Chuck Lorre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chuck Lorre
|
|
|---|---|
Lorre in 2013
|
|
| Born |
Charles Michael Levine
October 18, 1952 Plainview, New York, U.S.
|
| Occupation | Writer, producer, director, composer |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Paula Smith
(m. 1979; div. 1992)Karen Witter
(m. 2001; div. 2010)Arielle Mandelson
(m. 2018; div. 2024) |
| Children | 2 |
Charles Michael Lorre (born October 18, 1952) is an American television producer, writer, director, and composer. He is often called the "King of Sitcoms" because he has created or helped create many popular TV shows. Some of his famous sitcoms include Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, and Mom. He also worked as an executive producer for Roseanne. Lorre has won three Golden Globe Awards for his work on Roseanne, Cybill, and The Kominsky Method.
Contents
Early Life & Education
Chuck Lorre was born in Plainview, New York. His family was Jewish. His father, Robert, owned a small restaurant that did not do well, which caused some money troubles for the family.
After finishing high school, Lorre went to State University of New York at Potsdam. However, he left college after two years. He wanted to become a songwriter instead. He changed his last name from Levine to Lorre when he was 26 years old.
Career in Television
After leaving college, Lorre traveled around the United States. He played guitar and wrote songs. He even wrote a song called "French Kissin'" that Deborah Harry recorded. It became a popular song in the UK.
In the early 1980s, Lorre started writing scripts for animated TV shows. His first cartoon project was Heathcliff. He also helped write music for the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series.
Later, in the late 1980s, he began writing for sitcoms. He joined the writing team for Roseanne. Even though he left the show due to creative differences, his work on Roseanne impressed other producers. This led him to create his first show, Frannie's Turn, which only aired for five weeks.
Creating Hit Sitcoms
Lorre's second show as a creator was Grace Under Fire. It started in 1993 and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. His next show was Cybill, starring Cybill Shepherd. Lorre left after two seasons, but Cybill continued for four seasons and won awards.
In 1997, Lorre created Dharma & Greg with Dottie Zicklin. This show was about two people, Dharma and Greg, who were complete opposites. Dharma was a free spirit, while Greg was very structured. The show received many nominations and awards.
Lorre then signed a deal with Warner Bros. Television in 2000. This led to his fifth show, Two and a Half Men, which he created with Lee Aronsohn. The show was about two brothers, Charlie and Alan, and Alan's son, Jake. It became a very popular sitcom. In 2011, the show had some production issues. The actor Charlie Sheen left the show. Lorre then changed the story and brought in Ashton Kutcher as a new character.
Lorre's next big show was The Big Bang Theory, which he created with Bill Prady. It followed two brilliant but socially awkward physicists, Sheldon and Leonard. They become friends with their outgoing neighbor, Penny. The show was very popular and ran from 2007 to 2019. It also led to two spin-off shows: Young Sheldon and Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage.
In 2018, Lorre created The Kominsky Method. This show was about an aging acting coach. It starred Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin. The show won Lorre another Golden Globe Award in 2019.
Other Notable Shows
Chuck Lorre was also an executive producer for Mike & Molly, which started in 2010. His seventh show, Mom, premiered in 2013. It ran for eight successful seasons.
Another show produced by Lorre was United States of Al. This show received some criticism for its humor and how it portrayed characters.
Vanity Cards
Chuck Lorre is known for his unique "vanity cards" at the end of his TV shows. These are short messages that appear for only a few seconds after the credits. He started doing this with Dharma & Greg, and it became his trademark.
Each card has a different message. They are like short essays or observations about life. The topics can be very different, from music to his thoughts on his shows. Since they are shown so quickly, viewers often have to pause their TV or visit Lorre's website to read them all. Sometimes, CBS has censored his vanity cards, but Lorre always posts both the original and censored versions online.
In 2012, Lorre published a book called What Doesn't Kill Us Makes Us Bitter. It was a collection of his vanity cards. He also created a special vanity card for Bookie, his first show made for streaming TV. In this card, he joked about whether anyone would even read vanity cards on streaming services where people often skip credits.
Selected Credits
.jpg)
| Title | Year | Creator / Showrunner | Director | Writer | Executive Producer | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heathcliff | 1984–1985 | No | No | Yes | No | Syndicated | |
| Pole Position | 1984 | No | No | Yes | No | CBS | |
| Wolf Rock TV | 1984 | No | No | Yes | No | ABC | |
| M.A.S.K. | 1985 | No | No | Yes | No | Syndicated | |
| Muppets, Babies and Monsters | 1985 | No | No | Yes | No | CBS | |
| My Little Pony 'n Friends | 1986 | No | No | Yes | No | Syndicated | |
| Defenders of the Earth | 1986–1987 | No | No | Yes | No | Syndicated | |
| Charles in Charge | 1987 | No | No | Yes | No | CBS | |
| My Two Dads | 1987–1990 | No | No | Yes | No | NBC | |
| The New Adventures of Beany and Cecil | 1988 | No | No | Yes | No | ABC | |
| Roseanne | 1990–1992 | No | No | Yes | Yes | ABC | |
| Toxic Crusaders | 1991 | No | No | Yes | No | Syndicated | |
| Frannie's Turn | 1992 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | CBS | |
| Grace Under Fire | 1993–1998 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | ABC | |
| Cybill | 1995–1998 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | CBS | |
| Dharma & Greg | 1997–2002 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ABC | |
| Two and a Half Men | 2003–2015 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | CBS | |
| The Big Bang Theory | 2007–2019 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | CBS | |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | 2008 | No | No | Yes | No | CBS | |
| Mike & Molly | 2010–2016 | No | No | Yes | Yes | CBS | |
| Mom | 2013–2021 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | CBS | |
| Disjointed | 2017–2018 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Netflix | |
| Young Sheldon | 2017–2024 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | CBS | |
| The Kominsky Method | 2018–2021 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Netflix | |
| Bob Hearts Abishola | 2019–2024 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | CBS | |
| B Positive | 2020–2022 | No | No | Yes | Yes | CBS | |
| United States of Al | 2021–2022 | No | No | Yes | Yes | CBS | |
| Bookie | 2023–present | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Max | |
| Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage | 2024–present | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | CBS |
Timeline of Shows
Awards & Recognition
Chuck Lorre has received many awards for his work in television. He won BMI Television Music Awards several times for Two and a Half Men.
In 2009, Lorre received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This is a special honor for people who have made big contributions to entertainment. He also received an honorary degree from the State University of New York at Potsdam, where he once studied.
In 2012, Lorre was added to the Television Academy Hall of Fame. This means he is recognized as one of the most important people in television history. He has won Golden Globe Awards for Roseanne (1993), Cybill (1996), and The Kominsky Method (2019). In 2019, he also received the Critics' Choice Award for Creative Achievement.
Personal Life
Chuck Lorre has been married three times. His first marriage was to Paula Smith in 1979. They had two children together before they divorced after 13 years.
He later married actress, model, and author Karen Witter. They were married for about ten years before divorcing in 2010.
In 2018, Lorre married Arielle Mandelson. They divorced in 2024.
See also
In Spanish: Chuck Lorre para niños
