Garry Shandling

Biography:

Garry Emmanuel Shandling was born on November 29, 1949, in Chicago to a Jewish family. His mother, Muriel Estelle (née Singer), owned a pet store, while his father, Irving Shandling, ran a print shop. The family later moved to Tucson, Arizona, so that his older brother Barry could receive treatment for cystic fibrosis. Sadly, Barry passed away from the disease when Garry was just ten years old. After graduating from Palo Verde High School, Shandling enrolled at the University of Arizona to study electrical engineering but eventually earned a degree in marketing and later pursued postgraduate studies in creative writing.

At age 19, Shandling approached comedian George Carlin with his jokes at a Phoenix club. Carlin encouraged him, telling him his material was strong. In 1973, Shandling relocated to Los Angeles, briefly worked in advertising, and began selling scripts for shows such as Sanford and Son and Welcome Back, Kotter. He also attended a story meeting for Three’s Company, where he realized he preferred performing over writing, a decision that led him to stand-up comedy.

His first stand-up appearance was at The Comedy Store in 1978. The following year, during a comedians’ strike over unpaid performances, Shandling crossed the picket line, a move that highlighted his background as a successful sitcom writer rather than a struggling comic. On stage, he developed a nervous, uptight persona, which resonated with audiences. In 1981, he debuted on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, where he became a regular guest host until 1987.

Shandling’s comedy specials included Garry Shandling: Alone in Vegas (1984), The Garry Shandling Show: 25th Anniversary Special (1986), and Garry Shandling: Stand-Up (1991). Alongside Alan Zweibel, he co-created It’s Garry Shandling’s Show in 1985, a sitcom that broke the fourth wall and often played with the conventions of television. Running until 1990, it earned multiple award nominations and wins, including four CableACE Awards.

Throughout his career, Shandling hosted the Grammy Awards four times (1990, 1991, 1993, and 1994) and the Emmy Awards in 2000, 2003, and 2004. His film credits included Love Affair, Mixed Nuts, Hurlyburly, What Planet Are You From? (which he also co-wrote), Town & Country, Over the Hedge (as the voice of Verne), and appearances in the Marvel films Iron Man 2 (2010) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). He also wrote Confessions of a Late Night Talk Show Host (1999), a satirical book in the voice of his alter-ego Larry Sanders.

In addition to comedy, Shandling had memorable television appearances, including a spoof episode of The X-Files and a later appearance on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee with Jerry Seinfeld in 2016, just two months before his death.

A 1977 car accident in Beverly Hills left him hospitalized with a crushed spleen and sparked what he described as a near-death experience. That event, which he often incorporated into his comedy, convinced him to pursue performing seriously.

Shandling never married and had no children. He lived with fiancée Linda Doucett from 1987 until their breakup in 1994, which was followed by a legal dispute resolved in 1997. Despite their complicated history, Doucett later revealed that their separation was largely due to Shandling’s fear of passing on cystic fibrosis, the disease that had claimed his brother’s life.