Tom Cherones, Emmy-Winning ‘Seinfeld’ Director, Dies at 86

Tom Cherones, prominent director and producer of “Seinfeld,” died at 86.

The Emmy Award winner was best known for directing 81 of the first 86 episodes of “Seinfeld,” during the series’ first five seasons, among many other credits.

The producer died Monday at his home in Florence, Oregon, after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a family spokesperson.

Cherones was born in Tuscaloosa, Ala. and earned a degree in journalism from the University of New Mexico. He went on to receive a master’s degree in telecommunications from the University of Alabama before serving in the U.S. Navy for four years.

After his service, Cherones landed his first entertainment job as a production manager for “General Hospital.” His first directing gig was in 1986 for an episode of CBS comedy series “My Sister Sam.”

He began his stint at “Seinfeld” in 1990. Cherones served as a director and producer on the first five seasons of the show and earned a DGA award for directing his episode “The Contest” in 1993. He also made an on-screen cameo in the fourth season of the series in “The Pilot.”

His tenure at “Seinfeld” largely established the tone of the series as a “show about nothing.” After his fifth season, Jerry Seinfeld wanted to switch up the feel of the series, so he left at his request.

Cherones directed all but one of the second season of ABC’s “Ellen,” starring Ellen DeGeneres. His other credits include “Caroline in the City,” “NewsRadio,” “Growing Pains,” “Men Behaving Badly” and “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.”

In his later years, Cherones taught television production pro bono at the University of Alabama from 2002 to 2014. He was inducted into the Alabama Stage and Screen Hall of Fame in 2003.

The director is survived by his third wife, Carol; his daughter, Susan, and her husband, Daniel; his son, Scott, and his wife, Linda; and his grandchildren, Jessa and Thomas. He earlier was married to Bobby Cherones and to Joyce Keener until her death in 2006.

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