- Born
- Died
- Birth nameMarvin Neil Simon
- Nickname
- Doc Simon
- Height6′ 1½″ (1.87 m)
- Neil Simon started writing for radio and television at $50 a week. Soon after he started writing for Sid Caesar, Red Buttons and Jackie Gleason, he was getting paid $1,600 a week. In 1956, he started writing for Broadway and in 1961 had a big hit with Come Blow Your Horn. The following year he had success with Barefoot in the Park and Little Me. A number of his plays were made into hit movies, including The Odd Couple, Barefoot in the Park and Sweet Charity.
- IMDb mini biography by: Tonyman5
- SpousesElaine Joyce(September 11, 1999 - August 26, 2018) (his death)Diane Lander(February 10, 1990 - April 22, 1998) (divorced, 1 child)Diane Lander(January 13, 1987 - August 12, 1988) (divorced)Marsha Mason(October 25, 1973 - July 7, 1983) (divorced)Joan Baim(September 10, 1953 - July 17, 1973) (her death, 2 children)
- ChildrenTaylor Joyce VanMichael Francis LevoffBryn Lander Simon
- RelativesNicola Florimbi(Grandchild)Andrew Leland(Grandchild)Sophia Florimbi(Grandchild)Danny Simon(Sibling)
- Almost every one of his 30-plus plays, mostly Broadway comedies, has also been adapted into a motion picture-- the greatest such achievement of any playwright/author, even surpassing William Shakespeare As a result, Simon has received more Oscar and Tony nominations than any other writer in the history of show business.
- He became so successful financially that he backed his own plays.
- In 1966 Simon had four shows playing in Broadway theaters at the same time: 'Sweet Charity', 'The Star-Spangled Girl', 'The Odd Couple', and 'Barefoot in the Park'.
- 2004: Received kidney transplant donated by Bill Eveans, his publicist.
- 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, and Neil did in exchange for sole author credit. However, he continued to pay Danny 10% of everything the property generated.
- 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.
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