James Lawrence Brooks (born May 9, 1940) is an American director, producer, screenwriter and co-founder of Gracie Films. He co-created the sitcoms The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi, and The Simpsons and directed the films Terms of Endearment (1983), Broadcast News (1987), and As Good as It Gets (1997). He received numerous accolades, including three Academy Awards, 22 Emmy Awards, and a Golden Globe Award. Brooks started his career as an usher at CBS, going on to write for the CBS News broadcasts. He moved to Los Angeles in 1965 to work on David L. Wolper's documentaries. He wrote for My Mother the Car and My Friend Tony and created the series Room 222. Grant Tinker hired Brooks and producer Allan Burns at MTM Productions to create The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1970. Brooks and Burns then created two successful spin-offs from Mary Tyler Moore: Rhoda (a comedy) and Lou Grant (a drama). Brooks left MTM Productions in 1978 to co-create the sitcom Taxi (1978-1983). Brooks moved into feature film work when he wrote and co-produced the 1979 film Starting Over. His next project was the critically acclaimed film Terms of Endearment, which he produced, directed and wrote, winning an Academy Award for all three roles. He earned acclaim for his films Broadcast News (1987) and As Good as It Gets (1997). He received mixed reviews for  I'll Do Anything (1994), Spanglish (2004), and How Do You Know (2010). Brooks also produced Cameron Crowe's Say Anything... (1989) and Wes Anderson's Bottle Rocket (1996). In 1986, Brooks founded Gracie Films, a television and film company. Although he did not intend to do so, Brooks returned to television in 1987 as the producer of The Tracey Ullman Show. He hired cartoonist Matt Groening to create a series of shorts for the show, which led in 1989 to The Simpsons. The Simpsons won numerous awards and is still running after over 35 years. Brooks also co-produced and co-wrote the 2007 film adaptation of the show, The Simpsons Movie. Brooks has received 53 Emmy nominations, winning 21 of them. Description above from the Wikipedia article James L. Brooks, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Filmography

• 2027The New Simpsons Movie — Producer, Screenplay
• 2026Extreme Makeover: Homer Edition — Executive Producer
• 2026Simpsley — Executive Producer
• 2026Yellow Mirror — Executive Producer
• 2025Ella McCay — Director, Writer, Producer
• 2024May the 12th Be with You — Producer
• 2024The Most Wonderful Time of the Year — Producer
• 2024The Simpsons: O C'mon All Ye Faithful — Executive Producer
• 2023Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. — Producer
• 2023Maggie Simpson in "Rogue Not Quite One" — Producer
• 2022Welcome to the Club — Producer
• 2022When Billie Met Lisa — Producer
• 2021Maggie Simpson in "The Force Awakens from Its Nap" — Producer
• 2021The Good, the Bart, and the Loki — Producer
• 2021The Simpsons in Plusaversary — Producer
• 2021The Simpsons | Balenciaga — Producer
• 2020Maggie Simpson in "Playdate with Destiny" — Writer, Producer
• 2018Icebox — Producer
• 2016The Edge of Seventeen — Producer
• 2014Ride — Thanks
• 2012Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare" — Writer, Producer
• 201150/50 — Thanks
• 2010How Do You Know — Director, Producer, Writer
• 2007The Simpsons Movie — Screenplay, Producer
• 2004Spanglish — Director, Producer, Writer
• 2003The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror — Writer
• 2001Riding in Cars with Boys — Producer
• What About Joan? — Producer
• 1999The Simpsons: Too Hot For TV — Scenario Writer
• 1997As Good as It Gets — Director, Screenplay, Producer
• 1996Bottle Rocket — Executive Producer
• 1996Jerry Maguire — Producer
• 1994I'll Do Anything — Director, Writer, Producer
• The Critic — Producer
• Phenom — Producer
• 1991My Own Private Idaho — Thanks
• Sibs — Producer
• 1990The Best of the Tracey Ullman Show — Executive Producer
• 1989Say Anything... — Executive Producer
• The Simpsons — James L. Brooks (voice), Writer, Executive Producer
• 1989The Simpsons: Family Therapy — Producer
• 1989The War of the Roses — Producer
• 1988Big — Producer
• 1987Broadcast News — Director, Producer, Writer
• The Simpsons: Tracey Ullman Shorts — Executive Producer
• The Tracey Ullman Show — Writer, Executive Producer, Creator
• 1986Jumpin' Jack Flash — Thanks
• 1985Lost in America — Party Guest (uncredited)
• 1983Terms of Endearment — Director, Screenplay, Producer
• 1981Modern Romance — David
• 1980Carlton Your Doorman — Characters
• 1979Real Life — Driving Evaluator
• 1979Starting Over — Producer, Screenplay
• The Associates — Producer, Creator
• 1978Cindy — Writer, Producer
• Taxi — Boxing Fan (uncredited), Writer, Executive Producer, Creator
• Lou Grant — Executive Producer, Creator
• 1976Audience Research — Paul Reynold
• Saturday Night Live — Paul Reynolds (uncredited)
• Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers — Creator
• Rhoda — Writer, Producer, Creator
• 1974Thursday's Game — Writer, Producer
• The Mary Tyler Moore Show — Rabbi (uncredited), Writer, Executive Producer, Creator
• Room 222 — Creator
• The Doris Day Show — Writer
• Accidental Family — Writer
• That Girl — Writer
• My Mother the Car — Writer
• The Andy Griffith Show — Writer
• The Process

Appearances as themselves (20)

• 2025Paddy Chayefsky: Collector of Words — Self
• 2025Thank You Very Much — Self
• Disney Legends Award Ceremony — Self - Honoree
• 2023Albert Brooks: Defending My Life — Self
• 2023Being Mary Tyler Moore — Self (voice)
• 2022Hans Zimmer: Hollywood Rebel — Self
• 2019Alan Pakula: Going for Truth — Self
• The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling — Self
• 2016Harry Benson: Shoot First — Self
• 2016Mike Nichols: An American Master — Self
• 2015Misery Loves Comedy — Self
• 2011Hans Zimmer: The Sound of Hollywood — Self
• 2011James L. Brooks: A Singular Voice — Self (archive footage)
• 2010The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special - In 3D! On Ice! — Self
• 2008The Making of 'Bottle Rocket' — Self
• 2007Dreams on Spec — Self
• 2004Jack Nicholson: The Joker Is Wild — Self
• 2000The Simpsons: America's First Family — Self
• 1998The Director's Vision: Hollywood's Best Discuss Their Craft — himself
• Prisoners of Gravity — Self