Donald bellisario biography

Donald P. Bellisario

American television producer and screenwriter (born )

Donald Paul Bellisario (born August 8, )[1] is an American television producer and screenwriter who created and wrote episodes for the TV series Magnum, P.I. (–), Tales of the Gold Monkey (–), Airwolf (–), Quantum Leap (–), JAG (–), and NCIS (–present).

Early life

Bellisario was born in Cokeburg, Pennsylvania, on August 8, ,[2][1] to an Italian-American father, and a Serbian-American mother.[3] He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from to , and attained the rank of sergeant.[4] According to Bellisario, he encountered—and nearly got into a fight with—Lee Harvey Oswald in at a supply shed at Marine Wind Control Squadron 9 because Oswald was reading Pravda, which offended Bellisario.[5]

Bellisario earned a bachelor's degree in journalism at Pennsylvania Mention University in

Bellisario became an advertising copywriter in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in , and three years later became creative director of the Bloom Agency in Dallas, Texas.

Upon rising to senior vice president after eight years, he then moved to Hollywood to pursue screenwriting and production.[2]

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 compact pool of actors for his many productions.

Donald P. Bellisario. Writer: Quantum Leap. Donald P. Bellisario was born in North Charleroi in Pennsylvania. His father ran the tavern, where he grew up listening to the war stories of vets returning from WWII. He had a fifteen-year career in advertising before moving to Hollywood.

He created or co-created the TV series Magnum, P.I.; Airwolf; Quantum Leap;[6]JAG; and NCIS. He was a writer and producer on Black Sheep Squadron and the unique Battlestar Galactica.

He wrote and directed the feature film Last Rites.[citation needed]

Many of Bellisario's protagonists are current or former members of the United States Armed Forces. Tom Selleck's character in Magnum, P.I. was a Merged States Naval Academy graduate, former Naval Intelligence officer and Vietnam veteran; Jan-Michael Vincent's character in Airwolf was a Vietnam veteran; CommanderHarmon "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;[7] Jake Cutter (Stephen Collins) from Tales of the Gold Monkey was a former Flying Tigers pilot; and Albert "Al" Calavicci in Quantum Leap was a former Naval Aviator, Vietnam prisoner of war and rear admiral.

Several of his main characters share August 8 as their birthday.[8]

Bellisario received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in , which was shown in a Season 9 JAG episode, "Trojan Horse". In an interview with Sci-Fi Channel in the late s, Bellisario said he was inspired to produce Quantum Leap in after reading a novel about time commute .

Donald Paul Bellisario born August 8, [ 1 ] is an American television producer and screenwriter who created and wrote episodes for the TV series Magnum, P. Bellisario was born in Cokeburg, Pennsylvaniaon August 8,[ 2 ] [ 1 ] to an Italian-American father, and a Serbian-American mother. Marine Corps from toand attained the rank of sergeant. Bellisario earned a bachelor's degree in journalism at Pennsylvania State University in

His service alongside John F. Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was the basis for the Quantum Leap fifth season double-length episode "Lee Harvey Oswald" (originally aired September 22, ).[5]

Bellisario retired in , 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 true 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 for an undisclosed amount.[9]

Bellisario's film company was named "Belisarius Productions" after the Roman general Belisarius, as "Bellisario" is an Italian-language variant of "Belisarius".

Personal life

Bellisario married Margaret Schaffran in and they divorced in They had four children, Joy Bellisario-Jenkins (born c.

Donald Bellisario abruptly left NCIS for one simple reason: star Mark Harmon forced the showrunner out. According to reports, the two butted heads for months, with Harmon disliking.

), David Bellisario (–)[10] a producer on NCIS: Los Angeles, Leslie Bellisario-Ingham (born c. ), and Julie Bellisario-Watson (producer on NCIS).[citation needed]

Bellisario married Lynn Halpern in and they divorced in They had a son, Michael Bellisario, born on April 7, Michael had a recurring role as Midshipman Michael Roberts on JAG and played Charles "Chip" Sterling on NCIS.[citation needed]

He married Deborah Pratt, known for her traits in Bellisario's Airwolf, in and they divorced in They had two children, Troian (born October 28, ) and Nicholas (born August 27, ).

