Thomas Schlamme
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Thomas Schlamme (born May 22, 1950) is an American television director.
In 1973 he moved from his native Houston to New York. After serving in several low level positions for production companies, he founded his own company, Schlamme Productions, in 1980. From there, he produced campaigns for a number of musicals, including Cats. Throughout the 1980s, he produced a number of specials on various entertainers ranging from Whoopi Goldberg to Rowan Atkinson. He directed his first movie, Miss Firecracker, in 1989. He also directed the hit comedy movie, So I Married an Axe Murderer in 1993 with Mike Myers.
Beginning in the late 1990s, he served as producer for shows such as Tracey Takes On and has directed shows such as Ally McBeal, Friends and ER (for which he was nominated for an Emmy). Schlamme also directed the pilot episode of Spin City.
He is married to actress Christine Lahti and has three children.
[edit] Collaboration with Aaron Sorkin
Schlamme first worked with Aaron Sorkin on his short-lived ABC comedy/drama Sports Night, for which he directed 16 of its 45 episodes. Their biggest break was in 1999, teaming up again on their hit political drama The West Wing. He directed the pilot episode and from then on served as the executive producer until 2003. He directed 14 episodes of The West Wing in addition to serving as executive producer. He directed the pilot episode of his latest collaboration with Sorkin, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and is executive producing it as well.
