(aka JJ's Dad)
*For FULL list of credits in both television and movies,
click here for his complete IMDB listing.
Gerald W. Abrams began his television career in 1965, with WCBS TV as an
account executive, and worked his way up through CBS Television national sales
to head the West Coast Sales Department in 1971. Shortly thereafter, he was
appointed General Sales Manager of KCBS, the CBS-owned station in Los Angeles.
In 1973, Abrams joined The Jozak Company as Vice President of Creative Affairs,
and segued into his producing career by producing a GE Theater Presentation
"The Secret Life of John Chapman." While with Jozak, a few of the projects
Abrams executive-produced were "James Dean, Portrait Of A Friend," "Red Alert,"
the Emmy award-winning "The Defection Of Simas Kudirka," starring Alan Arkin,
and the ABC series "Julie Farr, M.D."
Abrams formed his own company, Cypress Point Productions, in 1978. Through
Cypress Point, he executive-produced "Flesh And Blood," starring John
Cassavetes and Denzel Washington, "Letters From Frank," starring Art Carney,
"The Gift" starring Glenn Ford, "Act Of Love," starring Ron Howard and Mickey
Rourke, "Berlin Tunnel 21," starring Richard Thomas, "Marian Rose White,"
starring Katherine Ross and Valerie Perri, the CBS series "Cutter To Houston,"
starring Alec Baldwin, "Found Money," starring Dick Van Dyke and Sid Caesar,
"Scorned And Swindled," starring Tuesday Weld, and the Emmy award-winning
"Florence Nightingale," "A Woman Called Golda," starring Ingrid Bergman for
Operation Primetime.
In addition to his television credits, Abrams was also the executive producer of
"Hearts Of Fire," a theatrical film for Lorimar, starring Bob Dylan and Rupert
Everett.
Abrams formed Phoenix Entertainment Group with Gerald Isenberg in July of
1985. In February of 1989, Phoenix was acquired by The Hearst Corporation and
renamed Hearst Entertainment Productions.
Abrams was also the producer of the four-hour miniseries, "Monte Carlo," shot
entirely on location in France, and executive-producer of "A Father's Revenge,"
for ABC, which was filmed in Berlin, starring Brian Dennehy and Joanna Cassidy.
Also in '89, he executive-produced the two-hour movie for ABC and London
Weekend Television, "Jekyll & Hyde,” starring Michael Caine and Cheryl Ladd,
filmed on location in England, which was followed by "Daughter Of Darkness,"
starring Anthony Perkins, which was filmed in Budapest, Hungary, for CBS.
Abrams also executive produced “Family of Spies” the five-hour mini-series for
CBS starring Powers Boothe and Lesley Ann Warren for which she was nominated
for an Emmy.
Abrams served on the Board of Directors of the Hollywood Radio and Television
Society from 1982 to 1984, and has remained a very active alumnus of The
Pennsylvania State University, having served on the Alumni Council and on the
Board of Advisors to The College of Communications. In 1984, he was made an
Alumni Fellow and received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1986. Additionally,
he served on the Alumni Board of Directors for The College of Communications.
Next, through his company Cypress Point Productions, Mr. Abrams executive
produced “Black and Blue,” based on Pulitzer Prize winning author Anna Quindlen’
s best selling novel, as well as “Nuremberg,” a four-hour mini-series for Turner
Network Television starring Alec Baldwin and Brian Cox, which was nominated for
both the Golden Globes and Emmy Awards, and “Second Honeymoon” starring
Roma Downey and Tim Matheson for CBS. Following the critical success of those
films, Mr. Abrams Executive produced the Hallmark Channel’s “A Christmas
Visitor.”
This year, Mr. Abrams executive produced “44 Minutes,” the FX Network’s highest
rated show in its nine-year history as well as the Emmy winning “Out of the
Ashes” for Showtime starring Christine Lahti and directed by Joseph Sargent.
In the coming months, ABC will air “The Mystery of Natalie Wood” executive
produced by Mr. Abrams and based on Suzanne Finstad’s biography of Natalie
Wood. Additionally, Abrams is developing many other high profile projects
including “See Arnold Run” with Michael Goldstein about the historic California
recall election for A&E.
Gerald’s wife, Carol Abrams, is a Peabody Award winning producer and co-author
of “Shared Memories.” They have two children, J.J. Abrams, who has written and
produced the motion picture “Regarding Henry,” wrote “Forever Young,”
“Armageddon,” and is the creator and Executive Producer of the television series
“Felicity” and “Alias,” and Tracy Abrams, a screenwriter who has written for
series television.
Additional info (from ESPN Press Release dated May 2, 2005) --
Emmy & Tony Award-Winning Actor Christopher Plummer to Star in ESPN Original
Movie Four Minutes; Actor Jamie MacLachlan to Play Roger Bannister --
Veteran stage, screen and television actor Christopher Plummer has been cast as
track coach Archie Mason in the upcoming ESPN Original Entertainment (EOE)
movie, Four Minutes, the inspiring true story of one man’s courage, passion and
sheer determination in accomplishing what was considered impossible – running
the first sub-four-minute mile. British stage actor Jamie Maclachlan will play the
lead role of Sir Roger Bannister. Principle photography will begin in Toronto on
May 6 -- the 51st anniversary of Bannister’s historic run. Four Minutes will
premiere Thursday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Four Minutes was written by award-winning journalist, author and sports
commentator Frank DeFord. The movie will be directed by Charles Beeson, whose
roster of work includes Second Sight starring Clive Owen and Agatha Christies’s
The Pale Horse. Four Minutes will be executive produced by award-winning TV
and movie producer Gerald W. Abrams of Cypress Point Productions (The Mystery
of Natalie Wood, Nuremberg) and acclaimed Olympic filmmaker Bud Greenspan.
- Christopher Award for THE DEFECTION OF SIMAS KUDIRKA (1977)
- Ohio State Film Award for THE DEFECTION OF SIMAS KUDIRKA
(1977) - Gilbert Award for THE DEFECTION OF SIMAS KUDIRKA (1977)
- Five Emmy Nominations for THE DEFECTION OF SIMAS KUDIRKA
(1977) - Humanitarian Award for THE GIFT (1979)
- Emmy Award for Best Picture for A WOMAN CALLED GOLDA (1981)
- Two Golden Globe Nominations for FAMILY OF SPIES (1990)
- Five Emmy Nominations for FAMILY OF SPIES (1990)
- CableACE Award Nomination for MODERN MARVELS: MOUNT
RUSHMORE (1994)
