Peter Tolan

Last updated
Peter Tolan
Born
Peter James Tolan III

(1958-07-05) July 5, 1958 (age 65)
Scituate, Massachusetts, United States
Occupation(s) Screenwriter, director, producer
Years active1989–present
SpouseLeslie Tolan
Children3

Peter James Tolan III (born July 5, 1958) is an American television producer, director, and screenwriter.

Contents

Early life and career

Tolan was born in Scituate, Massachusetts, where he was a perennial favorite in the high school's dramatic productions. Before leaving to pursue a career in Hollywood, Tolan founded a theater group called YPST (Young People's Summer Theatre). The group performed Broadway musicals and rehearsed at a local church. Within three years, the group became so popular that a second production had to be added to accommodate the ever-increasing enrollment.

Tolan attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst for four years before dropping out to directly pursue theater. From college Tolan went to Minneapolis' Brave New Workshop (founded by improv great Dudley Riggs) at the suggestion of UMass employee Jim MacRostie, who had appeared at the Twin Cities institution during its early years. Riggs offered Tolan a job over the phone, but when Tolan arrived in Minneapolis several months later, he discovered that the job was that of janitor at the theater.

Within a year, Tolan became the musical director for the theater's touring company, and after that graduated to appearing as a member of the main stage cast. In the mid 80's, Tolan moved to New York City, where he and fellow writer-performer Linda Wallem formed a double act called Wallem & Tolan and began performing on the cabaret circuit in New York City at such venues as Don't Tell Mama, Eighty-Eights and Broadway Baby. Wallem and Tolan were known for their sketch work and for musical material (written by Tolan) that became the cornerstone of their act. After an extended run at the Manhattan Punch Line Theater, the act was mounted Off-Broadway at the Theater at St. Peter's Church in 1989. Titled Laughing Matters, the show was produced by Sanford Fisher and Zev Guber and directed by Broadway veteran Martin Charnin. For his work in the show, Tolan was named Outstanding Lyricist of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Show by the Burns Mantle Theater Yearbook 1988-1989 Best Plays.

Television

Tolan began his career writing for short-lived sitcoms Carol & Company and Wish You Were Here . After writing for and co-producing the first six episodes of Home Improvement he began writing for the hit series Murphy Brown , a three-season tenure for which he would share an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series (1992, as co-producer). [1] In 1992 Tolan began writing for the HBO program The Larry Sanders Show , for which he received, in his capacity as co-/executive producer, three CableACE Awards for Comedy Series and an Emmy for co-writing (with series lead Garry Shandling) the series finale "Flip". [1]

After writing for several more programs ( Ellen , Buddies , Good Advice ), and creating the short-lived sitcoms Style & Substance and The George Wendt Show , Tolan co-created the ABC satiric comedy The Job with comedian Denis Leary, who would also star as an amoral and hedonistic NYPD detective. Though critically lauded, [2] the series languished in the ratings and was canceled after two short seasons. Tolan went on to create the similarly short-lived sitcom Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central) , a mid-season replacement about an idealistic television executive who joins a struggling network, that was canceled by ABC after only five episodes aired. In 2004, however, Tolan found success with the FX drama Rescue Me which he produced under his The Cloudland Company banner. [3] Again, he worked with co-creator Denis Leary as New York City firefighter Tommy Gavin, who bears many similarities to Leary's character from The Job. The series has been well received by both critics and audiences, garnering Emmy nominations for Tolan and Leary and averaging 2.7 and 2.8 million viewers for its first and second seasons, respectively. [4] It ended in 2011 after seven seasons. [5]

In February, 2013, Entertainment Weekly reported that "Tolan landed Greg Kinnear to play a defense lawyer with 'zero filter'" on a Fox Broadcasting Company television program entitled Rake . [6] Tolan has also produced pilots with comedian Jim Gaffigan and another based on the Israeli series Bilti Hafich through Fedora Entertainment, the production company he started with partners Michael Wimer and Leslie Tolan.

Film

Tolan has also found success in film, having written the hit comedy Analyze This and its sequel Analyze That as well as the films My Fellow Americans , Bedazzled , America's Sweethearts , Guess Who and Just Like Heaven . In 2008 Tolan made his directorial debut with Finding Amanda , a semi-autobiographical [7] film starring Matthew Broderick and Brittany Snow.

Personal life

Tolan is married to editor Leslie Tolan. They have three children; sons Peter John and Benjamin Mark, and daughter Beatrice Grace. He later came out as gay, but it is unclear if he remains married to Leslie. [8]

Filmography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denis Leary</span> American actor and comedian

Denis Colin Leary is an American actor and comedian. Born in Massachusetts, Leary first came to prominence as a stand-up comedian, especially through appearances on MTV and through the stand-up specials No Cure for Cancer (1993) and Lock 'n Load (1997). Leary began taking roles in film and television starting in the 1990s, including substantial roles in the films Judgment Night (1993), Gunmen (1994), Operation Dumbo Drop (1995) and Wag the Dog (1997).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Gelbart</span> American comedy writer and playwright (1928–2009)

Larry Simon Gelbart was an American television writer, playwright, screenwriter, director and author, most famous as a creator and producer of the television series M*A*S*H, and as co-writer of the Broadway musicals A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and City of Angels.

