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Eric Gilliland

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Eric Gilliland
Born
Eric Raymond Gilliland

(1962-03-28)March 28, 1962
DiedSeptember 1, 2024(2024-09-01) (aged 62)
Occupation(s)Television producer, writer, and actor
Notable workRoseanne

Eric Raymond Gilliland (March 28, 1962 – September 1, 2024) was an American television producer, writer, actor, and whistler.

Education

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Gilliland was born on March 28, 1962,[1] in Glenview, Illinois. He graduated from Glenbrook South High School in Glenview in 1980 and from the School of Communication at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois in 1984. He died from colon cancer on September 1, 2024 at the age of 62. Steven Levitan, a television producer and director, wrote that he and Gilliland enjoyed watching The Dick Van Dyke Show, Monty Python, Jack Benny, Carol Burnett, and Saturday Night Live beginning when they were in 8th grade. They started a pun club to find bad puns. Levitan credits Gilliland with getting him into working in television. "(Having) a job like that would have seemed completely unattainable to me if I hadn't known someone (Gilliland) who actually pulled it off. I guess I figured that if Eric was brave enough to take a chance like that (and find a career in entertainment), I should be too."[1][2][3]

Television

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Year Show Role Notes
1988–89 Who's the Boss? story editor, writer
1990–91 The Wonder Years writer
1992–93 Roseanne writer, co-producer Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy, GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, Writers Guild of America Award nomination
1993–94 Roseanne supervising producer GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
1995–96 Roseanne writer, co-exec producer, exec producer GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
1998 That's Life creator
1998–99 Welcome to New York executive producer
2000 That '70s Show writer, consulting producer
2006–09 My Boys writer, consulting producer
2011 Mr. Sunshine writer, co-exec producer
2012 Downwardly Mobile co-creator, writer, exec producer [4]

Film

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Year Film Role Notes
1992 Samantha actor: Hendricks starring Martha Plimpton
1994 Teresa's Tattoo actor: Police Officer directed by Julie Cypher
2004 Hair High voice actor: Spud directed by Bill Plympton
2006 Shortbus actor: Himself directed by John Cameron Mitchell
2006 The Ultimate Gift actor: Flight Attendant starring James Garner
2006 God Grew Tired of Us co-producer directed by Christopher Quinn

Music

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Gilliland was an accomplished whistler.[5][6][7] His whistling appeared on Sam Winch's The Lullabadeer,[8] a number of Sumack albums, and on the soundtrack of an episode of Penn & Teller: Bullshit!. He provided whistling accompaniment to Martha Plimpton's performance of "Thunder Road" on NPR's Studio 360.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Ryan Reynolds, former colleagues tribute 'Roseanne' producer Eric Gilliland: 'It's a tragedy more people won't have the chance to know him'". Entertainment Weekly. September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  2. ^ "Eric Gilliland, Former Comedy Writer For 'Roseanne' & 'My Boys,' Has Died". Deadline. September 2, 2024. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  3. ^ Zee, Michaela (3 September 2024). "'Roseanne' Producer Eric Gilliland Dies". Variety. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Roseanne Barr's Comeback Comedy 'Downwardly Mobile' Lands at NBC". The Hollywood Reporter. 9 October 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Martha Plimpton". Studio360.org. Archived from the original on 20 May 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  6. ^ "Martha Plimpton". Archived from the original on 2011-09-10. Retrieved 2010-05-26.
  7. ^ Shubow, Charles. "'Stars in the Margin' Huge Hit at the Zipper Factory". Broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  8. ^ "Your Holiday Gift: Three Nights of My Boys - Celebrity Blogs | TVGuide.com". Archived from the original on 2011-06-16. Retrieved 2010-05-26.
  9. ^ "STAGE TUBE: Martha Plimpton Performs 'Thunder Road' on Studio 360". Broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
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