Gary Shandling

GARRYSHAilDLIilG SHANDLING IS fifi*nt$*#ff* package deal with in his Studio City, THE CourtTVto somehow Calif., office, squirm- USI]ITERVIETU )) BYT|lM O']IEI[[ ensure that he could ing. He has just been makemoneyfrom{it}." askedaquestion about Nothing. He waits a his recently filed $roo beat, then sinks even = milton lawsuit against lower into the folds of former manager, best his leather chair. friend and executive I7hat should have producer ofTle Larry been a glorious send- - Sanders Sbow Brad off to one of the most GreyThe suit, critically acclaimed "ll"gttg that Grey stolewriters television series in (for his other shows) years, the final season from Shandling and of The Larry Sanders i used Shandling's rep- Slos (whichendsMay ! utation to build his 3r) has been tarnished - production empire by this ugly lawsuit, (Brillstein-Grey En- which has everyone in terprises), stunned the = Hollywood bluzzing. entertainment = com- \7hile many deem munity and made Shandlingt a[egations headlines in everyma- against Grey outra- jor il newspaper, from geous, there iue some E' Variety to The Vhll points inthe suit (most StreetJournal.ThesujLt 6 notably, concerning : also resulted in a $ro I personal managers act- million countersuit by ing as producers for Grey, claiming that, among other things, mostlyfriendlylaugh-filledintervierqsensi- their clients) thar raise prickly conflict-of- !i Shandling's erratic behavior drove staffers tive areasof his highlyunexamined life have interest issues.But what's more fascinating is ftom The Larry SandcrsSboza. been dealt vrith in that patented comic's way the uncannyparallel track that Shandling's life t With no Artie (Shandling'scharacter's pit of providing little nuggets of truth and then seemsto have taken to his shorg in which du- bull-like protecto! played to grizzled per- undermining them with a punch line. (Are plicitous behavior and public humiliation = I fection by Rip Torn on the HBO series) in you seeinga therapist? "Yes," he says,"I go to have been elevated to a new art form. (In re- sight, Shandling looks away pained, and couplestherapyAlone.Therearetwothera- centweeks,forinstance,shandlingreportedly o sinkslowerintohischair.Upuntilnor4ina pists, and they argue about what's wrong hadGrqy'sandproducingpartnerBernieBrill- = THECIIMEI|IATI HASCUIJIVATEI| HISl|IilT BRA]III |IF SUBVERSIVE HUMI|B WITH : .THE IARRYSAIII|ERS SHOW.' BUTAS THE SERIES llRAWS TllAN Eill|. HIS SHIICKING il LATTSUITAGAIIIST HISIO]ICTIME MA]IAGER Al{DREPORTS OFERRATIG BEHAVIOR o HAVEIEFT MAI{Y WII]IBERITO IFSHAI{DIIIIG'S ACTHAS HIT Tt|l| GT|ISE Tl|HI|ME, us JUNEr99A tO! stein's chairs removed from the set and Grey's cally Incorrect'sBill Mahea a longtime friend sorting out."At the ageof zr, while a junior at title put on a separate card in the credits se- of Shandling's and also a Brillstein-Grey the University of Arizona, Shandling aban- quence). So, while the neighbors across the client. "Brad's reputation is completely spot- doned his long-term plan of becoming an Studio City lot - Jerry George, Elaine and less,and I knowhe's torn up about this." electrical engineer and eventually journeyed * Kramer enjoy a farewell of almost un- Many entertainment executives seem of- to California with the dream of pursuing precedented media fanfare and public adora- fended by Shandling's claim in the suit that comedy writing. He was immediately put to tion, it is perhaps fitting that the darkest and Greywouldnthave become the giant he is now work after impressing the producers of both 'W'elcome leastcompromising show on television go out if it weren't for Shandling'sadvice, influence Back, Kotter and Sanfordand Son.In in a blaze of bitterne ss. and ability to dra\ / other artists into the fold. 1978,five yearsinto his stint asa successfulsit- For those without cable boxes, a briefhis- "Itt nonsense,"says David Geffen, the for- com writer, he decided to take a stab at the tory In 1992,Shandling was approachedby mer record mogul and now Dream\)7orks SKG newly evolving stand-up comedy scene. (Jackson HBO to create a half-hour parody of a talk executive. Browne introduced me to Shandling met Grey at the Westwood show featuring - and here was the genius - Linda Ronstadt, {EaglesJGlenn Freyand Don Comedy Store in 1979.A fledgling personal real-life celebrities playing themselves. The Henley{all ofwhom Geffen later signedto his manager whose only other client was Bob paranoid, self-absorbedhost, Larry Sanders record label,Asyluml. It would be likeJackson Saget,Grey helped guide Shandling's career (co-created with writer suingme now and saying,'1 from hole-in-the-wall clubs to concert halls Dennis Klein), andhis staff introduced you to those to, finally, the coveted guest-hosr spot on of beautifully written mis- people,now where'smine?