Sam Simon Biography

Fast Facts

• Made generous donations to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and PETA and, after learning he had cancer, gave nearly all of his royalties from "The Simpsons" to charity
• Started The Sam Simon Foundation to provide service dogs for the disabled, including veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
• Graduated from Stanford University in 1977, having originally been recruited for the football team, which he quit after one day of practice
• Got his start as a sports cartoonist for The San Francisco Chronicle while he was still a student at Stanford
• While working as a storyboard artist and writer for Filmation Studios, his script for "Taxi" was accepted and he became one of the main writers for the show and went on to write and produce for other shows like "Cheers․"
• Quote: "[on "The Simpsons"] "I thought some people would like some aspects of it, but I wasn't sure how many would come along for the full ride․ It turned out I was incredibly wrong․ Homer is now the prototype for every male lead on a comedy show․""
• After leaving "The Simpsons," he helped develop "The Drew Carey Show" and became a competitive poker player, hosting celebrity Texas hold 'em tournaments on Playboy TV
• Was credited as a major creative force behind the early development of "The Simpsons," insisting that the voice actors record as an ensemble and hiring many of the show's first writers
• Best known as the co-creator of "The Simpsons" with Matt Groening and James L․ Brooks
• Became a boxing manager for Lamon Brewster, who would go on to win the 2004 World Boxing Organization heavyweight championship, in 1997