Biography
Gary Shimokawa is an American television director and producer. Born on 13 February 1942 in Los Angeles County, California, he holds a BA in Comparative Literature from the University of Southern California. He began his career in the early 1970s as a stage manager on All in the Family before moving into associate directing and directing episodes of sitcoms.
He is known for his work on series including The Golden Girls (1985), on which he served as associate director for 39 episodes and director for one; Night Court (1984); Archie Bunker's Place (1980); ALF (1986); Saved by the Bell (1989); The Facts of Life (1979); Laverne & Shirley (1976); Coach (1989); Sister, Sister (1994); Reba (2001); and Still Standing (2002). Shimokawa has directed and produced over 600 episodes across more than 35 years, primarily multi-camera comedies.
In 1986 and 1987 he shared two Directors Guild of America Awards for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Comedy Series for his associate directing on The Golden Girls. He has also taught film and television at institutions including the University of Southern California and New York University.