|"' Tbe TbnightSbou), ajob that Shandling per- - fits most notabfr the ir- Jim NTiatt,president of formed with characteristic aplomb while repressibleproducer Artie ICM, one of L.A.'slargest claimingprivatelyto despiseit. (He told one (Torn) and buffoonish side- talent agencies,says the interviewer inrggz, "IThywould I wanr a kick Hank (feffreyTambor) suit "stinks.I mean,under job where I'm forced to talk to people thar - became an instant hit in that theory, all of Brad I would neverwant to talk to in real life?") So NewYork and Los Angeles, Grey's clients, from Brad when the opportunity to create his own sit- but nowhere else. Never- Pitt toJon Lovitz, should com for Showtime presented itselfl Shand- theless,savoring the legiti- be paying Garry Shandling ling jumped at the chance. macy of parenting a show 50 percent of their com- At Showtime, Shandlingwas free of net- that Tbe Los Angeles Tirnes missions. It's absurd." work constraints and, with Saturday Night called "an instant classic," In attempting to locate a Lit,e veteran writer Alan Zweibel, created the network sank millions motivation behind the suit, the biting and often hilarious ItI Gany into it and gave Shandling Geffen seesone thing, and Sbandling'sShots,. In the tradition ofhis idols freerein to do ashe pleased. it isn't necessarilymoney: Jack Benny and George Burns, Shandling By deconstructing tele- "Clearly [Grey and Shand- played, a loose rendition of himself and vision dynamicswith his trademark acidwit - ling] started off at the same time, and there broke down the fourthwall, commenting on and in so doing, revealingthe underbellyofan is a certain amount of enly in all this. I think the show's edgy story lines by talking to the industry ruled by fear and loathitg - Tbe Garry Shandling is upset that his career isn't camera. However, the series was never able L arry Sande rs Sh out blew away the conventions Jim Carrey's orWill Smith's." to expand its cult-size following, and after of the late-night talk show As Thmbor puts it, But some who have worked closely with four years on the air (two of them on Fox) 'rilfhat "This show answers the question is Shandlingviewhis actions asa byproduct of the plugwas pulled. David Letterman saying behind that hand?' a more deep-rootedneurosis. But the title lr't Garry Sbandlingi Sbow ap- And it's made voyeursof an entire nation." "There seemsto be a pattern of behavior parently became prophetic. According to But asShandling's star has risen, so too has that Garry has, which is to force people out sources,during that series'run, Shandling's Grey's. His company (formed in 1985with of his life and then complain that they be- dark, mercurial side began to emerge.The partner Brillstein) represents more than roo trayed him, deceived him and mistreated comedian instigated a number of firings and clients (includingBrad Pitt, Nicolas Cageand him," sayswriter Paul Simms, the creator of resignations and reportedly turned on Christian Slater), has eight television shows NezasRadio,whoquitThe Larry SandersSbou Zweibel, often failing to credit himwhen re- on the air (among thern,Just ShootMe and after three seasons(Simms was alsocited in ceiving awards for the show NerusRadio)and produces feature films (Tbe Shandling'ssuit asone ofthe "diverted"writ* "Garry has big problems with anybody else Cable Guy, Tb e lVedding Singer). Not surpris- ers * a charge he refutes). "That's why this {sharing credit} with him," saysone former ingly Shandling'ssuit against one of the most lawsuit isn't surprising to me. It was bound writer. "He was always enraged aboutAlan powerful figures in Hollywood (not to men- to happen to Brad Grey" Zweibel. Any time {Zweibel} got mentioned, tion, his best friend of 18years) has left many Shandling's early life was not without its [Shandling] went out of his mind." people questioning the comedian's motiva- own trauma. The second of two sons born This pattern of untimely staff departures tions and mental state. to Irving Shandling, a prosperous Arizona carried over to The Larry SandersSbou. In "It's insane," saysMiramax co-chairman entrepreneur, and his pet-shop-owner wife, the past sixyears,Shandlinghas either fired, . HarveyWeinstein, who once employed Grey Muriel, Garry Shandling was an outgoing, not asked back or received resignations and asked him to leave Shandlingyears ago funny kid who lived in the shadow of his older from at least r7 writers and producers, while to join his company "I've seen Brad build brother, Barry lfhen Barry died at 13ofcys- co-creator Dennis Klein left before the first Garry's entire career and never waver. He tic fibrosis, ro-year-old Garrywas suddenly episodeeven aired. used every connection he could to further thrust into the position of being the only "He'll start to belittle you in certain ways, ! Garry's career when Garry meant nothing." child, and heir apparent, of two grief-stricken or he'll dismissyou entirely" one formerpro- - "I'm completely shocked by i t," saysPoliti- parents a stress,he says,that he is "still ducer saysofShandling.

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