Paris Barclay facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paris Barclay
Barclay in 2013
Born	Paris K. C. Barclay (1956-06-30) June 30, 1956 (age 69) Chicago Heights, Illinois, United States
Alma mater	Harvard University
Occupation	Television director
Years active	1989–present
Spouse(s)	Christopher Mason ​ (m. 2008)​
Children	2

Paris K. C. Barclay (born June 30, 1956) is a famous American television director, producer, and writer. He has won two Emmy Awards, which are like the Oscars for TV. He is one of the busiest TV directors, having directed almost 200 episodes.

Some of the popular shows he has directed include NYPD Blue, ER, The West Wing, CSI, Lost, The Shield, House, Sons of Anarchy, Glee, and Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.

Paris Barclay also helps produce many shows he directs. Sometimes, he even writes or helps create them. From 2013 to 2017, he was the President of the Directors Guild of America. This is a big group for directors. In 2023, he made history by becoming the first Black director to be nominated for an Emmy in every main drama category.

Early Life and School

Paris Barclay was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois. He grew up in the Catholic faith. He went to La Lumiere School, which is a private boarding school. He was one of the first African-American students there on a scholarship.

After high school, Barclay went to Harvard College. He loved student musical theatre and sang in an a cappella group called The Harvard Krokodiloes. While at Harvard, he wrote 16 musicals. He even wrote music for two of the famous Hasty Pudding Theatricals shows.

He went to both La Lumiere School and Harvard with John Roberts. John Roberts is now the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. His college roommate was Arthur Golden, who wrote the book Memoirs of a Geisha.

Music Video Career

After college, Paris Barclay worked in advertising for a while. Then, he started his own company called Black & White Television. He began directing and producing music videos.

He directed videos for many famous artists. These included Bob Dylan, New Kids On The Block, Janet Jackson, and Luther Vandross. He is well-known for directing eight videos for LL Cool J. One of these was "Mama Said Knock You Out". This video won awards from MTV and Billboard. It was even listed by The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 500 songs that shaped rock and roll.

In 2013, Complex Magazine called "Mama Said Knock You Out" one of the top 50 rap videos of the 1990s. They said it helped connect boxing and rap music. Barclay also directed music videos for movies. These included House Party (1990) and Cool Runnings (1993).

In 2012, Barclay directed his first music video in 16 years. He worked with LL Cool J and Joe on the song "Take It". He also used his music video skills for an episode of the TV show Smash. Critics said his direction made the musical numbers feel like music videos.

Film and Television Career

1990s: Starting in TV

Paris Barclay began his TV career in 1992. He directed an episode of Angel Street. He was hired by John Wells, who later became a very successful producer.

In 1996, Barclay directed the movie Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood. It starred Shawn and Marlon Wayans. Even though reviews were mixed, the movie was popular and became a cult classic. He also directed an HBO movie called The Cherokee Kid (1996).

After directing episodes of ER, Barclay joined NYPD Blue. He directed many episodes and became a producer. He won two Emmy Awards for directing while working on NYPD Blue. One of his Emmy-winning episodes was "Hearts and Souls". This episode, about the death of a main character, is considered one of TV Guide's 100 Best Episodes ever.

2000s: More Hit Shows

In 2000, Barclay helped create City of Angels. This was a medical drama with a mostly African-American cast. It aired on CBS and won two NAACP awards.

In 2002, he worked with John Wells again. He produced and directed a TV pilot called The Big Time. Over the next few years, Barclay directed many different TV shows. These included Cold Case, The West Wing, Law & Order, Lost, House, The Shield, Weeds, Monk, The Good Wife, NCIS: Los Angeles, Sons of Anarchy, CSI, and Glee.

From 2008 to 2010, Barclay was an executive producer and director for In Treatment on HBO. He directed 36 episodes of this show. In 2008, he also worked with writer Dustin Lance Black to write the MTV movie Pedro. This film told the story of Pedro Zamora from The Real World: San Francisco.

2010s: Executive Producer and Advocacy

In 2011, Barclay became an executive producer and main director for Sons of Anarchy on FX. He stayed with the show until its final season in 2014.

He also directed two episodes of Glee in 2013. For his work on the "Diva" episode, he was nominated for another Emmy. In 2014, he directed the 100th episode of Glee, which earned him another Emmy nomination. He also directed episodes of The Good Wife, Extant (starring Halle Berry), and Manhattan.

