User:Mlazarou2002

Michael Lazarou

Michael Lazarou is an American screen and television writer/producer. Born 17 March, 1964 in Weisbaden West Germany where his father, a U.S. Army Captain and army surgeon was stationed. The Lazarou family moved from Fort Bragg, N.C. to Los Angeles circa 1969.

After his graduation from UCLA with a degree in Theater, Film and Television, Lazarou atteded the graduate Theatre conservatory at New York University's Tisch School of The Arts. Several years laters, he returnerd to Los Angles and became a Screenwriting Fellow at the American Film Instute Center For Advanced Film Studies.

Known primarily as a writer of long form television and feature films, Lazarou did extensive work in the series arena - both comedy and drama on such shows as "Doogie Howser, MD, the Untouchables, and a number of network television pilots both one-hour drama and half-hour comedy.  Lazarou's "Heat Wave", a searing drama about the 1965 Watts Riots,  first aired August 13, 1990 on Turner Network Television.  The movie was a winner of the Writers Guild of America  Award and brought Emmy Awards to James Earl Jones and Cecily Tyson in addition to four CableAce Awards including Best Picture. "Heat Wave" was also TNT's highest rated program in its history at that time.

"Possessed", produced by Showtime was a dramtization the true story upon which William Peter Blatty based the "Exorcist" and was co-written by Lazarou and Steven E. DeSouza who also directed. The film starred Christopher Plummer, Timothy Dalton, Henry Czerny and Piper Laurie, et al. "Possessed" was another long form project which garned strong critical acclaim and equally strong numbers.

Fluent in Spanish and German, Lazarou has also written or consulted for entertainment concerns in Europe and Latin America.

As of 12 June 2007, Lazarou is producing and writing a family movie for Lifetime Networks.

Michael Lazarou is married to Charisse McGhee, formerly a VP of Primetime Series Programming at NBC and now a producer.They have four children and reside in Los Angeles. Mlazarou2002 08:45, 13 June 2007 (UTC)