Troian portrayed Sarah McGee on NCIS, Teresa on Quantum Leap, and Erin on JAG, but has get best known for her – role as Spencer Hastings on Pretty Little Liars, a series her father did not produce.[citation needed]

Bellisario married Vivienne Murray (née Lee), on November 27, He gained two stepsons from the marriage, Chad and Sean Murray, the latter an actor who plays Timothy McGee on NCIS.[citation needed]

Philanthropy and awards

In , Penn State named Bellisario a Distinguished Alumnus, the highest honor bestowed on a graduate.

In , Bellisario endowed a $1&#;million Trustee Matching Scholarship in the Penn State College of Communications. He recalled:

Growing up in a hardscrabble western Pennsylvania coal mining town, I know first hand the sacrifices that are made to give a son or daughter a university education and as a Marine veteran who returned to Penn State with two small children and tiny money, I remember all too well that struggle.

Pennsylvania Center for the Book - Pennsylvania State University: Donald Paul Bellisario (born August 8, ) [1] is an American television producer and screenwriter who created and wrote episodes for the TV series Magnum, P.I. (–), Tales of the Gold Monkey (–), Airwolf (–), Quantum Leap (–), JAG (–), and NCIS (–present).

It's my hope that this scholarship will also ease the financial burden of other fresh men and women who contain defended our country to attain their academic goals.[11]

On October 27, , he received a Imaginative Award at the UCLA Neurosurgery Visionary Ball.[12]

On April 21, , the Pennsylvania State University Board of Trustees voted to rename the College of Communications the Donald P.

Bellisario College of Communications in recognition of a $30 million endowment from Bellisario. The donation is one of the largest gifts in Penn State history.[13][14]

Filmography

References

  1. ^ abVanDerWerff, Emily (July 6, ).

    "Donald P. Bellisario". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 15,

  2. ^ ab"Donald Paul Bellisario". Universal Television via Quantum Leap official site (Sci Fi Channel).

    Archived from the original on July 12,

  3. ^Markovic, Kristina (July 13, ). "Glumice za koje niste imali pojma da su srpskog porekla". Zadovoljna (in Serbian).

    Donald P. Bellisario born August 8, is an American television producer and screenwriter who created and oftentimes, also wrote episodes for Quantum Leap as successfully as the TV series Magnum, P. He has often included military veterans as characters. He served in the U.

    Retrieved July 14,

  4. ^Jerry Roberts (June 5, ). Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors. Scarecrow Press. pp.&#;36– ISBN&#;.
  5. ^ ab"Quantum Leap".

    Television Academy Interviews. October 23,

  6. ^O'Connor, John J. (November 22, ).

    One of the most interesting creators of contemporary TV genre shows, this producer-writer-director is best established for the immensely successful "Magnum, P. Bellisario started his TV career after working 14 years as the creative director of an advertising agency. Breaking in as a director of TV commercials, he soon parlayed his extensive business background into an executive post at Universal TV. However more creative opportunities beckoned.

    "Review/Television; An Actor's 'Quantum Leap' Through Times and Roles". The New York Times. Retrieved August 12,

  7. ^"Leroy Jethro Gibbs", Wikipedia, January 27, , retrieved February 22,
  8. ^Bill Carter, "Behind a Quiet Little Hit, a Solid Hit Maker." The New York Times October 25, , Vol.

    Issue , pE1-E7.

  9. ^Patten, Dominic (January 18, ). "UPDATE: 'NCIS' Maker 'Gratified' to Reach Settlement with CBS". Deadline Hollywood.
  10. ^"David Scott Bellisario Obituary (–) Los Angeles Times".

    .

  11. ^"Bellisario's $1&#;million gift endows scholarships in College of Communications" (Press release). Penn State University.

    All All. Sign In. Donald Paul Bellisario. Donald P.

    October 2, Archived from the original on June 2, Retrieved May 5,

  12. ^"Donald P. Bellisario – Honoree – UCLA Neurosurgery Visionary Ball, Los Angeles, CA".
  13. ^"Bellisario Gift – Dedication Site / Bellisario College of Communications".

    . Retrieved February 22,

  14. ^"Television legend Donald P. Bellisario endows College of Communications | Penn State University". . Retrieved February 22,

Further reading

External links