Samuel Michael Simon was an American director, producer, writer, animal rights activist and philanthropist, who co-developed the television series The Simpsons.
57 Facts About Sam Simon
2.
Sam Simon submitted a spec script for the sitcom Taxi, which was produced, and he later became the series' showrunner.
3.
Sam Simon turned to fields outside television in his later years.
4.
Sam Simon regularly appeared on Howard Stern's radio shows, managed boxer Lamon Brewster and helped guide him to the World Boxing Organization Heavyweight Championship in 2004, and was a regular poker player and six-time in the money finisher at the World Series of Poker.
5.
Sam Simon funded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel MY Sam Simon.
6.
Sam Simon was engaged at the time of his death, having been previously twice married, including to the actress Jennifer Tilly.
7.
Sam Simon was diagnosed with terminal colorectal cancer in 2012 and given only three to six months to live.
8.
Sam Simon bequeathed his $100 million estate to various charities that he actively supported during his lifetime.
9.
Samuel Michael Simon was born on June 6,1955, in Los Angeles, California, United States.
10.
Sam Simon's father was a clothing manufacturer and was of Estonian-Jewish heritage.
11.
Sam Simon had a childhood which has been described as "comfortable" and "privileged".
12.
Sam Simon once was told by Walt Disney that he would one day work at his studio.
13.
Sam Simon attended Beverly Hills High School, where he was on the football team and served as a cartoonist for the school newspaper.
14.
Sam Simon was named "Most Humorous" and "Most Talented" in his senior yearbook.
15.
Sam Simon had not wished to attend college, but Stanford persuaded him to apply due to his sufficient grades and proficiency at football; Sam Simon quit the football team after one day.
16.
Sam Simon drew comics for The Stanford Daily, a college newspaper, but was denied admission to a drawing class for not being talented enough.
17.
Sam Simon recalls Filmation approving of his work because he was "self-taught and unschooled," but Sam Simon felt the majority of what the studio produced was "awful".
18.
Sam Simon was hired as a writer, quickly becoming showrunner for its fifth and final season in 1983.
19.
Sam Simon created, wrote and produced the short-lived sitcom Shaping Up in 1984, alongside Ken Estin; the show starred Leslie Nielsen as a gym owner and ran for five episodes on ABC.
20.
Sam Simon wrote and produced for Best of the West, Barney Miller and It's Garry Shandling's Show, and wrote the 1991 film The Super.
21.
Sam Simon co-developed the animated series The Simpsons, which premiered on the Fox network in 1989 and has remained on air ever since.
22.
The premise for the series originated as a series of short cartoons airing in 1987 as part of The Tracey Ullman Show, on which Simon was a writer and executive producer alongside James L Brooks, with whom Simon had worked on Taxi.
23.
Sam Simon assembled and led the initial team of writers, consisting of John Swartzwelder, Jon Vitti, George Meyer, Jeff Martin, Al Jean, Mike Reiss, Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky.
24.
The cartoonist and writer Mimi Pond, who wrote the first broadcast episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", explained that she was not permitted to permanently join the show because Sam Simon deliberately kept women out of the writing team.
25.
Sam Simon later spoke well of Groening's influence, particularly on the show's positive tone.
26.
Sam Simon did not want to work on either series, both of which were poorly received and swiftly canceled, which put a strain on the pair's relationship.
27.
In January 1994, Sam Simon co-created with comedian George Carlin the sitcom The George Carlin Show for Fox.
28.
Sam Simon served as showrunner throughout its run and directed several episodes.
29.
Sam Simon directed on the American adaptation of the sitcom Men Behaving Badly in 1996, the Friends season three episode "The One Without the Ski Trip" in 1997, and several episodes of The Norm Show and The Michael Richards Show.
30.
Sam Simon was a creative consultant on Bless This House in 1996.
31.
From 1999 to some time in the early 2000s, Sam Simon was President of e-Nexus Studios the once entertainment content arm of ZeniMax Media, Parent Company of video game publisher Bethesda Softworks.
32.
Sam Simon wrote and directed the one-off radio sitcom "The Bitter Half" for Stern's Howard 101 in 2006.
33.
Sam Simon returned to television production work in 2012, serving as a consultant and director on the series Anger Management for half a day a week.
34.
Sam Simon was a staunch advocate for animal rights and veganism, and described himself as an "animal lover".
35.
In 2011, Simon established and self-funded a second non-profit called The Sam Simon Foundation: Feeding Families.
36.
Sam Simon was a board member for Save the Children, and hosted the largest annual fundraiser for PETA, who named him an Honorary Director and their Norfolk, Virginia headquarters building after him.
37.
Sam Simon has stated that animal rights charities have been his main target for donations, over other causes like human disease and environmental damage, because "your money can bring success" with visible results.
38.
Sam Simon stated in 2011 that there is "nothing [which gives him] more pleasure than" helping others via his charities, and gave away most of his fortune.
39.
Sam Simon was for eight years the manager of heavyweight boxer Lamon Brewster, the now-retired former World Boxing Organization heavyweight champion.
40.
Sam Simon met Brewster in 1997 and began managing him, helping him rise to the top of the WBO rankings.
41.
Sam Simon briefly managed heavyweight Steve Vukosa, but retired from boxing management soon after Brewster became WBO Heavyweight Champion.
42.
Sam Simon was a regular player of poker, and Texas hold 'em in particular.
43.
Sam Simon was introduced to the game as a child through weekly family poker games and casino trips with his grandfather.
44.
Sam Simon did not consider himself a serious player until a game at writer David Steinberg's house with several "scholarly" players, which encouraged him to study the game and enter numerous tournaments, although he decided not to become professional.
45.
Sam Simon competed at the World Series of Poker each year between 2007 and 2011, finishing in the money in six events.
46.
Sam Simon had previously appeared on a 2009 episode of High Stakes Poker.
47.
Additionally, Sam Simon won a Peabody Award for The Simpsons in 1996.
48.
Sam Simon was married to actress Jennifer Tilly from 1984 to 1991; they remained friends after their divorce.
49.
Sam Simon married Playboy Playmate Jami Ferrell in 2000, and the marriage lasted three weeks.
50.
Sam Simon was engaged to chef and caterer Jenna Stewart around 2011.
51.
Sam Simon became a vegetarian at the age of 19 and when joining People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals around 2000, he turned to veganism.
52.
Sam Simon lived in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, in the restored Bailey House, designed by Richard Neutra.
53.
Sam Simon had a sculpture by Robert Graham and works by Alberto Vargas, Gil Elvgren, Ed Ruscha and Richard Estes.
54.
In late 2012, Sam Simon was diagnosed with terminal colorectal cancer that later metastasized to his other organs, including his liver and kidneys.
55.
Sam Simon had been feeling ill for some time and had earlier been misdiagnosed.
56.
Sam Simon was given between three and six months to live; chemotherapy treatment reduced the size of his tumors over the following six months.
57.
Sam Simon's remains were interred at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.