Marc Cherry
Encyclopedia
Marc Cherry is an American
writer
and producer
, best known for creating the show Desperate Housewives
.
and lived briefly in Oklahoma
. His father was an accountant which required the family to relocate to California. After graduating from Troy High School
in Fullerton
, California
, Cherry graduated from California State University, Fullerton
's theater program and initially considered a career in performance. After winning $15,000 as a contestant on The $100,000 Pyramid
in 1986, he decided to move to Hollywood and pursue writing work. His move came at a bad time; the 1988 writer's strike hit as soon as Cherry arrived. Cherry broke into the industry by working as Designing Women
star Dixie Carter
's personal assistant.
In 1990, he became a writer and producer for the long-running hit sitcom
The Golden Girls
. Cherry wrote for the show, and its short lived spinoff The Golden Palace
.
When those shows concluded, Cherry co-created The 5 Mrs. Buchanans. The concept of the show centered around the matriarch of the family (played by Eileen Heckart
) and the wives of her four sons. The show had a brief run on CBS during the 1994-1995 season.
Cherry also co-created The Crew
(1995). On his own, he later created Some of My Best Friends
, a 2001 sitcom that was based in part on the film Kiss Me, Guido
.
suburban women. After HBO, FOX
, CBS
, NBC
, Showtime, and Lifetime all passed on the show, Cherry got his big break when his agent was arrested and sent to jail for embezzlement
. His new agents brought the show to ABC
, which decided to pick it up. The series, Desperate Housewives
, was an immediate ratings smash and generated enormous national (and subsequently, international) debate. Cherry received several lucrative offers from various parties, but chose to sign a long-term deal with Touchstone
, since their network had shown faith in Desperate Housewives when no one else would.
The show was a phenomenon for much of its first season, but was criticized by TV critics who said the second season of Desperate Housewives was not as creative or as good as the first. Viewers seemed to agree, since the ratings dropped as the season progressed.
Cherry has featured several actors on "Housewives" that he has worked with before; Mark Moses
, who played Paul Young
, and Harriet Sansom Harris
, who played Felicia Tilman, were both cast members of The 5 Mrs. Buchanans. In season three, Cherry cast former boss Dixie Carter
in the role of Gloria Hodge, Orson's unhinged mother. Actor Alec Mapa
, who appeared in Some of My Best Friends
, appears on "Housewives" in a recurring role as Gabrielle's stylist.
filed a $20 million lawsuit against Cherry and ABC
, alleging that he had assaulted her on set and wrongfully terminated her contract. Sheridan also alleged in her lawsuit that Cherry was abusive to other actors and writers on the show. ABC said in a statement that they had investigated similar claims made by Sheridan and found them to be of no merit.
The stars of Desperate Housewives (Teri Hatcher
, Felicity Huffman
, Marcia Cross
and Eva Longoria
) have pledged their support to help Marc Cherry in his battle against assault allegations made by Sheridan. At the end of 2010, she removed abuse claims from the suit.
In February 2011, Sheridan won a battle in her Desperate Housewives lawsuit when a judge ruled the actress does not have to give further testimony about conversations with a lawyer she consulted. Sheridan's lawsuit had a hearing on May 3, 2011, followed by a trial which is tentatively scheduled for June 8, 2011.
For the second time, Sheridan averted another legal challenge to her lawsuit against Cherry. The trial began on October 17, 2011.
A judge limited Sheridan's damages in the Desperate Housewives case.
.
as a "somewhat conservative, gay Republican
."
On June 29, 2006, Cherry accepted Log Cabin Republicans
' American Visibility Award at a dinner in Hollywood where the main award recipient was California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
, who received the club's "Courage To Lead" Award.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
, best known for creating the show Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
.
Early life and career
Cherry was born in Long BeachLong Beach
-United States:*Long Beach, California, most populous city with this name**Long Beach Airport**Long Beach Naval Shipyard**Long Beach Search & Rescue**Long Beach Unified School District**Port of Long Beach*Long Beach, Indiana*Long Beach, Minnesota...
and lived briefly in Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. His father was an accountant which required the family to relocate to California. After graduating from Troy High School
Troy High School (California)
Troy High School is a public magnet school situated in Fullerton, California, USA, acclaimed for its Troy Tech and International Baccalaureate programs. It is located in the Fullerton Joint Union High School District...
in Fullerton
Fullerton, California
Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Cherry graduated from California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton is a public university located in Fullerton, California. It is the largest institution in the CSU System by enrollment, it offers long-distance education and adult-degree programs...
