Biography for
Neil Simon (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

4 July 1927, The Bronx, New York, USA

Birth Name

Marvin Neil Simon

Nickname

Doc Simon

Height

6' 1½" (1.87 m)

Spouse

Elaine Joyce	(11 September 1999 - present)
Diane Lander	(10 February 1990 - 22 April 1998) (divorced) 1 child
Diane Lander	(13 January 1987 - 12 August 1988) (divorced)
Marsha Mason	(25 October 1973 - 7 July 1983) (divorced)
Joan Baim	(10 September 1953 - 17 July 1973) (her death) 2 children

Trivia

Playwright.

Brother of Danny Simon.

Received newly established 'Apple Award' from The Nederlander Company and Wayne State University. Named in honor of Sarah Applebaum Nederlander, who was known affectionately as 'Apple', the Apple Award will be presented annually to a nationally recognized theatre professional who has made significant contributions in his or her field. The Nederlander's and WSU established the award this year in celebration of the Fisher Theatre's 40th anniversary. [28 November 2001]

Children: daughters Ellen, Nancy by Joan Baim; Bryn (adopted) with Diane Lander.

He loves playing tennis.

He has became so successful financially that he backs his own plays.

His brother, Danny Simon, actually started writing the "The Odd Couple" but was not able to finish it. He asked Neil to take it over, Neil did in exchange for sole author credit. He has paid Danny 10% of everything the property has generated.

The Alvin Theater at 250 W. 52nd Street on Broadway was renamed the Neil Simon Theater on June 23, 1983.

2004: Received kidney transplant donated by Bill Eveans, his publicist.

His play, "Laughter on the 23rd Floor", was nominated for a 1997 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best New Comedy of 1996.

He won both a Tony Award and a Pulitzer Prize for "Lost In Yonkers" in 1991.

Has won two Tony Awards as author of Best Play winners: in 1985 for "Biloxi Blues" and in 1991 for "Lost in Yonkers." Additionally, he has been Tony-nominated an impressive 15 times: in 1963, as Best Author (Musical) and book for Best Musical nominee "Little Me," in 1964, as author of Best Play nominee "Barefoot in the Park;" in 1965, as Best Author (Dramatic) and author of Best Play nominee "The Odd Couple;" in 1966, for book of Best Musical nominee "Sweet Charity;" in 1968, as author of Best Play nominee "Plaza Suite;" in 1969, for book for Best Musical nominee "Promises, Promises;" in 1970, as author of Best Play nominee "Last of the Red Hot Lovers;" in 1972, as author of Best Play nominee "The Prisoner of Second Avenue;" in 1973, as author of Best Play nominee "The Sunshine Boys;" in 1974, as Best Score, his lyrics with Peter Link's music, for "The Good Doctor;" in 1978, as author of Best Play nominee "Chapter Two;" in 1979, as Best Book (Musical) for "They're Playing Our Song;" and in 1987, as author of Best Play nominee "Broadway Bound."

Received the 2006 Mark Twain prize on October 15, 2006 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Neil Simon was nominated for the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the play "Broadway Bound" and the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the play "Lost in Yonkers".

Practiced Shaolin Qi Gong with Shaolin Warrior Monk Shi Yan Fan in Sherman Oaks before he moved to New York.

Based his play 'The Odd Couple' on his brother's divorce. He actually wrote two versions of it. The more famous version features Oscar Madison and Felix Ungar, and is written for a primarily for a male cast. The other one changes the leads to two women - Olive Madison and Florence Ungar.

Personal Quotes

When it's 100 in New York, it's 72 in Los Angeles. When it's 20 in New York, it's 72 in Los Angeles. However, there are six million interesting people in New York - and 72 in Los Angeles.

On writing 1991's "The Marrying Man": "With a play, I have only two people to please - myself and the director. With this movie, it was 19 executives, a director who'd never done anything but animation before, and two stars who would tell you what lines they'd say and what lines they wouldn't say."

On Hollywood: "Everyone in Hollywood is looking for a blockbuster. They tell you their last movie 'only grossed $70 million,' as if that were some kind of crime."

I don't like writing for comedians. I like writing for actors. The best comedians are the best actors.

[on Herbert Ross] I think Herb Ross is the best director I've worked with in films. The others just don't understand my material as well.

On the 2009 closing of his Broadway revival, "Brighton Beach Memoirs" one week after it premiered: I'm still dumbfounded. After all these years, I still don't get how Broadway works, or what to make of our culture.