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Steve O'Donnell Biography

Birth Name:Steve O'Donnell

Birth Place:Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Profession Writer, Producer, Actor, Soundtrack

Fast Facts

  • Received the WGA East Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence in 2017
  • Graduated from Harvard University in 1976
  • Is the twin brother of fellow writer Mark O'Donnell
  • Before getting into television, he worked as a writer for a greeting card company
  • Started writing in college with the satirical Harvard Lampoon
  • Best known as a writer for comedic shows, such as "The Chris Rock Show," "Late Night with David Letterman" and "Seinfeld․"
  • [On the challenges of producing new material constantly] "I have to say there are certainly times where coming up with stuff seems a little bit harder than others, but that seems less the struggle in my experience than trying to sell something or trying to deal with the politics in a show․ Those seem like the larger challenges․"
  • Once worked as an American history teaching assistant

Awards

  • 1984Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: winner
  • 1984Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
  • 1984Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
  • 1985Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
  • 1985Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
  • 1986Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: winner
  • 1987Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: winner
  • 1988Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
  • 1989Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
  • 1990Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
  • 1991Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
  • 1992Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
  • 1993Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
  • 1994Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
  • 1998Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program: nominated
  • 1999Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program: winner
  • 2000Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program: nominated
  • 2001Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program: nominated
  • 2010Daytime Emmy-Outstanding Special Class Writing: nominated