's theater program and initially considered a career in performance. After winning $15,000 as a contestant on The $100,000 Pyramid
Pyramid (game show)
Pyramid is an American television game show which has aired several versions. The original series, The $10,000 Pyramid, debuted March 26, 1973 and spawned seven subsequent Pyramid series...
in 1986, he decided to move to Hollywood and pursue writing work. His move came at a bad time; the 1988 writer's strike hit as soon as Cherry arrived. Cherry broke into the industry by working as Designing Women
Designing Women
Designing Women is an American television sitcom that centered on the working and personal lives of four Southern women and one man in an interior design firm in Atlanta, Georgia. It aired on the CBS television network from September 29, 1986 until May 24, 1993. The show was created by head writer...
star Dixie Carter
Dixie Carter
Dixie Virginia Carter was an American film, television and stage actress, best known for her role as Julia Sugarbaker in the CBS sitcom Designing Women...
's personal assistant.
In 1990, he became a writer and producer for the long-running hit sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida...
. Cherry wrote for the show, and its short lived spinoff The Golden Palace
The Golden Palace
The Golden Palace is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 18, 1992, to May 14, 1993. The show was a spin-off and continuation of the sitcom The Golden Girls....
.
When those shows concluded, Cherry co-created The 5 Mrs. Buchanans. The concept of the show centered around the matriarch of the family (played by Eileen Heckart
Eileen Heckart
Eileen Heckart was an American actress of stage, screen, and television.-Early life:Heckart was born Anna Eileen Heckart in Columbus, Ohio, the daughter of Esther and Leo Herbert. She was legally adopted by her grandfather, J.W. Heckart. Her family was of Irish and German descent...
) and the wives of her four sons. The show had a brief run on CBS during the 1994-1995 season.
Cherry also co-created The Crew
The Crew (TV series)
The Crew is an American television sitcom that aired from August 31, 1995 to June 30, 1996 on the FOX Network.-Synopsis:The show followed the lives of a group of flight attendants working for the fictitious Regency Airlines. Jess Jameson and Maggie Reynolds are roommates and work together and...
(1995). On his own, he later created Some of My Best Friends
Some of My Best Friends
for the 1971 film, see Some of My Best Friends Are...Some of My Best Friends is an American sitcom shown on CBS from February 28 until April 11, 2001...
, a 2001 sitcom that was based in part on the film Kiss Me, Guido
Kiss Me, Guido
Kiss Me, Guido is a 1997 independent film comedy. Written and directed by Tony Vitale, it stars Nick Scotti, Anthony Barrile, Anthony DeSando and Craig Chester.-Synopsis:...
.
Desperate Housewives
In 2002, a conversation with his mother inspired him to develop a show about the fractured lives of four upper middle classUpper middle class
The upper middle class is a sociological concept referring to the social group constituted by higher-status members of the middle class. This is in contrast to the term "lower middle class", which is used for the group at the opposite end of the middle class stratum, and to the broader term "middle...
suburban women. After HBO, FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, Showtime, and Lifetime all passed on the show, Cherry got his big break when his agent was arrested and sent to jail for embezzlement
Embezzlement
Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
. His new agents brought the show to ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, which decided to pick it up. The series, Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
, was an immediate ratings smash and generated enormous national (and subsequently, international) debate. Cherry received several lucrative offers from various parties, but chose to sign a long-term deal with Touchstone
Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures is an American film production label and is one of several film labels of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. Established in 1984, its releases typically feature more mature themes and darker tones than those that are released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.Touchstone...
, since their network had shown faith in Desperate Housewives when no one else would.
The show was a phenomenon for much of its first season, but was criticized by TV critics who said the second season of Desperate Housewives was not as creative or as good as the first. Viewers seemed to agree, since the ratings dropped as the season progressed.
Cherry has featured several actors on "Housewives" that he has worked with before; Mark Moses
Mark Moses
Mark W. Moses is an American actor, known for his roles of Paul Young on Desperate Housewives and Herman "Duck" Phillips on the AMC series Mad Men.-Life and career:...
