James Burrows, one of the most influential directors in television history who directed more than 1,000 episodes, has passed away at the age of 85. His family confirmed the news with People on Friday. A cause of death has not yet been revealed.
Burrows won an impressive 11 Emmy Awards throughout his esteemed career. This total includes five Emmys for directing — Taxi (1980 and ’81), Cheers (1983 and ’91), and Frasier (1994) — and six for producing: Cheers (1983, ’84, ’89, and ’91), Will and Grace (2000), and Live in Front of a Studio Audience (2020). He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2006.
The Hollywood icon worked up until his death, with a guest-starring role on The Comeback opposite Lisa Kudrow. Burrows is even on the 2026 Emmys ballot for playing himself in the episode “Valerie Does It All,” where he comes face-to-face with the first television sitcom written by artificial intelligence. He appeared in all three seasons (2005, ’14, and ’26) of that recently ended series as a loyal ally of Kudrow’s character.
Burrows’ speciality was multi-camera sitcoms with live studio audiences. His most recent Emmy nomination was for directing Mid-Century Modern in 2025, the Hulu program that hoped to revitalize the dying genre; alas, it was canceled after one season.
The Burrows family told People: “We celebrate the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of James ‘Jimmy’ Burrows, who passed away peacefully today surrounded by his loving family. For more than five decades, Burrows was one of the most influential and beloved directors in television history. As a legendary director, mentor, and creative force, he helped shape generations of comedy and brought immeasurable joy to audiences around the world. Over the course of his unparalleled career, Burrows directed more than 1,000 episodes of television and was instrumental in creating some of the most iconic series ever produced.”
His 50-year-plus TV career started with The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1974. Just one year later, Burrows already had three more projects under his belt: Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers, Fay, and Phyllis. He co-created the hit series Cheers and went on to direct every episode of Will and Grace. He also worked on projects like Taxi, Frasier, Friends, and 3rd Rock from the Sun.
When Will and Grace returned in 2017 after almost a decade off the air, Burrows told Gold Derby that any skepticism he had disappeared once the cast sat down for a table read. “It was explosive around the table,” Burrows recalled. “Nobody had lost a beat. The excitement of an audience growing to know these people together makes it really special. That happened on Cheers and on Friends.”
Burrows was born in Los Angeles in 1940. He got his love for the industry from his father, Abe Burrows, a writer and composer who received a Writers Guild Award nomination for The Solid Gold Cadillac (1957).
James Burrows is survived by his wife, Debbie Easton, and his four children.