In 2015, Barclay was an executive producer and director for The Bastard Executioner. He also directed an episode of the popular show Empire. In 2016, he directed an episode of Shonda Rhimes' show Scandal. He also worked on the first season of Pitch.

In 2017, Barclay directed the first episode and was an executive producer for Station 19. This show is a spin-off of Grey's Anatomy and is about firefighters.

In 2019, Barclay worked with the Human Rights Campaign and Dustin Lance Black. They created a campaign called "Americans for the Equality Act". This campaign featured many celebrities like Sally Field and Jamie Lee Curtis. It helped raise awareness for the Equality Act, which protects LGBTQ people from discrimination.

2020s: Recent Work

In 2021, Barclay directed a virtual reading of Larry Kramer's play The Normal Heart. He also directed two episodes of the Ryan Murphy Netflix series Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. This series was watched by over a billion hours on Netflix. Barclay's work on episode 6, "Silenced," was highly praised. He received a 2023 Emmy nomination for it.

After Dahmer, Paris Barclay worked with Ryan Murphy again. He was an executive producer and director for two episodes of the Netflix series The Watcher. This show was also a big hit.

In 2024, Barclay directed two episodes of American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez. He also directed a documentary about the musician Billy Preston.

Work in Musical Theater

Paris Barclay has also worked in musical theater. In 1984, his musical On Hold With Music was shown at Manhattan Theater Club. He wrote both the music and the story for this show, which was based on his life in advertising.

In 1985, he wrote another musical called Almos' a Man. It was based on a short story by Richard Wright.

In 2001, Barclay returned to composing music. He created a musical called Letters from ‘Nam. It was based on letters from the Vietnam War. The play was praised by many. In 2003, he wrote songs for and co-directed Order My Steps. This musical was about how the African-American church responded to the AIDS epidemic.

Later, Letters from ‘Nam was reworked and called One Red Flower: Letters from ‘Nam. It was produced again and received more praise. Barclay is now working to turn One Red Flower into a television movie.

Directors Guild of America

In June 2013, Paris Barclay was elected President of the Directors Guild of America (DGA). This was a historic moment. He was the first African-American and the first openly gay person to hold this position.

He said he was very honored to lead the DGA. He wanted to continue the DGA's work to help directors and their teams. Before becoming President, Barclay served as the First Vice President of the DGA for four terms. He was the first African-American officer in the DGA's history.

He also led the DGA's Political Action Committee. This group works to protect directors' rights and interests. He helped encourage studios to hire more women and minority directors. Barclay was re-elected as President in 2015. He finished his second term in 2017.

Even after his presidency, Barclay continues to work for the DGA. He helps teach new directors. He also helped create rules for the industry to return to work safely after the COVID shutdown. In 2021, he was named an Honorary Life Member of the DGA. This is one of the highest honors from the group. He is currently the Guild's Secretary/Treasurer.

Reputation

Over his three decades as a director, Paris Barclay has become known as a very skilled director. He can work well in many different types of TV shows. Variety magazine called him a "highly adaptive force" and "one of the most reputable TV directors in Hollywood."

Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter said that his show found its "groove" when Barclay joined as a director. He praised Barclay for understanding both the creative and practical sides of making a show.

Glee actor Blake Jenner said Barclay was very helpful when guiding him through a difficult scene. TV critic Matt Zoller Seitz also praised Barclay. He said Barclay is one of the few directors who can truly manage and lead a TV show like a writer can.

Ryan Murphy, the creator of Glee, called Barclay's episode "Wheels" a "turning point for the show."

Many of Barclay's former assistants have become very successful in Hollywood. These include Kevin Williamson, who wrote Scream and created Dawson’s Creek. Other former assistants now hold important roles at major TV companies.

Personal Life

Paris Barclay has been openly gay since his college days. He married Christopher Barclay (formerly Mason) in 2008. They had been partners for 10 years. They have two children together.

He has said that some of his favorite movies are The Godfather Part II, Psycho II, A Simple Plan, Alien, and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

Filmography

Film

• Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996)

Television

TV movies

• America's Dream (1996)
• The Cherokee Kid (1996)
• The Big Time (2002)

Music video

Awards and Nominations

Competitive Awards

Honorary Awards