Donald Paul Bellisario (born August 8, 1935) is an American television producer and screenwriter who created and sometimes wrote episodes for the TV series '' Magnum, P.I.'' (1980), ''

Tales of the Gold Monkey ''Tales of the Gold Monkey'' is an American adventure drama television series broadcast in prime time on Wednesday nights by ABC from September 22, 1982, until June 1, 1983. Debuting the year following the release of ''Raiders of the Lost Ark' ...

'' (1982), ''

Airwolf ''Airwolf'' is an American action military drama television series that centers on a high-technology military helicopter, code-named ''Airwolf'', and its crew. The show follows them as they undertake various exotic missions, many involving e ...

'' (1984), ''

Quantum Leap ''Quantum Leap'' is an American science fiction television series, created by Donald P. Bellisario, that premiered on NBC and aired for five seasons, from March 26, 1989, to May 5, 1993. The series stars Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a phys ...

'' (1989), '' JAG'' (1995), and '' NCIS'' (2003). He has often included military veterans as characters.

Early life

Bellisario was born in

Cokeburg, Pennsylvania Cokeburg is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States and part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area since 1950. Founded in 1902, the population was 626 at the 2020 census. Geography Cokeburg is located at (40.100120, -80.06363 ...

, to an

Italian-American Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeast and industrial Midwestern metropolitan areas, ...

father, and a

Serbian-American Serbian Americans ( sr, / ) or American Serbs (), are Americans of Serb ethnic ancestry. As of 2013, there were about 190,000 American citizens who identified as having Serb ancestry. However, the number may be significantly higher, as there w ...

mother. He served in the

U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through co ...

from 1955 to 1959, and attained the rank of

sergeant Sergeant ( abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other ...

. During his time in the Marines, he met American Presidential assassin

Lee Harvey Oswald Lee Harvey Oswald (October 18, 1939 – November 24, 1963) was a U.S. Marine veteran who assassinated John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, on November 22, 1963. Oswald was placed in juvenile detention at the age of 12 fo ...

. Bellisario earned a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to si ...

in journalism at

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State becam ...

in 1961. Bellisario became an advertising

copywriter Copywriting is the act or occupation of writing text for the purpose of advertising or other forms of marketing. The product, called copy or sales copy, is written content that aims to increase brand awareness and ultimately persuade a person or ...

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster, ( ; pdc, Lengeschder) is a city in and the county seat of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest inland cities in the United States. With a population at the 2020 census of 58,039, it ranks 11th in population amon ...

, in 1965, and three years later became creative director of the Bloom Agency in

Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

, Texas. After rising to senior vice president after eight years, he then moved to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

to pursue screenwriting and production.

Television career

After working under such television producers as Glen A. Larson and

Stephen J. Cannell Stephen Joseph Cannell (; February 5, 1941 – September 30, 2010) was an American television producer, writer, novelist, occasional actor, and founder of Cannell Entertainment (formerly Stephen J. Cannell Productions) and the Cannell Studios. ...

, Bellisario 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.'', ''

'', ''

'', '' JAG'', and '' NCIS''. He was a writer and producer on ''

Black Sheep Squadron ''Baa Baa Black Sheep'' (renamed ''Black Sheep Squadron'' for the second season) is an American television series that aired on NBC from September 23, 1976, until April 6, 1978. It was part historical drama, period military drama, part comedy. I ...

'' and the original ''

Battlestar Galactica ''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the original television series in 1978, and was followed by a short-run sequel series (''Galactica 1980''), a line of ...

''. He wrote and directed the 1988 feature film ''

Last Rites The last rites, also known as the Commendation of the Dying, are the last prayers and ministrations given to an individual of Christian faith, when possible, shortly before death. They may be administered to those awaiting execution, mortall ...

''. Many of Bellisario's

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...

s are current or former members of the

United States armed forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...

Tom Selleck Thomas William Selleck (; born January 29, 1945) is an American actor. His breakout role was playing private investigator Thomas Magnum in the television series ''Magnum, P.I.'' (1980–1988), for which he received five Emmy Award nominations ...

's character in ''Magnum, P.I.'' was a

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

graduate, former Naval Intelligence officer and

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...

veteran;

Jan-Michael Vincent Jan-Michael Vincent (July 15, 1944 – February 10, 2019) was an American actor known for portraying helicopter pilot Stringfellow Hawke in the TV series ''Airwolf'' (1984–1987) and the protagonist, Matt Johnson, in the 1978 film ''Big W ...

's character in ''Airwolf'' was a Vietnam veteran;

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

Harmon "Harm" Rabb, Jr., the main character of '' JAG'', was a Naval Academy graduate and former

Naval Aviator Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. Naval aviation is typically projected to a position nearer the target by way of an aircraft carrier. Carrier-bas ...

; and ''NCIS''s main character,

Leroy Jethro Gibbs Leroy Jethro Gibbs is a fictional character and the original protagonist of the CBS TV series '' NCIS'', portrayed by Mark Harmon. He is a former U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper turned special agent who commands a team for the Naval Criminal ...

