Neil Simon

Neil Simon Contemporary American theater's most commercially successful and best-loved playwright, Neil Simon was born on July 4, 1927, in the Bronx, N.Y. After graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School, he managed to find time for writing while serving as a corporal in the United States Air Force, 1945-46. Writing soon became his profession without the formalities of college (except for a few courses at New York University and the University of Denver). His first theater work consisted of...See more

Neil Simon Contemporary American theater's most commercially successful and best-loved playwright, Neil Simon was born on July 4, 1927, in the Bronx, N.Y. After graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School, he managed to find time for writing while serving as a corporal in the United States Air Force, 1945-46. Writing soon became his profession without the formalities of college (except for a few courses at New York University and the University of Denver). His first theater work consisted of writing for camp shows at Tamiment, Pa., in collaboration with his older brother, Danny. It was at Tamiment that Simon met his first wife, Joan. Simon became a television writer during the medium's initial heyday, supplying material for Sid Caesar ("Caesars Hour"), Phil Silvers ("Sergeant Bilko"), and "The Garry Moore Show". On Broadway, he contributed sketches to "Catch a Star" (1955) and "New Faces of 1956". His first Broadway play was "Come Blow Your Horn" (1961). Simon's many honors and accolades have included Tony Awards every ten years: the 1965 Tony as author of "The Odd Couple", a special 1975 Tony for his overall contribution to the theater, and the 1985 best-play Tony for "Biloxi Blues". For "Lost in Yonkers", he won his third Tony for best play in 1991, the same year he won the Pulitzer Prize for this play. Simon holds an Honorary Bachelor of Arts Degree from Hofstra University and Williams College. He received the Sam S. Shubert Award in 1968, Writers Guild motion picture awards in 1968, 1970, and 1975, and numerous Tony, Emmy, and Oscar nominations. Two years ago, Broadway's Alvin Theater was renamed Neil Simon in his honor. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Writers Guild of America and divides his time between New York and Los Angeles. Married three times, Simon has two daughters, Ellen and Nancy, by his first wife. He is presently living in Los Angeles with his wife, Diane Lander-Simon, and daughter, Bryn Lander-Simon. The Works of Neil Simon See less