Neil Simon

Simon was married five times. These included to dancer Joan Baim (1953-73), actress Marsha Mason (1973-1981), twice to Diane Lander (1987-1988 and 1990-1998) and actress Elaine Joyce (1999-present).

He had three children: Nancy and Ellen (from his first marriage) and Bryn who is Diane Lander’s daughter from her previous marriage, whom he adopted.

He died of pneumonia on 26 August 2018 at the age of 91. He was also reported to have had Alzheimer’s disease.

Neil Simon was born in The Bronx, New York, to Irving Simon and Mamie Simon. His father was a garment salesman while mother a homemaker. He grew up in Washington Heights with his older brother, Danny Simon.

Most of Simon’s childhood was spent struggling with the Great Depression and his parents’ difficult marriage - his father deserted the family from time to time. To cope with difficulties of his childhood, he took comfort in comedy and writing.

He attended the DeWitt Clinton High School and after clearing the school he joined the Army Air Force Reserve at New York University. He started writing professionally during these years. In 1946, he attended the University of Denver.

After getting discharged from the army and completion of his graduation from the university, Simon took up a job as a mailroom clerk for Warner Brother’s East Coast Office, Manhattan.

A few years later, he quit his job and joined his brother in writing for radio and television. They struggled alongside Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, etc. and wrote for shows like, ‘The Phil Slivers Show’ and ‘Your Show of Shows’.

Simon was nominated for Emmy several times for his TV writing, which inspired him to move to theatre and in 1961, his first Broadway, ‘Come Blow Your Horn’ was released at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. It ran for 678 performances.

Soon Simon was known as the ‘hottest new playwright on Broadway’ and he released more productions––‘Barefoot in the Park (1963), ‘The Old Couple (1965)’, ‘Plaza Suite (1968)’, ‘The Gingerbread Lady (1970)’, ‘The Good Doctor (1973)’, ‘Chapter Two (1977)’, etc.

Although his plays were smash hits and audiences loved the elements he touched with his writing like satire, romance, family clashes, difficult marriages etc. but the critics continued to detest him and called him a mere ‘writer of gags’.

Although Simon actively wrote for television, movies and theatre but his contribution as a playwright is considered to be most prominent. He wrote award winning Broadways like, ‘The Old Couple (1965)’, ‘Lost in Yonkers (1991)’.