Alec Berg | |
---|---|
![]() Berg at SXSW 2016 | |
Born | 1969 or 1970 (age 54–55) |
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | Harvard University |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1991–present |
Known for |
Alec Berg (born 1969 or 1970[1]) is an American television writer, producer, and director.
Early life and education
[edit]Berg is of Swedish descent,[2] and grew up idolizing the comedy of Bill Cosby and Steve Martin.[3] He attended high school in Pasadena, California,[4] before graduating from Harvard University,[1] where he wrote for The Harvard Lampoon.[3]
Career
[edit]Berg wrote for the final four seasons of the sitcom Seinfeld, as well as being the co-creator (with Bill Hader) and executive producer of Barry.[5] He also co-wrote the screenplays for the films The Cat in the Hat, EuroTrip, and The Dictator. Berg is also an executive producer (and sometime director) of Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm as well as an executive producer of Silicon Valley.[4][6] In 2016, Berg signed an overall deal with HBO.[7]
Berg's name was used for a character in the Seinfeld episode "The Face Painter," where it is pronounced "Alec Buuurg" in a low dramatic voice. This practice was begun by Larry David when addressing the real life Berg, and it spread throughout the office. Berg said he was surprised to see his name in the script, and is occasionally addressed as such after "The Face Painter" is shown on television.[8] Berg was also the inspiration for a character in the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode "The Divorce," featuring a lawyer of the same name whom Larry assumes to be Jewish but is a Catholic of Swedish descent.[2]
Filmography
[edit]Writing
[edit]Year | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
1991 | MTV, Give Me Back My Life: A Harvard Lampoon Parody | TV movie |
1992 | Great Scott! | Episode "Date Bait" |
1994 | Herman's Head | Episode "Absence Makes the Head Grow Fonder" |
1995–2000 | The Moxy & Flea Show | |
1996 | 68th Academy Awards | Wrote special material |
1994–1998 | Seinfeld | 13 episodes |
2002 | The Barenaked Ladies Show | TV movie |
2003 | The Cat in the Hat | Screenplay |
2004 | EuroTrip | |
2004 | Shark Tale | Additional dialogue |
1994, 1998–2009 | Late Night with Conan O'Brien | 13 episodes |
2011 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | 10 episodes |
2012 | The Dictator | |
2013 | Clear History | |
2014–2019 | Silicon Valley | 7 episodes |
2018–2023 | Barry | 32 episodes |
Directing
[edit]Year | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
2004 | Eurotrip | Co-director (uncredited) |
2007–2011 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | 6 episodes |
2013 | New Girl | 2 episodes |
2014–2019 | Silicon Valley | 11 episodes |
2018–2023 | Barry | 7 episodes |
Producing
[edit]Year | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
1993–1994 | Herman's Head | 22 episodes; served as story editor |
1996–1998 | Seinfeld | 44 episodes |
2004 | Eurotrip | |
2005, 2007–2011 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | 32 episodes |
2012 | The Dictator | |
2013 | Clear History | |
2014–2019 | Silicon Valley | 53 episodes |
2018–2023 | Barry | 32 episodes |
Acting
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1999 | Best Laid Plans | Phone Guy No. 1 | |
2019 | Silicon Valley | Documentarian | Episode “Exit Event” |
Awards and nominations
[edit]Year | Category | Project | Result | Ref. | ||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Primetime Emmy Awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
1997 | Outstanding Comedy Series | Seinfeld (season 8) | Nominated | [9] | ||||||||||||||||||||
1998 | Seinfeld (season 9) | Nominated | [10] | |||||||||||||||||||||
2008 | Curb Your Enthusiasm (season 6) | Nominated | [11] | |||||||||||||||||||||
2010 | Curb Your Enthusiasm (season 7) | Nominated | [12] | |||||||||||||||||||||
2012 | Curb Your Enthusiasm (season 8) | Nominated | [13] | |||||||||||||||||||||
2014 | Silicon Valley (season 1) | Nominated | [14] | |||||||||||||||||||||
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series | Silicon Valley (episode: "Optimal Tip-to-Tip Efficiency") | Nominated | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2015 | Outstanding Comedy Series | Silicon Valley (season 2) | Nominated | [15] | ||||||||||||||||||||
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series | Silicon Valley (episode: "Two Days of the Condor") | Nominated | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2016 | Outstanding Comedy Series | Silicon Valley (season 3) | Nominated | [16] | ||||||||||||||||||||
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series | Silicon Valley (episode: "The Uptick") | Nominated | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series | Silicon Valley (episode: "Daily Active Users") | Nominated | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2017 | Outstanding Comedy Series | Silicon Valley (season 4) | Nominated | [17] | ||||||||||||||||||||
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series | Silicon Valley (episode: "Success Failure") | Nominated | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2018 | Outstanding Comedy Series | Silicon Valley (season 5) | Nominated | [18] | ||||||||||||||||||||
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series | Silicon Valley (episode: "Fifty-One Percent") | Nominated | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Outstanding Comedy Series | Barry (Season 1) | Nominated | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series | Barry (episode: "Chapter One: Make Your Mark") | Nominated | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2019 | Outstanding Comedy Series | Barry (Season 2) | Nominated | [19] | ||||||||||||||||||||
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series | Barry (episode: "ronny/lily") | Nominated | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series | Barry (episode: "The Audition") | Nominated | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2022 | Outstanding Comedy Series | Barry (Season 3) | Nominated | [20] | ||||||||||||||||||||
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series | Barry (episode: "starting now") | Nominated | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2023 | Outstanding Comedy Series | Barry (Season 4) | Nominated | [21] |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Gay, Verne (December 29, 1997). "So, NBC, Who's Next?". Newsday. p. B2.
...Alec Berg and Jeff Schaffer, are 27-year-old Harvard grads...
- ^ a b Pfefferman, Naomi (May 2, 2012). "'Dictator' Scribes Dish on Sacha Baron Cohen's New Comedy". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles; jewishjournal.com. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
- ^ a b Renfro, Kim; Carlson, Nicholas (April 24, 2017). "'Silicon Valley' showrunner Alec Berg on how to become a top comedy writer in TV and the challenges of satire". Business Insider. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
- ^ a b "Interview with "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Seinfeld" Writer Alec Berg". Austin Film Festival. July 20, 2011. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
- ^ Hiatt, Brian (July 20, 2011). "'Curb Your Enthusiasm' and 'Seinfeld' Writers Talk About the Legend of Larry David". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 2, 2016). "Bill Hader Hitman Comedy 'Barry' Picked Up To Series By HBO". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
- ^ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (June 22, 2016). "HBO Inks Overall Deal with 'Silicon Valley' Showrunner Alec Berg (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- ^ Maglio, Tony (April 24, 2016). "'Silicon Valley' EP Alec Berg on His Crazy 'Seinfeld' Connection". TheWrap. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
- ^ "Nominees / Winners 1997 Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "Nominees / Winners 1998 Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "Nominees / Winners 1998 Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "Nominees / Winners 2010 Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "Nominees / Winners 2012 Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "Nominees / Winners 2014 Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "Nominees / Winners 2015 Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "Nominees / Winners 2016 Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "Nominees / Winners 2017 Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "Nominees / Winners 2018 Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "Nominees / Winners 2019 Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "Nominees / Winners 2022 Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "Nominees / Winners 2023 Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
External links
[edit] Media related to Alec Berg at Wikimedia Commons