# Gary Halvorson

Gary S. Halvorson is an American director of television shows, series and film, best known for directing and producing the show, Friends.

## Directing

He was trained as a classical pianist at but is primarily noted as the director of situation comedies such as Friends (of which he directed 56 episodes) and The Drew Carey Show. He also made his film directorial debut The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (1999), a children's film.
For the New York Metropolitan Opera, he directed high-definition theater simulcasts of The Magic Flute (30 Dec 2006), I Puritani (6 Jan 2007), Il Barbiere di Siviglia (24 Mar 2007), Il Tabarro (28 Apr 2007), Roméo et Juliette (15 Dec 2007), Macbeth (11 Jan 2008), Peter Grimes (15 Mar 2008), La Bohème (5 Apr 2008), La fille du régiment (26 Avr 2008), the 2008-09 opening night gala starring Renée Fleming (22 Sep 2008), Doctor Atomic (8 Nov 2008), Thaïs (20 Dec 2008), Lucia di Lammermoor (7 Feb 2009), Madama Butterfly (7 Mar 2009), La Cenerentola (9 May 2009), Tosca (10 Oct 2009), Aida (23 Oct 2008), Turandot (7 Nov 2009), Les Contes d'Hoffmann (19 Dec 2009), Carmen (16 Jan 2010), Armida (1 May 2010), Das Rheingold (9 Oct 2010), Don Pasquale (13 Nov 2010) and Don Carlo (11 Dec 2010).
Halvorson also directed Paul Simon's "You're The One" live concert in Paris, which aired on PBS and is available on DVD.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Notes |
| 1984 | The Quintessential Peggy Lee | Direct-to-Video |
| 1999 | The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland | |
| 2018 | The King and I | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Notes |
| 1976 | Standing Room Only | — "Vanities" |
| 1980 | Broadway on Showtime | — "Little Johnny Jones" |
| 1981 | Jules Feiffer's Hold Me | TV movie |
| 1982 | The Country Girl | TV movie |
| 1984 | Hizzoner! | TV movie |
| 1985–93 | Kids Incorporated | Director (7 episodes) |
| 1986 | Solid Gold | Director (13 episodes) |
| 1987–2008 | Great Performances | Director (11 episodes) |
| 1989 | A Conversation with... | — "Betty White" |
| 1991 | Riders in the Sky | Director (11 episodes) |
| 1991 | On the Television | Director (38 episodes) |
| 1992 | Roundhouse | — "TV on Trial" |
| 1992–94 | Adventures in Wonderland | Director (14 episodes) |
| 1993 | Xuxa | Director (65 episodes) |
| 1994 | Herman's Head | — "You Say Tomato" |
| 1994 | Growing Up Funny | TV movie |
| 1995 | Muscle | Director (13 episodes) |
| 1995–96 | Minor Adjustments | Director (6 episodes) |
| 1995–96 | The Drew Carey Show | Director (2 episodes) — "Drew Gets Motivated" (1996) — "Isomers Have Distinct Characteristics" (1995) |
| 1996 | The Wayans Bros. | Director (2 episodes) — "Goin' to the Net" — "The Return of the Temptones" |
| 1996–97 | Roseanne | Director (8 episodes) |
| 1996–97 | Muppets Tonight | Director (11 episodes) |
| 1996–98 | Grace Under Fire | Director (3 episodes) |
| 1996–99 | Sabrina the Teenage Witch | Director (28 episodes) Producer (13 episodes) |
| 1997 | Bouncers | TV movie |
| 1997 | Teen Angel | Director (3 episodes) |
| 1997–2001 | The Metropolitan Opera Presents | Director (3 episodes) |
| 1997–2004 | Friends | Director (55 episodes) |
| 1997–2005 | Everybody Loves Raymond | Director (61 episodes) |
| 1999 | Whole World Comedy | — "Pilot" |
| 1999 | Norm | — "Norm vs. Norm" |
| 1999–2000 | Jesse | Director (7 episodes) |
| 2000 | Don Giovanni | TV movie |
| 2001 | Grounded for Life | — "Lily B. Goode" |
| 2001 | Everything But the Girl | TV movie |
| 2001 | The Back Page | TV movie |
| 2001 | Bliss | TV movie (Executive Producer) |
| 2002 | True West | TV movie |
| 2002 | Faith Hill: When the Lights Go Down | TV movie (also Producer) |
| 2002 | B.S. | TV movie |
| 2002–2004 | What I Like About You | Director (7 episodes) |
| 2003 | Regular Joe | Director (1 Episode) (also Executive Producer) |
| 2003 | These Guys | TV movie |
| 2003–04 | The Tracy Morgan Show | Director (3 episodes) |
| 2004 | Eddie's Father | TV movie |
| 2004–05 | Complete Savages | Director (2 episodes) — "The Complete Savages in... 'Hot Water' " (2005) — "Nick Kicks Butt" (2004) |
| 2004–06 | Joey | Director (9 episodes) |
| 2004–07 | Two and a Half Men | Director (34 episodes) |
| 2005 | Committed | Director (5 episodes) |
| 2005 | Kenny Chesney: Somewhere in the Sun | TV special |
| 2005 | Lies and the Wives We Tell Them To | TV movie |
| 2005 | Blue Skies | TV movie |
| 2006 | Grand Union | TV movie |
| 2006 | Lucky Louie | — "Pilot" |
| 2007 | Rules of Engagement | Director (4 episodes) |
| 2007 | 'Til Death | — "No More Mr. Vice Guy" |
| 2007 | Elmo's Christmas Countdown | TV movie |
| 2007 | Making It Legal | TV movie |
| 2008 | Do Not Disturb | Director (2 episodes) — "Dosing" — "Birdcage" |
| 2009 | Canned | TV movie |
| 2009–2011 | True Jackson, VP | Director (16 episodes) Producer (26 episodes) |
| 2010 | Telepathetic | TV movie |
| 2010–11 | Better with You | Director (11 episodes) |
| 2012 | How to Be a Gentleman | Director (2 episodes) — "How to Be Shallow" — "How to Get Along with Your Boss's New Girlfriend" |
| 2012 | Duets | Director (8 episodes) |
| 2012 | Yo Gabba Gabba! | — "Gooble" |
| 2012 | Michael Buble: Home for the Holidays | TV special |
| 2012–13 | Marvin Marvin | Director (3 episodes) |
| 2012–13 | Work It | Director (3 episodes) |
| 2013 | Mom | Directors (2 episodes) — "A Small Nervous Breakdown and a Misplaced Fork" — "A Pee Stick and an Asian Raccoon" |
| 2015 | Your Family or Mine | — "The Couch" |
| 2015 | The Dunes Club | TV movie |

## Awards and nominations

He was awarded an Emmy for "Outstanding Special Class Directing" for the 78th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, shown on NBC. In 1996, he was awarded a Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Directing in a Children's Series" for Adventures in Wonderland. He has also been nominated for "Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series", for his work on Everybody Loves Raymond.