Willie Garson(1964-2021)
- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Rarely at a loss for work, Willie Garson appeared in more than 300 episodes of television and more than 70 films. Best known for his long runs on television as Mozzie onWhite Collar (2009),Stanford Blatch onSex and the City (1998),and Henry Coffield onNYPD Blue (1993),he also appeared as the grifter with a heart of gold, Gerard Hirsch, onHawaii Five-0 (2010).
Born in New Jersey, he started training at the Actors Institute In New York, before majoring in psychology and theater at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. After graduation, he quickly started landing guest roles on such shows asCheers (1982),Family Ties (1982),Thirtysomething (1987),L.A. Law (1986),as well as continually recurring in a wide array of shows includingThe X Files (1993),Twin Peaks (1990),Two and a Half Men (2003),Stargate SG-1 (1997),Pushing Daisies (2007),The Practice (1997),Ally McBeal (1997),etc., etc., etc. His favorite long-form role on TV was Dr. Kreutz forSteven Spielbergin the acclaimed miniseriesTaken (2002).Garson also appeared in many episodes ofBoy Meets World (1993)andGirl Meets World (2014).
On the big screen, other than reprising hisSex and the City (1998)role for two features (Sex and the City (2008)andSex and the City 2 (2010)), he collaborated with the Farrelly brothers on three films,There's Something About Mary (1998),Kingpin (1996),andThe Perfect Catch (2005),as well as appearing inSoapdish (1991),Groundhog Day (1993),Mars Attacks! (1996),The Rock (1996),Being John Malkovich (1999),and many others. He was often used by such varied directors asSpike Jonze,Michael Bay,the late greatMike Nichols,andRon Shelton.Next up isFeed (2017),touching on a subject Garson was very proud to be a part of. Upcoming films include7 Days to Vegas (2019),andMagic Camp (2020).
As a director, Garson directed episodes ofWhite Collar (2009)andGirl Meets World (2014),and, with Warner Brothers, had TV shows in development as producer/creator.
Garson continued to perform with various bicoastal theater companies such as Naked Angles, Manhattan Theater Club, the Roundabout Theater, and the Geffen. He was also very involved with many charities, including AMFAR, Camp Joslin for Diabetes, Doctors Without Borders, Habitat for Humanity, and especially the Alliance for Children's Rights, which facilitates adoptions in LA County. This had a special place in the Garson family, as Willie adopted his son Nathan in Los Angeles in 2010, and twice served as national spokesman for National Adoption Day.
Aside from acting, Garson was known as a world-class poker player, nicknamed Evil Willie on the first episode ofCelebrity Poker Showdown (2003),and continued to play in tournaments all over the world, both for charity and through the World Poker Tour.
Born in New Jersey, he started training at the Actors Institute In New York, before majoring in psychology and theater at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. After graduation, he quickly started landing guest roles on such shows asCheers (1982),Family Ties (1982),Thirtysomething (1987),L.A. Law (1986),as well as continually recurring in a wide array of shows includingThe X Files (1993),Twin Peaks (1990),Two and a Half Men (2003),Stargate SG-1 (1997),Pushing Daisies (2007),The Practice (1997),Ally McBeal (1997),etc., etc., etc. His favorite long-form role on TV was Dr. Kreutz forSteven Spielbergin the acclaimed miniseriesTaken (2002).Garson also appeared in many episodes ofBoy Meets World (1993)andGirl Meets World (2014).
On the big screen, other than reprising hisSex and the City (1998)role for two features (Sex and the City (2008)andSex and the City 2 (2010)), he collaborated with the Farrelly brothers on three films,There's Something About Mary (1998),Kingpin (1996),andThe Perfect Catch (2005),as well as appearing inSoapdish (1991),Groundhog Day (1993),Mars Attacks! (1996),The Rock (1996),Being John Malkovich (1999),and many others. He was often used by such varied directors asSpike Jonze,Michael Bay,the late greatMike Nichols,andRon Shelton.Next up isFeed (2017),touching on a subject Garson was very proud to be a part of. Upcoming films include7 Days to Vegas (2019),andMagic Camp (2020).
As a director, Garson directed episodes ofWhite Collar (2009)andGirl Meets World (2014),and, with Warner Brothers, had TV shows in development as producer/creator.
Garson continued to perform with various bicoastal theater companies such as Naked Angles, Manhattan Theater Club, the Roundabout Theater, and the Geffen. He was also very involved with many charities, including AMFAR, Camp Joslin for Diabetes, Doctors Without Borders, Habitat for Humanity, and especially the Alliance for Children's Rights, which facilitates adoptions in LA County. This had a special place in the Garson family, as Willie adopted his son Nathan in Los Angeles in 2010, and twice served as national spokesman for National Adoption Day.
Aside from acting, Garson was known as a world-class poker player, nicknamed Evil Willie on the first episode ofCelebrity Poker Showdown (2003),and continued to play in tournaments all over the world, both for charity and through the World Poker Tour.
