Donald P. Bellisario facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Donald P. Bellisario
Bellisario at Leap Con in 1993
Born	Donald Paul Bellisario (1935-08-08) August 8, 1935 (age 90) Cokeburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Alma mater	Pennsylvania State University
Occupation	Television producer, screenwriter
Years active	1977–present
Known for	Magnum, P.I.; Tales of the Gold Monkey; Airwolf; Quantum Leap; JAG; NCIS
Spouse(s)	Margaret Schaffran ​ ​ (m. 1956; div. 1974)​ Lynn Halpern ​ ​ (m. 1979; div. 1984)​ Deborah Pratt ​ ​ (m. 1984; div. 1991)​ Vivienne Lee Murray ​ ​ (m. 1998)​
Children	7, including Michael and Troian
Relatives	Sean Murray (stepson) Patrick J. Adams (son-in-law)
Awards	Hollywood Walk of Fame
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1955–1959
Rank	Sergeant

Donald Paul Bellisario (born August 8, 1935) is a famous American television producer and screenwriter. He is known for creating and writing many popular TV shows. Some of his most well-known series include Magnum, P.I., Airwolf, Quantum Leap, JAG, and NCIS.

Early Life and Education

Donald Bellisario was born in Cokeburg, Pennsylvania, on August 8, 1935. His father was Italian-American, and his mother was Serbian-American.

Before starting his career in television, Bellisario served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was a Marine from 1955 to 1959 and reached the rank of sergeant. He once had an interesting encounter with Lee Harvey Oswald in 1958 while in the Marines.

After his military service, Bellisario went to Pennsylvania State University. He earned a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1961.

In 1965, Bellisario began working in advertising. He started as a copywriter in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Later, he became a creative director at an agency in Dallas, Texas. After eight years in advertising, he moved to Hollywood. There, he began to follow his dream of writing and producing for television.

A Career in Television

Donald Bellisario learned from other successful TV producers. He often used a small group of actors in many of his different shows. This helped create a familiar feel across his productions.

Creating Hit TV Shows

Bellisario created or helped create several very popular TV series. These include:

• Magnum, P.I.
• Airwolf
• Quantum Leap
• JAG
• NCIS

He also worked as a writer and producer on other shows. These included Black Sheep Squadron and the original Battlestar Galactica. In 1988, he wrote and directed a movie called Last Rites.

Characters with Military Ties

Many of the main characters in Bellisario's shows have military backgrounds. They are often former or current members of the United States Navy or Marines. For example:

• Tom Selleck's character in Magnum, P.I. was a former Naval Intelligence officer.
• Jan-Michael Vincent's character in Airwolf was a Vietnam veteran.
• Harmon "Harm" Rabb, Jr. from JAG was a Naval Aviator.
• Leroy Jethro Gibbs from NCIS is a retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant.

Interestingly, several of his main characters share August 8 as their birthday, which is also Bellisario's birthday!

Awards and Inspirations

In 2004, Donald Bellisario received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This is a special honor for people who have made great contributions to entertainment.

Bellisario shared that he was inspired to create Quantum Leap after reading a novel about time travel. His own experience serving alongside Lee Harvey Oswald even became the basis for a special episode of Quantum Leap in 1992.

Later Career and Company Name

Bellisario stepped back from his main creative role on NCIS in 2007. His production company is called "Belisarius Productions." This name comes from the Roman general Flavius Belisarius. "Bellisario" is an Italian version of the name "Belisarius."

Family Life

Donald Bellisario has been married four times and has seven children. Many of his children have also worked in television.

He married Margaret Schaffran in 1956. They had four children: Joy, David, Leslie, and Julie. David Bellisario was a producer on NCIS: Los Angeles, and Julie Bellisario-Watson is a producer on NCIS.

He later married Lynn Halpern in 1979. They had a son named Michael Bellisario. Michael has acted in his father's shows, including JAG and NCIS.

His third marriage was to Deborah Pratt in 1984. Deborah Pratt was an actress in Bellisario's show Airwolf. They had two children: Troian and Nicholas. Troian Bellisario is a well-known actress. She appeared in NCIS, Quantum Leap, and JAG, but is most famous for her role in the series Pretty Little Liars.

In 1998, Bellisario married Vivienne Murray. Through this marriage, he gained two stepsons, Chad and Sean Murray. Sean Murray is an actor who plays Timothy McGee on NCIS.

Giving Back and Recognition

Donald Bellisario has been recognized for his achievements and his generosity.

In 2001, Pennsylvania State University named him a Distinguished Alumnus. This is the highest honor a graduate can receive from the university.

In 2006, Bellisario donated $1 million to Penn State to create a scholarship. He wanted to help students who had served in the military, just like he did. He remembered how hard it was to pay for college after returning from the Marines with a family.

In 2016, he received a Visionary Award from UCLA Neurosurgery.

In 2017, Penn State honored him further by renaming its College of Communications. It is now called the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. This was in recognition of a very large donation he made to the university.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Donald P. Bellisario para niños