Bernie Brillstein

About Bernie Brillstein

Bernie Brillstein (April 26, 1931, in New York City, New York-August 07, 2008, in Los Angeles, California) after a long illness, he was a film and television producer and executive producer.

A nephew of the pioneering radio comic Jack Pearl, Brillstein had an early start in show business in the mailroom at the William Morris Agency (WMA) in New York. He worked his way up to talent agent and by the 1960s he was a manager-producer of television programming for the company. Still associated with WMA, in 1964 he joined Management III to continue talent management.

By now living in Los Angeles, Brillstein formed The Brillstein Company in 1969. There, he continued to manage stars and develop television programming. He produced such popular television hits as Hee Haw, The Muppet Show and Saturday Night Live. Brillstein was a manager of both John Belushi and Lorne Michaels, as well as famed puppeteers Jim Henson (of Muppets fame) and Paul Fusco (voice and operator of ALF). He produced such other television shows as Alf: The Animated Series, and Normal Life.