turns to a life of crime to finance hi ...

'', the two began a relationship and married in July 1984. The couple divorced in 1990 after making ''

Look Who's Talking Too ''Look Who's Talking Too'' is a 1990 American romantic comedy film and a sequel to director Amy Heckerling's 1989 comedy ''Look Who's Talking''. The film stars the original cast members John Travolta and Kirstie Alley as James and Mollie Ubriacc ...

'' together. Israel believed their daughter,

Mollie Molly, Mollie or mollies may refer to: Animals * ''Poecilia'', a genus of fishes ** ''Poecilia sphenops'', a fish species * A female mule (horse–donkey hybrid) People * Molly (name) or Mollie, a female given name, including a list of persons ...

, was biologically his until a DNA test showed she was the biological daughter of director

Harold Ramis Harold Allen Ramis (; November 21, 1944 – February 24, 2014) was an American actor, comedian, director and writer. His best-known film acting roles were as Egon Spengler in ''Ghostbusters'' (1984) and '' Ghostbusters II'' (1989), and as Russel ...

Filmography

As director

* ''

'' (with Bradley R. Swirnoff) (1976) * '' Americathon'' (1979) * ''

'' (1984) * ''

'' (1985) * '' The George Burns Comedy Week'' (1985) (TV) * ''

Combat Academy ''Combat Academy'' (also known as ''Combat High'') is a 1986 American made-for-television comedy film directed by Neal Israel. The film also features (a then-unknown) George Clooney. Synopsis Best friends Max Mendelsson ( Keith Gordon) and ...

'' (1986) (TV) * '' The Cover Girl and the Cop'' (1989) (TV) * ''

'' (1991) (TV) * '' Breaking the Rules'' (1992) (aka ''Sketches'') * '' Surf Ninjas'' (1993) * ''

Harts of the West Harts of the West is a humorous contemporary western about a Chicago family moving to a run-down Nevada ranch. The series consisted of 15 hour-long episodes that aired on CBS Saturdays, 9:00 to 10:00 p.m., from September 1993 until June 1994. ...

'' (1994) (TV) * '' Family Reunion: A Relative Nightmare'' (1995) (TV) * ''

Dad's Week Off ''Dad's Week Off'' is an American television film that premiered on Showtime on March 29, 1997. It was written and directed by Neal Israel, and starred Henry Winkler, Olivia d'Abo and Richard Jeni. Plot A computer salesman charged with marketing ...

'' (1997) (TV) * '' Love Boat: The Next Wave'' (1999) (TV) * ''

Clueless ''Clueless'' is a 1995 American coming-of-age teen comedy film written and directed by Amy Heckerling. It stars Alicia Silverstone with supporting roles by Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy and Paul Rudd. It was produced by Scott Rudin and Robert La ...

'' (1997–1999) (TV) * ''

Shasta McNasty ''Shasta McNasty'' (later retitled ''Shasta'') is an American sitcom that aired on UPN from October 5, 1999, to August 1, 2000. The show was created by Jeff Eastin and produced by Eastin and Neal H. Moritz. The show starred Carmine Giovinazzo, ...

'' (1999) (TV) * ''

'' (2000) (TV) * '' Hounded'' (2001) (TV) * '' The Poof Point'' (2001) (TV) * ''

Lizzie McGuire ''Lizzie McGuire'' is an American comedy television series created by Terri Minsky that premiered on Disney Channel on January 12, 2001. The series stars Hilary Duff as the titular character, who navigates the personal and social issues of her te ...

'' (2001) (TV) * ''

The Mind of the Married Man ''The Mind of the Married Man'' is a television series that ran on the HBO network for two seasons consisting of twenty episodes between September 2001 and November 2002. The story focused on the challenges of modern-day married life from a male p ...

'' (2001) (TV) * ''

Family Affair ''Family Affair'' is an American sitcom starring Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966, to March 4, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do engineer and bachelor Bill Davis (Keith) as he attempte ...

