Executive Producers

Partners GEORGE SHAPIRO and HOWARD WEST (Executive Producers) of Shapiro/West and Associates, are two of the most respected and prolific catalysts in Hollywood. Together, they have served as executive producers of the Emmy, Peabody and Golden Globe Award-winning hit series Seinfeld, which completed its ninth and final season as the #1 comedy show on television.

Shapiro/West served as Andy Kaufman's managers for many years, landing him a starring role on the critically-acclaimed sitcom Taxi. They executive produced the comedian’s special for Showtime, entitled Andy Kaufman at Carnegie Hall and produced The Andy Kaufman Special for ABC. Shapiro/West also managed Andy Kaufman’s alter-ego, foul-mouthed Vegas-style lounge singer Tony Clifton, whose notorious shenanigans both on and off stage have become the stuff of Hollywood legend. Though Kaufman died of lung cancer fifteen years ago, his legacy lives on in several documentaries and two books, in addition to Man on the Moon.

In the film, both Shapiro and West make their feature film debuts as actors. Shapiro plays the role of Mr.Besserman, a club owner who fired Kaufman early in his career, and West portrays a hard-nosed network executive.

Making movies has always been one of West’s and Shapiro’s great loves. They produced: The Last Remake of Beau Geste, starring Ann-Margret, Michael York and Marty Feldman, and In God We Tru$t, starring Marty Feldman and Peter Boyle, both for Universal; Sibling Rivalry, starring Kirstie Alley and Scott Bakula for Castle Rock and Columbia; Summer School, starring Mark Harmon; and Summer Rental, starring John Candy.

Shapiro/West have brought a myriad of critically-acclaimed comedy specials to television, including: Showtime’s Broadway Baby with Elayne Boosler; HBO's Standup Confidential, starring Jerry Seinfeld; Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks’ animated milestone The 2000 Year Old Man; and the Emmy-nominated A Comedy Salute to Andy Kaufman.

Shapiro and West founded their company, Shapiro/West and Associates, in 1974, an idea which stemmed from their early years when they worked as agents at William Morris. It was there that Shapiro packaged classic American hits like That Girl, starring Marlo Thomas; Gomer Pyle, starring Jim Nabors; and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, co-starring Tim Conway. West, always on the cutting edge of music, packaged The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour and The Bobby Darren Show, among other favorites.

Together, they packaged specials for Mary Tyler Moore, Carol Channing, Dick Van Dyke and Bill Cosby, and West packaged specials for the Jackson Five, Smokey Robinson and Diana Ross and the Supremes.

They currently manage the careers of some of Hollywood’s most celebrated artists, including: Carl Reiner; Jerry Seinfeld; Robert Wuhl; veteran sitcom director and actor Peter Bonerz; co-creator and executive producer of ABC’s Spin City, Bill Lawrence; and actor David Ramsey, soon to star in the title role of FOX’s Ali.

Shapiro and West have a long history together. From their grammar school days together at PS 80 in the Bronx, to their foray into the entertainment industry via the mail room at the William Morris Agency.

 

Man on the Moon reunites MICHAEL HAUSMAN (Executive Producer) and Milos Forman for the seventh time. Their association goes back to 1970 when Hausman was both production manager and associate producer of Taking Off. He continued as the first assistant director on Hair, executive producer of Ragtime and Amadeus and producer of Valmont. More recently, he produced (with Oliver Stone and Janet Yang), Forman's The People vs. Larry Flynt.

Man on the Moon is a Jersey Films Production in association with Cinehaus, Hausman's New York-based production facility.

Hausman has received credit as executive producer on three films for director Robert Benton: Twilight, Nobody's Fool and Places in the Heart. He was the executive producer (with Lindsay Doran) of The Firm, A Family Thing and No Mercy.

In addition, he produced Homicide, Things Change and House of Games for writer/director David Mamet, as well as the films Desert Bloom, Silkwood, The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez, Heartland, Rich Kids and Mikey and Nicky.

In addition to his producing career, Hausman is a member of the Board of Directors of Du-Art Laboratories and teaches at the Graduate Film School at Columbia University in New York. A native New Yorker, Hausman graduated from Cornell University.