Donald Paul Bellisario, commonly known as Donald P. Bellisario, was the creator, executive producer, writer and director for JAG.
Personal life[]
Donald married Margaret Schaffran in 1956 and they divorced in 1974. They had four children, Joy Bellisario-Jenkins (born c. 1956), David Bellisario (1957–2020)[1], Leslie Bellisario-Ingham (born c. 1961), and Julie Bellisario-Watson.
He married Lynn Halpern in 1979 and they divorced in 1984. They had a son, Michael Bellisario, born on April 7, 1980. Michael had a recurring role as Midshipman Michael Roberts on JAG and guest starred as Michael Bellisario in A New Life: Part 1 and A New Life: Part 1. Donald himself appeared in cameo as Hugh Blackadder in To Russia with Love.
He married Deborah Pratt, known for her character in Donald's Airwolf, in 1984 and they divorced in 1991. They had two children, Troian Bellisario (born October 28, 1985) and Nicholas (born August 27, 1991). Troian portrayed Erin Terry on Tiger, Tiger.
Donald married Vivienne Murray (née Lee), on November 27, 1998. He gained two stepsons from the marriage, Chad and Sean Murray who guest starred as Ensign Terry Guitry and recurring character Danny Walden.
Philanthropy and awards[]
In 2001, Pennsylvania State University named Donald a Distinguished Alumnus, the highest honor bestowed on a graduate.
In 2006, Bellisario endowed a $1 million Trustee Matching Scholarship in the Penn State College of Communications. He recalled:
Growing up in a hardscrabble western Pennsylvania coal mining town, I know first hand the sacrifices that are made to give a son or daughter a university education ... and as a Marine veteran who returned to Penn State with two small children and little money, I remember all too well that struggle. It's my hope that this scholarship will also ease the financial burden of other young men and women who have defended our country to attain their academic goals
Donald P. Bellisario, [2]
On October 27, 2016, he received a Visionary Award at the UCLA Neurosurgery Visionary Ball.[3]
On April 21, 2017, the Pennsylvania State University Board of Trustees voted to rename the College of Communications the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications in recognition of a $30 million endowment from Donald. The donation is one of the largest gifts in Penn State history.[4][5]
Career[]
After working under such television producers as Glen A. Larson and Stephen J. Cannell, Donald adopted some of their production techniques, for example, using a small pool of actors for his many productions. He created or co-created the TV series Magnum, P.I.; Airwolf; Quantum Leap;[6] JAG; and NCIS. He was a writer and producer on Baa Baa Black Sheep and the original Battlestar Galactica. He wrote and directed the 1988 feature film Last Rites]].
Many of his protagonists are current or former members of the United States Armed Forces due to his service in the United States Marines. Tom Selleck's character in Magnum, P.I. was a United States Naval Academy graduate, former Naval Intelligence officer and Vietnam War veteran; Jan-Michael Vincent's character in Airwolf was a Vietnam veteran; Commander Harmon "Harm" Rabb Jr., the main character of JAG, was a Naval Academy graduate and former United States Naval Aviator; and NCIS main character, is a retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant; Jake Cutter from Tales of the Gold Monkey was a former Flying Tigers pilot; and Albert Calavicci in Quantum Leap was a former Naval Aviator, Vietnam POW and Rear Admiral. Several of his main characters share August 8 as their birthday.[7]
Donald received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004, which was shown in a Season 9 JAG episode, Trojan Horse.
Donald retired in 2007.[8] He had a chaotic management style and David James Elliott also disliked him when David had to spent a long time in a water tank for Adrift: Part 1 and Adrift: Part 2.
Donald's production company was named "Belisarius Productions" after the Roman general Belisarius, as "Bellisario" is an Italian-language variant of "Belisarius".
Filmography[]
| Years | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Creator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Big Hawaii | Yes | ||||
| Kojak | Yes | |||||
| 1977–1978 | Baa Baa Black Sheep | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 1978 | Switch | Yes | ||||
| 1978–1979 | Battlestar Galactica | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 1979 | Quincy, M.E. | Yes | ||||
| 1980 | Stone | Yes | ||||
| 1980–1988 | Magnum, P.I. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1982–1983 | Tales of the Gold Monkey | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 1984–1987 | Airwolf | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1987 | Three on a Match | Yes | Yes | Television film | ||
| 1988 | Last Rites | Yes | Yes | Yes | Directorial Debut (only theatrical feature film credit) | |
| 1989–1993 | Quantum Leap | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1992 | Tequila and Bonetti | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 1995 | Crowfoot | Yes | Yes | Yes | Television film | |
| 1995–2005 | JAG | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2002 | First Monday | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2003–present | NCIS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2022–2024 | Quantum Leap | Yes | Yes |
References[]
- ↑ David Scott Bellisario Obituary (1957–2020) Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ Bellisario's $1 million gift endows scholarships in College of Communications. Pennsylvania State UniversityPennsylvania State University (October 2, 2006).
- ↑ Donald P. Bellisario – Honoree – UCLA Neurosurgery Visionary Ball, Los Angeles, CA.
- ↑ Bellisario Gift – Dedication Site / Bellisario College of Communications.
- ↑ Television legend Donald P. Bellisario endows College of Communications | Penn State University (en).
- ↑ O'Connor, John J.. "Review/Television; An Actor's 'Quantum Leap' Through Times and Roles", The New York Times, November 22, 1989.
- ↑ Bill Carter, "Behind a Quiet Little Hit, a Reliable Hit Maker." The New York Times October 25, 2005, Vol. 155 Issue 53378, pE1-E7.
- ↑ AIRWOLF – 10 Facts About the 1980s Series Starring Jan-Michael Vincent And Ernest Borgnine. Get (11 November 2024). “Don Bellissario retired in 2007”
Further reading[]
- Carter, Bill. "Behind a Quiet Little Hit, a Reliable Hit Maker", The New York Times, October 25, 2005, pp. E1–E7. About Donald P. Bellisario.
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