'' (2002) (TV) * ''

The Brady Bunch in the White House ''The Brady Bunch in the White House'' is a 2002 American comedy television film and the second sequel to ''The Brady Bunch Movie'' (1995), following ''A Very Brady Sequel'' (1996). It was directed by Neal Israel and written by Lloyd J. Schwartz an ...

'' (2002) (TV) * ''

Do Over ''Do Over'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series created by Kenny Schwartz and Rick Wiener about a man who gets a chance to relive his childhood. The series, which was originally broadcast on The WB from September 19 to December 5, 200 ...

'' (2002) (TV) * ''

National Lampoon's Thanksgiving Family Reunion ''National Lampoon's Thanksgiving Family Reunion'' is a 2003 television film about a Thanksgiving family reunion of the Sniders, starring Bryan Cranston as Woodrow Snider, Judge Reinhold as Dr. Mitch Snider and Penelope Ann Miller as Jill Snider. ...

'' (2003) (TV) * ''

Phil of the Future ''Phil of the Future'' is an American science fiction sitcom that originally aired on Disney Channel from June 18, 2004, to August 19, 2006, for two seasons. The series was created by Douglas Tuber and Tim Maile and produced by 2121 Productions ...

'' (2004) (TV) * ''

'' (2005) (TV) * ''

Flight 29 Down ''Flight 29 Down'' is an American adventure comedy-drama television series about a group of teenagers who are stranded on an island. It was produced by Discovery Kids. The show was created by Stan Rogow (''Lizzie McGuire'', ''Darcy's Wild Life'') ...

'' (2007) (TV) * '' About a Girl'' (2007) (TV) * ''

The Fresh Beat Band ''The Fresh Beat Band'' (originally known as ''The JumpArounds'') is an American live action musical children's television series created by Scott Kraft and Nadine van der Velde for Nickelodeon. The show stars the "Fresh Beats" (Kiki, Shout, M ...

'' (2010) (TV) * ''

Zeke and Luther Zeke is a masculine given name and nickname, sometimes a shortened form (hypocorism) of Ezekiel, which may refer to: People *Caleb Bailey (nickname "Zeke", 1898-1957), US Marine Corps brigadier general and athlete *Zeke Bella (1930–2013), Amer ...

'' (2011) (TV) * ''

Dog with a Blog ''Dog with a Blog'' is an American comedy television series that aired on Disney Channel from October 12, 2012 to September 25, 2015. The series stars G Hannelius, Blake Michael, Francesca Capaldi, Regan Burns, and Beth Littleford, and also feat ...

'' (2013) (TV) * '' I Didn't Do It'' (2015) (TV)

As producer

* ''

Twilight Theater ''Twilight Theater'' is the fourth studio album by the Finnish rock band Poets of the Fall. It was released in Finland as well as on iTunes on 17 March 2010

'' (1982) (TV) * ''

'' (1987) * '' Life on the Flipside'' (1987) * ''

CBS Summer Playhouse ''CBS Summer Playhouse'' is an American anthology series that ran from June 12, 1987 to August 22, 1989 on CBS. It aired unsold television pilots during the summer season. Overview Tim Reid and Daphne Maxwell Reid acted as hosts during the first ...

'' (1988) (TV) * '' Dream Date'' (1989) (TV) * '' Bonnie & Clyde: The True Story'' (1992) * ''

Taking the Heat ''Taking the Heat'' is a 1993 American romantic thriller film that premiered on Showtime. Directed by Tom Mankiewicz and written by Dan Gordon from a story by Gary Hoffman, the film followed a female cop and a murder witness as they try to avoid ...

'' (1993) (TV) * '' Family Reunion: A Relative Nightmare'' (1995) (TV) * '' Kidz in the Wood'' (1996) (TV) * '' Chocolate for Breakfast'' (1998) * '' The Runner'' (1999) * ''

Miracles A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divin ...

'' (2003) (TV) * '' Finding Neverland'' (2004) * '' Bachelor Party 2: The Last Temptation'' (2008) (as executive producer)

As writer

* ''

Yogi's Gang ''Yogi's Gang'' is an American animated television series and the second incarnation of the ''Yogi Bear'' franchise, which aired 16 half-hour episodes on ABC from , to . The show began as ''Yogi's Ark Lark'', a special TV movie on ''The ABC Satur ...