, is a retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant and

Scout Sniper United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper (MOS 0317, formerly 8541) is a secondary MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) designator of U.S. Marine Corps infantrymen and reconnaissance Marines that have graduated from a U.S. Marine Corps Scout Snipe ...

; Jake Cutter ( Stephen Collins) from ''

'' was a former

Flying Tigers The First American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Republic of China Air Force, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was formed to help oppose the Japanese invasion of China. Operating in 1941–1942, it was composed of pilots from the United States ...

pilot; and Albert "Al" Calavicci in ''

'' was a former Naval Aviator, Vietnam

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of ...

and

rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star " admiral" rank. It is often rega ...

. Several of his main characters share August 8 as their birthday. Bellisario received a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

in 2004, which was shown in a Season 9 ''JAG'' episode, "Trojan Horse". In an interview with

Sci-Fi Channel Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. ...

in the late 1990s, Bellisario said he was inspired to create ''Quantum Leap'' in 1988 after reading a novel about time travel. His service alongside John F. Kennedy's assassin,

, was the basis for the ''Quantum Leap'' fifth season double-length episode "Lee Harvey Oswald" (originally aired September 22, 1992). Bellisario retired in 2007, after widely reported tension with star

Mark Harmon Thomas Mark Harmon (born September 2, 1951) is an American actor. He is most famous for playing the lead role of Leroy Jethro Gibbs in '' NCIS''. He also appeared in a wide variety of roles since the early 1970s. After spending the majority of ...

ended with the former's departure from ''NCIS''. Although he retains the title of executive producer, he has not had any real creative or executive involvement with ''NCIS'' since then. Bellisario later sued CBS over the creation of '' NCIS: Los Angeles'', arguing his contract with the network entitled him to the first rights to create any ''NCIS'' spin off, as well as some share of profits from the new show. The suit was settled before trial in 2011 for an undisclosed amount. Bellisario's production company was named "Belisarius Productions" after the Roman general

Belisarius Belisarius (; el, Βελισάριος; The exact date of his birth is unknown. – 565) was a military commander of the Byzantine Empire under the emperor Justinian I. He was instrumental in the reconquest of much of the Mediterranean terr ...

, of which "Bellisario" is an Italian-language variant.

Personal life

Bellisario married Margaret Schaffran in 1956 and they divorced in 1974. They had four children, Joy Bellisario-Jenkins (born c. 1956), David Bellisario (1957–2020) a producer on '' NCIS: Los Angeles'', Leslie Bellisario-Ingham (born c. 1961), and Julie Bellisario-Watson (producer on '' NCIS''). Bellisario married Lynn Halpern in 1979 and they divorced in 1984. They had a son,

Michael Bellisario Michael Angelo Bellisario (born April 7, 1980) is an American actor and the son of scriptwriter and producer Donald P. Bellisario. Bellisario has mostly had parts in series produced by his father. He played Midshipman JAG characters#Midshipman ...

, born on April 7, 1980. Michael had a recurring role as

Midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Af ...

Michael Roberts on ''JAG'' and played Charles "Chip" Sterling on ''NCIS''. He married

Deborah Pratt Deborah M. Pratt is an American actress, writer, and television producer. Early life Pratt was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Geraldine (''née'' Bryant) and Col. Bertram Roberson Pratt, a vice president of Pullman Heritag ...

, known for her character in Bellisario's ''

'', in 1984 and they divorced in 1991. They had two children, Troian (born October 28, 1985) and Nicholas (born August 27, 1991). Troian portrayed Sarah McGee on '' NCIS'', Teresa on ''

'', and Erin on '' JAG'', but has become best known for her 2010–2017 role as

Spencer Hastings Spencer Jill Hastings is a fictional character, one of the five main characters who appear in the ''Pretty Little Liars'' novel series and its Freeform television adaptation. Created by American author Sara Shepard, she is a member of the gro ...

on ''

Pretty Little Liars ''Pretty Little Liars'' is an American mystery teen drama television series based on the novel series of the same name written by Sara Shepard. Developed by I. Marlene King, the series was broadcast on Freeform between June 8, 2010, and June ...

'', a series her father did not produce. Bellisario married Vivienne Murray (née Lee), on November 27, 1998. He gained two stepsons from the marriage, Chad and Sean Murray, the latter an actor who plays

Timothy McGee Timothy Farragut "Tim" McGee () is a fictional character from the CBS television series '' NCIS''. He is portrayed by Sean Murray. McGee specializes in cybersecurity and computer crime, and is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and MIT. ...

on ''NCIS''.

Philanthropy and awards

In 2001, Penn State named Bellisario 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: On October 27, 2016, he received a Visionary Award at the UCLA Neurosurgery Visionary Ball. On April 21, 2017, the

Board of Trustees voted to rename the College of Communications th
Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications
in recognition of a $30 million endowment from Bellisario. The donation is one of the largest gifts in Penn State history.

Filmography

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bellisario, Donald 1935 births American writers of Italian descent American people of Serbian descent American male screenwriters American television directors Television producers from Pennsylvania American television writers Edgar Award winners Living people Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications alumni People from Washington County, Pennsylvania Military personnel from Pennsylvania United States Marines American male television writers Film directors from Pennsylvania Screenwriters from Pennsylvania Bellisario family