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Richard Sakai

Known For
Production

Known Credits
1

Gender
Male

Birthday
January 28, 1954 (72 years old)

Place of Birth
San Francisco, California, USA

Richard Sakai

Biography

Richard Sakai (born January 28, 1954) is an American television and film producer. He is best known for his work on the animated sitcom The Simpsons, for which he is one of the original producers. In 1997, Sakai was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture for his work on the film Jerry Maguire (1996).

Sakai began his career as an assistant to James L. Brooks in 1977. In 1984, Brooks invited Sakai to become a producer in his new film production company, Gracie Films. Sakai ultimately produced many of Brooks' films, such as Jerry Maguire, As Good as It Gets (1997), and Spanglish (2004). Sakai also produced Bottle Rocket (1996) and Riding in Cars with Boys (2001). Additionally, he was a producer for The Simpsons Movie (2007).

As a television producer and director, Sakai has worked on many different shows. He has directed episodes of Taxi, Newhart, and Who's the Boss?. He has also produced episodes of The Tracey Ullman Show, The Critic, Phenom, and What About Joan? in addition to his work on The Simpsons, for which he has won several Emmy Awards.

On The Simpsons, Sakai has been animated several times, most notably as: a karaoke singer in the episode "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish"; an escaping prisoner in a commercial about "revolving door prisons" in "Sideshow Bob Roberts"; and a jazz vibraphone player in "Jazzy and the Pussycats".

Sakai is currently president of Gracie Films.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Richard Sakai, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Production

2027The Simpsons Movie 2...Producer
2025Ella McCay...Producer
2024The Simpsons: O C'mon All Ye Faithful...Producer
2024The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...Producer
2024May the 12th Be with You...Producer
2023Maggie Simpson in "Rogue Not Quite One"...Producer
2023Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret....Producer
2022Welcome to the Club...Producer
2022When Billie Met Lisa...Producer
2021The Simpsons in Plusaversary...Producer
2021The Simpsons: A Serious Flanders...Producer
2021The Good, the Bart, and the Loki...Producer
2021Maggie Simpson in "The Force Awakens from Its Nap"...Producer
2020Maggie Simpson in "Playdate with Destiny"...Producer
2018Icebox...Producer
2016The Edge of Seventeen...Producer
2012Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare"...Producer
2010How Do You Know...Executive Producer
2007A Terrifying Message from Al Gore...Producer
2007The Simpsons Movie...Producer
2004Spanglish...Producer
2001Riding in Cars with Boys...Producer
1997As Good as It Gets...Executive Producer
1996Jerry Maguire...Producer
1996Bottle Rocket...Executive Producer
1994I'll Do Anything...Executive In Charge Of Production
1993Phenom...Producer
1991Sibs...Producer
1990The Best of the Tracey Ullman Show...Producer
1989The Simpsons...Producer
1989The War of the Roses...Executive In Charge Of Production
1987The Tracey Ullman Show...Producer
1984Shaping Up...Producer
1978Taxi...Producer

Directing

1984Who's the Boss?...Director
1982Newhart...Director
1978Taxi...Director

Acting

2008The Making of 'Bottle Rocket'as Self