Don Scardino

Don Scardino (born Donald Joseph Scardino on February 17, 1949) is an American television director, producer, and retired actor whose career spans more than five decades, beginning on the New York stage in the mid‑1960s. Raised in New York City to jazz‑musician parents Dorothy Denny Scardino and Charles Scardino, he entered Broadway as an understudy in The Playroom in 1965 and quickly added credits such as Johnny No‑Trump, Godspell, and King of Hearts, while also performing Off‑Broadway in productions like The Rimers of Eldritch and Moonchildren. His early screen work includes the cult‑favorite B‑movie Squirm (1976) and supporting roles in Cruising (1980) and He Knows You're Alone (1980), and he appeared on several daytime soaps, including Guiding Light and All My Children.

Transitioning behind the camera in the 1990s, Scardino directed episodes of the very soaps that launched his acting career, then expanded to prime‑time dramas such as Law & Order, The West Wing, and Rescue Me. His Broadway directing breakout came with the world premiere of Aaron Sorkin’s A Few Good Men, and he later helmed the Emmy‑winning comedy series 30 Rock, earning multiple nominations for his work. Film directing credits include the Venice‑shown Me and Veronica and the 2013 comedy The Incredible Burt Wonderstone starring Jim Carrey and Steve Carell. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s he remained a staple of network sitcoms, directing 2 Broke Girls, Crazy Ex‑Girlfriend, Young Sheldon, and Only Murders in the Building. In addition to his directing and producing achievements, Scardino served as artistic director at Playwrights Horizons from 1991 to 1996, and continues to be active in television production and occasional on‑screen cameos. His marriage to actress Pamela Blair in 1984 lasted until their 1991 divorce, and although they did not have children together, Scardino has maintained a low‑key personal profile. He has been recognized with awards such as the Aspen Comedy Festival Best Comedy for Advice from a Caterpillar and multiple Directors Guild nominations, underscoring his versatility across stage, screen, and television.