The Big Bang Theory And Friends Director James Burrows Dead At 85

Sitcom legend James Burrows has passed away at the age of 85 on June 19, 2026. No cause of death has been announced by his family as of this writing.

A statement released to People by the Burrows family read in part, "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."

Burrows' resume is a catalog of the most rewatchable sitcoms of all time; he produced, executive produced, and/or directed episodes of programs such as "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Laverne and Shirley," "Taxi," "Cheers," "Frasier," "Friends," "Will and Grace," and "The Big Bang Theory." He co-created "Cheers," as well. He won 11 Emmys during his long career, which was still chugging along as of 2025, where he is credited with directing 10 episodes of "Mid-Century Modern." Burrows has left behind a towering legacy that will leave people laughing for decades to come.

Over the years, James Burrows' name became synonymous with the modern multi-camera sitcom. He pioneered several modifications to the standard production format, including adding a fourth camera to the usual three-camera setup. During the course of five decades in the entertainment industry, he set the tone, pace and form of the genre. His directing resume alone is astounding; he was behind the camera for 246 episodes of "Will & Grace," 236 episodes of "Cheers," 75 segments of "Taxi," 49 episodes of "Mike and  Molly" (which he also executive produced), 36 episodes of "Frasier" and 15 episodes of "Friends." In the end, he directed over 1,000 episodes of television.

The son of playwright Abe Burrows, best known for the musical "Guys and Dolls," James Burrows was born in Los Angeles in 1940 and began working in television by 1967 as a dialogue coach. He also worked in theater for several years before landing his first TV directing job, on a 1974 episode of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." He followed that in quick succession with stints on "The Bob Newhart Show," "Laverne and Shirley," and a number of other '70s shows before starting his run on "Taxi."

Burrows also directed several television movies, including a vehicle for the late Rob Reiner and Penny Marshall called "More than Friends" which was one of Reiner's earliest writing efforts. Burrows also had something of an acting career; fittingly, his last role was in a sitcom. He appeared as himself in "The Comeback" across all three seasons. His last onscreen role was in the Season 3 episode "Valerie Does it All," which aired this past April.