Joan Rivers, Leonard Nimoy and More Legends in the 2015 Emmys ‘In Memoriam’ Tribute

The ‘In Memoriam’ tribute at this year’s Prime Time Emmy Awards seemed to feature more legends than usual whose work genuinely influenced my personal sense of comedy, delivery, tone. Whether through writing, directing, producing or performing, each of these people did something that I not only really loved, but something that shaped some aspect my sensibility and experience with entertainment.

To name a few… Mike Nichols, Jerry Weintraub (producer/mover/shaker), Leonard Nimoy, B.B. King, Wes Craven, Anne Meara, Taylor Negron (Mr. Pizza Guy from Fast Times at Ridgemont High), Jack Rollins (Woody Allen’s longtime producer), Albert Maysles (documentarian behind Gimme Shelter, Grey Gardens and Iris), Dick Van Patten (Mr. Bradford!), Jan Hooks, Edward Herrmann and Joan Rivers, for whom I had the privilege of working during the last few months of her life.