, who played Paul Young
Paul Young (Desperate Housewives)
Paul Young is a fictional character on ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is played by actor Mark Moses. He is the widower of Mary Alice Young, the show's narrator, as well as the widower of Beth Young....
, and Harriet Sansom Harris
Harriet Sansom Harris
Harriet Sansom Harris , often credited as "Harriet Harris" is an American actress best known for her portrayals of Bebe Glazer on Frasier and Felicia Tilman on Desperate Housewives. She won a Tony Award in 2002 as a Featured Actress in a Musical for playing the evil white slaver Mrs. Meers in...
, who played Felicia Tilman, were both cast members of The 5 Mrs. Buchanans. In season three, Cherry cast former boss Dixie Carter
Dixie Carter
Dixie Virginia Carter was an American film, television and stage actress, best known for her role as Julia Sugarbaker in the CBS sitcom Designing Women...
in the role of Gloria Hodge, Orson's unhinged mother. Actor Alec Mapa
Alec Mapa
-Personal life:Mapa, a Filipino American, was born in San Francisco and attended George Washington High School . Mapa is openly gay and lends his support to various projects supporting the gay, lesbian, and Asian American communities...
, who appeared in Some of My Best Friends
Some of My Best Friends
for the 1971 film, see Some of My Best Friends Are...Some of My Best Friends is an American sitcom shown on CBS from February 28 until April 11, 2001...
, appears on "Housewives" in a recurring role as Gabrielle's stylist.
Lawsuit
On April 5, 2010, former Desperate Housewives cast member Nicollette SheridanNicollette Sheridan
Nicollette Sheridan is an English film and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Edie Britt on Desperate Housewives and as Paige Matheson on Knots Landing.-Early life:...
filed a $20 million lawsuit against Cherry and ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, alleging that he had assaulted her on set and wrongfully terminated her contract. Sheridan also alleged in her lawsuit that Cherry was abusive to other actors and writers on the show. ABC said in a statement that they had investigated similar claims made by Sheridan and found them to be of no merit.
The stars of Desperate Housewives (Teri Hatcher
Teri Hatcher
Teri Lynn Hatcher is an American actress, writer, and presenter. She is known for her television roles as Susan Mayer on the ABC comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives, and Lois Lane on the ABC comedy-drama series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman...
, Felicity Huffman
Felicity Huffman
Felicity Kendall Huffman is an American film, stage, and television actress. She is known for her role as executive producer Dana Whitaker on the ABC television show Sports Night , which earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination, and as hectic supermom Lynette Scavo on the ABC show Desperate...
, Marcia Cross
Marcia Cross
Marcia Anne Cross is an American actress. She is known for her television roles as Bree Van de Kamp on the ABC comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives, and as Dr...
and Eva Longoria
Eva Longoria
Eva Jacqueline Longoria is an American actress, best known for portraying Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives...
) have pledged their support to help Marc Cherry in his battle against assault allegations made by Sheridan. At the end of 2010, she removed abuse claims from the suit.
In February 2011, Sheridan won a battle in her Desperate Housewives lawsuit when a judge ruled the actress does not have to give further testimony about conversations with a lawyer she consulted. Sheridan's lawsuit had a hearing on May 3, 2011, followed by a trial which is tentatively scheduled for June 8, 2011.
For the second time, Sheridan averted another legal challenge to her lawsuit against Cherry. The trial began on October 17, 2011.
A judge limited Sheridan's damages in the Desperate Housewives case.
Other credits
Cherry appeared as himself in an episode of Arrested Development, which was created by fellow Golden Girls writer Mitchell HurwitzMitchell Hurwitz
Mitchell D. Hurwitz is an American television writer and producer. He is best known as the creator of the television sitcom Arrested Development as well as the co-creator of The Ellen Show, and a contributor to The John Larroquette Show and The Golden Girls.-Birth and early life:Hurwitz was born...
.
Political affiliation
Cherry was described in an article about him in NewsweekNewsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
as a "somewhat conservative, gay Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
."
On June 29, 2006, Cherry accepted Log Cabin Republicans
Log Cabin Republicans
The Log Cabin Republicans is an organization that works within the Republican Party to advocate equal rights for all Americans, including gays and lesbians in the United States with state chapters and a national office in Washington, D.C...
' American Visibility Award at a dinner in Hollywood where the main award recipient was California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
, who received the club's "Courage To Lead" Award.