<i>The Larry Sanders Show</i> American television sitcom (1992–1998)

The Larry Sanders Show is an American television sitcom set in the office and studio of a fictional late-night talk show. The series was created by Garry Shandling and Dennis Klein and aired from August 15, 1992, to May 31, 1998, on the HBO cable television network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lenny Clarke</span> American actor

Lenny Clarke is an American comedian and actor. He is known for his thick Boston accent and as the role of Uncle Teddy on the series Rescue Me.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harold Ramis</span> American actor, comedian, and filmmaker (1944–2014)

Harold Allen Ramis was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. His film acting roles include Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters II (1989), and as Russell Ziskey in Stripes (1981); he also co-wrote those films. As a director, his films include the comedies Caddyshack (1980), National Lampoon's Vacation (1983), Groundhog Day (1993), Analyze This (1999) and Analyze That (2002). Ramis was the original head writer of the television series SCTV, on which he also performed, as well as a co-writer of Groundhog Day and National Lampoon's Animal House (1978). The final film that he wrote, produced, directed, and acted in was Year One (2009).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garry Shandling</span> American comedian (1949–2016)

Garry Emmanuel Shandling was an American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer.

<i>Rescue Me</i> (American TV series) American firefighter comedy-drama TV series

Rescue Me is an American dramedy television series that aired on FX from July 21, 2004, to September 7, 2011. The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of a group of New York City firefighters.

<i>Bedazzled</i> (2000 film) 2000 film by Harold Ramis

Bedazzled is a 2000 fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley. It is a remake of the 1967 British film of the same name, written by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, which was itself a comic retelling of the Faust legend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Gaffigan</span> American comedian, actor, writer, and producer

James Christopher Gaffigan is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. His material often addresses fatherhood, laziness, food, religion, and general observations. He is regarded as a "clean" comic, using little profanity in his routines, although he does use it from time to time. He has released several successful comedy specials, including Mr. Universe, Obsessed, Cinco, and Quality Time, all of which have received Grammy nominations.

Linda Wallem is an American actress, writer, and producer.

Wednesday 9:30 is an American sitcom which aired on ABC in 2002. The series was created by Peter Tolan.

The Job is an American single-camera sitcom that aired on ABC between March 14, 2001 and April 24, 2002. Several of the principal actors went on to either star or guest star in the FX network's Denis Leary-produced Rescue Me. In Rescue Me, the lead character is very similar to Mike McNeil, but is a fireman rather than a police officer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Duffy</span> American actress (born 1951)

Julia Margaret Duffy is an American actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Tolan</span> American actor

Michael Tolan was an American actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Zweibel</span> American author, playwright, screenwriter, producer, director, actor, and comedian

Alan Zweibel is an American television writer, author, playwright, and screenwriter whom TheNew York Times says has “earned a place in the pantheon of American pop culture." An original Saturday Night Live writer, Zweibel has won five Emmy Awards and two Writers Guild of America Awards for his work in television, which includes It's Garry Shandling's Show and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Otto Sanchez is an American actor best known for playing Carmen Guerra in the HBO prison drama Oz. He also played the role of Otto in the short-lived drama Kidnapped. He appeared as a supporting character in Bad Boys II. He played the lead role of Paul in the film Push which won awards at The Long Island Film Festival. He has also been seen in NBC's Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Third Watch, 100 Centre Street, Burn Notice and most recently Blue Bloods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Gavin</span> Fictional character

Thomas Michael Gavin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the FX comedy-drama series Rescue Me. He is portrayed by Denis Leary. For his portrayal, Leary was nominated for a Golden Globe Award (2005) and two Emmy Awards. Leary and Peter Tolan, the creators of Rescue Me, named the character after a police officer from the Bronx whom Leary knew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Zegen</span> American actor

Michael Zegen is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in the television series Rescue Me (2004–2011), Boardwalk Empire (2011–2014), and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017–2023).

Evan Reilly, sometimes credited as Evan T. Reilly, is an American television writer, producer and director who is best known as a long-time writer and producer on the FX series Rescue Me, which he worked on beginning with its second season and continuing through to its seventh and final season. During this time he wrote or co-wrote forty-three episodes and made his directorial-debut on the penultimate episode, "Vows". He is currently serving as a co-executive producer on the AMC horror/drama series The Walking Dead. He has worked on the production team on a number of other series, including Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Heist and The Sopranos.

<i>The Jim Gaffigan Show</i> American TV series 2015-2016

The Jim Gaffigan Show is an American sitcom written and executive produced by comedian Jim Gaffigan and his wife Jeannie Gaffigan. Gaffigan stars as a fictionalized version of himself as a stand-up comedian raising five children in a two-bedroom New York City apartment. An 11-episode first season debuted on July 15, 2015, on TV Land. On August 31, 2015, TV Land renewed the series for a 12-episode second season, which premiered on June 19, 2016. On August 22, 2016, Jim and Jeannie Gaffigan announced that the series would not be returning for a third season so they could spend more time with their kids. As of 2021, the whole series is available to watch on streaming apps PlutoTV and Paramount+.

References

  1. 1 2 "Awards for Peter Tolan". IMDb . Retrieved 2009-04-13.
  2. ↑ "TV Review: "The Job"". Entertainment Weekly . 2001-03-08. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
  3. ↑ "Peter Tolan". Variety . 17 December 2013.
  4. ↑ "'Rescue Me Renewed'". 22 August 2005. Retrieved 2019-01-09.
  5. ↑ "'Rescue Me' Finale Draws Solid Ratings". 8 September 2011. Retrieved 2019-01-09.
  6. ↑ Hibberd, James (February 22, 2013). "Hollywood Insider: What's Going on Behind the Scenes: TV's Pilot Season Goes (Very) High-Concept". Entertainment Weekly . New York: Time Inc. p. 26.
  7. ↑ "Exclusive: Peter Tolan is Finding Amanda". Comingsoon.net. 23 June 2008. Retrieved 2009-04-13.{{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  8. ↑ "Denis Leary Calls 'Rescue Me' Co-Creator Peter Tolan 'Gay' -- And He Is". The Hollywood Reporter. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.