'' (1973) (TV) * ''

'' (with Michael Mislove) (1976) * '' Cracking Up'' (with

Phil Proctor Philip Proctor (born 1940) is an American actor, comedian and a member of the Firesign Theatre. He has performed voice-over work for video games, films and television series. Career Of the four members of Firesign Theatre, Proctor has had t ...

Peter Bergman Peter Michael Bergman (born June 11, 1953) is an American actor best known for his portrayals on soap operas, such as Cliff Warner on '' All My Children'' (1979–89) on ABC as well as Jack Abbott on ''The Young and the Restless'' (1989–prese ...

The Credibility Gap The Credibility Gap was an American satirical comedy team active from 1968 through 1979. They emerged in the late 1960s delivering comedic commentary on the news for the Los Angeles AM rock radio station KRLA 1110, and proceeded to develop more ela ...

and The Ace Trucking Company) (1977) * '' Americathon'' (with

, Michael Mislove and

Monica Johnson Monica Johnson (February 21, 1946 – November 1, 2010) was an American screenwriter whose film credits included ''Mother'', ''Lost in America'', '' Modern Romance'', '' Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again'' and '' The Muse''. Her television credi ...

) (1979) * '' All Commercials... A Steve Martin Special'' (1980) (TV) * '' Steve Martin's Twilight Theater'' (1982) (TV) * ''

'' (with

and Hugh Wilson) (1984) * ''

'' (with

) (1984) * ''

'' (with

) (1985) * ''

'' (with

and

Peter Torokvei PJ Torokvei (born Peter Torokvei; March 19, 1951 – July 3, 2013) was a Canadian screenwriter, actor, and television producer. A trans woman, her professional credits are generally under her deadname. In 2001, she announced to friends and family ...

) (1985) * ''

'' (with

) (1990) * '' The Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley: The Case of the Sea World Adventure'' (with

Arnold Margolin Arnold Davydovich Margolin ( uk, Арнольд Марґолін) (born: , Kyiv – died October 29, 1956, Washington DC) – was a Ukrainian diplomat, lawyer, active participant in Ukrainian and Jewish community and political affairs; attorney ...

) (1995) (Video Short) * '' The Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley: The Case of the Mystery Cruise'' (with

) (1995) (Video Short) * '' Family Reunion: A Relative Nightmare'' (with

Patrick J. Clifton Patrick may refer to: * Patrick (given name), list of people and fictional characters with this name *Patrick (surname), list of people with this name People * Saint Patrick (c. 385–c. 461), Christian saint *Gilla Pátraic (died 1084), Patrick ...

) (1995) (TV) * '' Kidz in the Wood'' (with

Robert Klane Robert Klane (born 1941) is an American screenwriter, novelist and filmmaker, best known for early iconoclastic novels and for his screenplays for dark comedies such as '' Where's Poppa?'' (1970) and ''Weekend at Bernie's'' (1989). Career A 1963 ...

) (1996) (TV) * ''

'' (1997) (TV) * '' Police Academy: The Series'' (1997) (TV) * '' The Patty Duke Show: Still Rockin' in Brooklyn Heights'' (1999) (TV)

As actor

* ''

'' (1984) as Dr. Zilman * '' It's Alive III: Island of the Alive'' (1987) as Dr. Brewster * ''

Look Who's Talking ''Look Who's Talking'' is a 1989 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Amy Heckerling, and starring John Travolta and Kirstie Alley. Bruce Willis plays the voice of Mollie's son, Mikey. The film features George Segal as Albert ...

'' (1989) as Mr. Ross * ''

'' (1990) as Mr. Ross

As special thanks

* '' Stunt Sport'' (2014) (TV) * '' Patton 2015'' (2015) (Short)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Israel, Neal 1945 births American male film actors Film producers from California People from Manhattan Beach, California American male screenwriters American male television actors American television directors Comedy film directors Television producers from California American television writers Living people Place of birth missing (living people) Writers Guild of America Award winners American male television writers Film directors from California Screenwriters from California