With his ninth Emmy nomination for an episode of Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story in 2023, Barclay became the first Black director to be nominated by the Television Academy in every narrative dramatic category.[1]
Barclay went on to study English at Harvard University, where he was active in student musical theatre productions and the a cappella singing group The Harvard Krokodiloes. During his four years there, he wrote 16 musicals, including the music for two of the annual Hasty Pudding shows. Barclay attended both the La Lumiere School and Harvard with John Roberts, now the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. His Harvard roommate was novelist Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha.
Music video career
Following his graduation from Harvard, Barclay worked as a copywriter and creative supervisor at Grey, BBDO, Cunningham & Walsh, and Marsteller. Hoping to create more opportunities for minorities, Barclay, along with Joel Hinman of the music video company Scorched Earth Productions, co-founded a production company called Black & White Television. There, he went on to direct music videos for artists such as Bob Dylan ("It's Unbelievable"), the New Kids On The Block ("Games"[3]), as well as Janet Jackson and Luther Vandross ("The Best Things in Life Are Free"[4]). Most notably, he created eight videos for LL Cool J, including "Mama Said Knock You Out", which won awards from both MTV and Billboard—and went on to be listed by The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 500 songs that shaped rock and roll.[5] In 2013, Complex Magazine ranked "Mama Said Knock You Out" as one of the top 50 rap videos of the 1990s,[6] crediting it with creating "one of the most crucial links in establishing the cultural bridge between boxing and rap." Barclay was often hired to direct music videos to promote films, introducing audiences to House Party (1990), White Men Can't Jump (1992), Mo' Money (1992), Posse (1993), and Cool Runnings (1993), among others.
In 2012, Barclay directed his first music video in 16 years, working once again with LL Cool J and R&B star Joe on the video for "Take It". Also drawing on his music video experience was Barclay's episode ("The Coup") of the Steven Spielberg-produced NBC series Smash, in which TV Fanatic said that the Barclay-directed number for the original song "Touch Me" (written by OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder) "pushed the boundaries from traditional Broadway show to music video level."[7]
Film and television career
1990s
Barclay began his career in television with an unaired episode of Angel Street in 1992. He was hired by John Wells, who was making his debut as an executive producer.
After directing episodes of ER, Barclay directed and eventually became a producer of NYPD Blue. In three years there, Barclay would receive two Emmy Awards for best directing—the second of which was for the episode titled "Hearts and Souls"— featuring the death of Jimmy Smits' character Bobby Simone. The episode has been ranked one of TV Guide's 100 Best Episodes of All Time.[8] Barclay reteamed with Smits again in his role as "Nero Padilla" on Sons of Anarchy.[9]
2008 marked Barclay's return to HBO, where he executive produced three seasons of In Treatment, as well as directed 36 episodes. The series garnered a Golden Globes nomination for Best Drama Series in 2009 and series lead Gabriel Byrne won the Golden Globe for Best Television Actor in a Drama Series that same year.[11] In 2008, the series won 2 Emmys for Glynn Turman for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series and Dianne Wiest won for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.[12]
Also in 2008, Barclay collaborated with screenwriter Dustin Lance Black to write the MTV film Pedro, the story of Pedro Zamora from The Real World: San Francisco. The film, directed by Nick Oceano, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and earned the Writers Guild, the Humanitas Prize, and GLAAD Media Awards nominations.
2010s
In 2011, Barclay became the executive producer and primary director for the fourth season of FX's Sons of Anarchy, a role he continued through the seventh and final season.
In 2013, Barclay directed Glee episodes "Diva"[13] and "Lights Out".[14] earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series [15] for “Diva.”
In 2015, Barclay served as executive producer/director on FX’s The Bastard Executioner, created by Kurt Sutter and starring Stephen Moyer and Katey Sagal. At the end of the year, he directed an episode of FOX’s hit series Empire, the Television Critics Association’s program of the year.
In 2016, Barclay joined the Shondaland family by directing an episode of ABC's critically acclaimed show, Scandal, created/produced by Shonda Rhimes, starring Kerry Washington. In the fall, he went on to executive produce and direct the pilot for FOX’s Pitch, created by Dan Fogelman and Rick Singer. The series starred Kylie BunburyMark-Paul Gosselaar and Mark Consuelos, and Barclay directed four episodes in total.
In 2017, Barclay executive produced and directed the pilot for another Shondaland drama, Station 19, a Grey's Anatomy spinoff centered on Seattle firefighters. The show ran for seven seasons on ABC and aired over 100 episodes.
