Thomas Schlamme
Born	Thomas David Schlamme May 22, 1950 (1950-05-22) (age 59) Houston, Texas, USA
Spouse(s)	Christine Lahti (1983-present)

Thomas David Schlamme (born May 22, 1950) is an American television director.

Schlamme moved from his native Houston to New York in 1973. After serving in several low level positions for production companies, he founded his own company, Schlamme Productions, in 1980. From there, he produced campaigns for a number of musicals, including Cats. Throughout the 1980s, he produced a number of specials on various entertainers including Whoopi Goldberg and Rowan Atkinson. He directed his first movie, Miss Firecracker, in 1989. He also directed the comedy movie, So I Married an Axe Murderer in 1993 with Mike Myers.

Beginning in the late 1990s, he served as producer for shows such as Tracey Takes On and has directed shows such as Ally McBeal, Boston Public, Friends, ER and Shaun Cassidy's Invasion. Schlamme also directed the pilot episode of Spin City.

He is married to actress Christine Lahti and has three children.

Schlamme first worked with Aaron Sorkin on his short-lived ABC comedy/drama Sports Night, for which he directed 16 of its 45 episodes. Their biggest break was in 1999, teaming up again on their hit political drama The West Wing. He directed the pilot episode and from then on served as the executive producer until 2003. He directed 14 episodes of The West Wing in addition to serving as executive producer. He directed the pilot episode of his latest collaboration with Sorkin, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and was executive producing the show until it was cancelled on May 14, 2007.

[edit] References

• Darrell L. Hope (July 2000). "Behind the Scenes with Thomas Schlamme". DGA Monthly Magazine. http://www.dga.org/news/v25_2/feat_schlamme.php3. Retrieved 2007-01-31. 
• Elif Cercel (1999-11-11). "Interview with Thomas Schlamme, Director and Executive Producer, "Sports Night"". Directors World. http://b4a.healthyinterest.net/news/archives/1999/11/interview_with.html. Retrieved 2007-01-31. 

[edit] External links

• Thomas Schlamme at the Internet Movie Database
• Hollywood.com bio

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v • d • e Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Thomas Schlamme (2001) · Alan Ball (2002) · Christopher Misiano (2003) · Walter Hill (2004) · J. J. Abrams (2005) · Jon Cassar (2006) · Alan Taylor (2007) · Greg Yaitanes (2008) Complete list: (1959–1975) · (1976–2000) · (2001–present)

v • d • e Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series Gene Reynolds / Dave Wilson (1976) · Alan Alda / David P. Powers (1977) · Paul Bogart / David P. Powers (1978) · Noam Pitlik (1979) · James Burrows (1980) · James Burrows (1981) · Alan Rafkin (1982) · James Burrows (1983) · Bill Persky (1984) · Jay Sandrich (1985) · Jay Sandrich (1986) · Terry Hughes (1987) · Gregory Hoblit (1988) · Peter Baldwin (1989) · Michael Dinner (1990) · James Burrows (1991) · Barnet Kellman (1992) · Betty Thomas (1993) · James Burrows (1994) · David Lee (1995) · Michael Lembeck (1996) · David Lee (1997) · Todd Holland (1998) · Thomas Schlamme (1999) · Todd Holland (2000) Complete list: (1959–1975) · (1976–2000) · (2001–present)