In early 2019, Barclay reunited with his Pedro co-writer Dustin Lance Black to produce and direct the Americans for the Equality Act public awareness campaign for the Human Rights Campaign. The series, which launched on March 25, 2019 with a debut video featuring Academy Award-winning actress Sally Field and her son Sam Greisman, highlighted prominent figures in entertainment, sports and beyond speaking about the need for the Equality Act — a crucial civil rights bill that would extend clear, comprehensive non-discrimination protections to millions of LGBTQ people nationwide.[17] The powerhouse lineup of supporters included Jamie Lee Curtis, Jane Lynch, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita,[18]Adam Rippon,[19] Shea Diamond,[20]Marcia Gay Harden, Alexandra Billings, Blossom Brown, Justina Machado,[21]Gloria Calderon Kellett, Charlie and Max Carver, and Karamo Brown.[22] The series was modeled after HRC's successful Americans for Marriage Equality campaign and was awarded at the 4th Annual Shorty Social Good awards. It ultimately helped lead to the act's passage in the House of Representatives.[23]
Also in 2021, after executive producing and directing 14 episodes of Station 19, Barclay directed two episodes of the Ryan Murphy Netflix series Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. The series surpassed 1 billion hours viewed on Netflix, one of the few shows in Netflix history to cross the 1 billion hour viewing mark within 60 days.[25] Despite controversies surrounding Dahmer, Barclay’s work on Episode 6, "Silenced," received wide praise. For this episode, Barclay received a 2023 Emmy nomination for Best Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie.[26] Barclay’s work on the series finale, "God of Forgiveness, God of Vengeance," was also nominated by the Hollywood Critics Association.[27]
After Dahmer, Paris reteamed with Ryan Murphy to executive produce and direct 2 episodes of the Netflix series The Watcher (with Naomi Watts, Bobby Cannavale, Margo Martindale and Mia Farrow). The series was a hit, ranking as the #1 most watched show on Netflix the week of its debut.[28]
In the theater, Barclay presented his original musical On Hold With Music at Manhattan Theater Club in 1984, with a cast including Jason Alexander, Terry Burrell, John Dossett, Ray Gill, and Maureen Brennan. Based on his life in advertising, Barclay wrote and composed the musical in its entirety.[32]
In 1985, he wrote the book, music and lyrics for another musical drama entitled Almos' a Man, based on a short story by Richard Wright – which had been developed in the second year of the ASCAP Musical Theater Workshop in New York,[32] under the tutelage of Charles Strouse and Stephen Sondheim. It was produced that year at Soho Rep, receiving a mixed review from TheNew York Times' Mel Gussow.[33]
After years of directing, Barclay returned to composing in September 2001 with the premiere of a musical based on the collection of letters Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam. Called Letters from ‘Nam, the play featured Grammy winner Maureen McGovern, future Tony winner Levi Kreis, and David Burnham. Praised by reviewers[34][35] and opening days before the September 11 attacks in 2001, the Vietnam musical reportedly hit home emotionally with many who performed in it, produced it, or experienced it.[36]
In 2003, Barclay wrote songs for and co-directed Order My Steps for the Cornerstone Theater Company. The musical play, with book by Tracey Scott Wilson, dealt with the African-American church's response to the AIDS epidemic. The Los Angeles Times called it a "moving tale about the human toll of AIDS."[37]
Barclay returned to Vietnam with One Red Flower: Letters from ‘Nam, a reworked version of the musical was produced at the Village Theater in Issaquah to further acclaim,[38] with Levi Kreis and David Burnham reprising their roles. Other productions followed, with the most significant being Eric Schaeffer's "gritty and emotional"[39] staging at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia in 2004.
In 2008, Barclay presented a reading of One Red Flower in Los Angeles to benefit New Directions, an organization that supports veterans of all wars. Maureen McGovern, Levi Kreis and David Burnham returned in featured roles, with television stars Hunter Parrish and Josh Henderson. Although it was not a full production, again it received glowing reviews, described by Beverly Cohn in the Santa Monica Mirror as an "evening that had the audience smiling with a lump in its throat."[40] Barclay is currently working with Brian Yorkey (Next to Normal) to develop One Red Flower as a television movie, now entitled Letters From ‘Nam.
Directors Guild of America
In June 2013, Barclay was elected President of the Directors Guild of America, the first African-American and first openly gay President in the history of the Guild.[41] After the vote, Barclay expressed gratitude for the honor and admiration for the Union's history. Barclay was nominated for the Presidency by past-President Michael Apted. His nomination was seconded by Steven Soderbergh. Barclay was re-elected in June 2015.[42]
Before being elected DGA President, Barclay served four terms as First Vice President of the DGA, where he was the first African-American Officer in the history of the guild. While serving as First Vice President, Barclay was also chair of the DGA's Political Action Committee. He also served on the Western Directors Council and co-chaired the Diversity Task Force.[43] In addition, Barclay served as a board member of the DGA-affiliated Franco-American Cultural Fund, which promotes cultural exchange between French and American directors.
Barclay completed his second term as DGA president in June 2017. He was succeeded by Thomas Schlamme, whom he worked with on The West Wing and Manhattan, as well as on the DGA board.[44]
Barclay's work for the DGA continues even after his presidency: he helped create and teaches the Guild's First Time Director Orientation.,[45] and in the 2020 contract negotiations Barclay co-chaired the Television Creative Rights Committee.[46] He also serves as the co-Chair of the DGA's Return to Work Committee, which created the protocols that brought the industry back to work after the COVID shutdown. In 2021, he was elected the Guild's Secretary/Treasurer.
In 2021, he was named an Honorary Life Member of the DGA, one of the guild's highest honors, recognizing his career achievements and leadership in the industry. His acceptance speech earned praise for its focus on his hopes for his two sons.[47] He currently serves as the Guild's Secretary/Treasurer.
Personal life
Openly gay since late in his college days,[48] he was a regular contributor to The Advocate for several years. Barclay married food-industry executive Christopher Barclay (né Mason), his partner of 10 years, in 2008.[49] They have 2 children.
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