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

Magnum, P.I. ''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980, to May 1, 1988, during its first-run broadcast on ...

'' (1980–1988), ''

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, to June 1, 1983. Debuting the year following the release of ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'', ...

'' (1982–1983), ''

Airwolf ''Airwolf'' is an American action military drama television series. It centers on a high-technology attack helicopter, code-named '' Airwolf'', and its crew. They undertake various exotic missions, many involving espionage, with a Cold War the ...

'' (1984–1987), ''

Quantum Leap Quantum leap or ''variation'', may refer to: In general * Quantum leap (physics), also known as quantum jump, a transition between quantum states ** Atomic electron transition, a key example of the physics phenomenon * Paradigm shift, a sudden ch ...

'' (1989–1993), '' JAG'' (1995–2005), and ''

NCIS NCIS or N.C.I.S. may refer to: Law enforcement * National Criminal Intelligence Service, the predecessor to the Serious Organised Crime Agency of the United Kingdom * Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a United States law enforcement and intelli ...

'' (2003–present).

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 ...

, on August 8, 1935, to an

Italian-American Italian Americans () are Americans who have full or partial Italians, Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeastern United States, Northeast and industrial Midwestern United States, Midwestern ...

father, and a

Serbian-American Serbian Americans () or American Serbs (), are Americans of ethnic Serb ancestry. As of 2023, there were slightly more than 181,000 American citizens who identified as having Serb ancestry. However, the number may be significantly higher, as ...

mother. He served in the

U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...

from 1955 to 1959, and attained the rank of

sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

. According to Bellisario, he encountered—and nearly got into a fight with—

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 age 12 for truan ...

in 1958 at a supply shed at Marine Air Control Squadron 9 because Oswald was reading ''

Pravda ''Pravda'' ( rus, Правда, p=ˈpravdə, a=Ru-правда.ogg, 'Truth') is a Russian broadsheet newspaper, and was the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, when it was one of the most in ...

'', which offended Bellisario. Bellisario earned a

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

in journalism at

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsyl ...

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. Copywriting is aimed at selling products or services. The product, called copy or sales copy, is written content that aims to incre ...

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster ( ) is a city in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 58,039 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, eighth-most populous ci ...

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

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, Texas. Upon 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) * Hollywood ...

to pursue screenwriting and production.

Career

After working under such television producers as

Glen A. Larson Glen Albert Larson (January 3, 1937 – November 14, 2014) was an American television producer, writer, and composer. He created many series, including '' Alias Smith and Jones'', ''Battlestar Galactica'', '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'', ' ...

and

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

, 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 ''

''; ''

''; '' JAG''; and ''

''. 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 period military drama, part comedy. In the final seve ...

'' and the original ''

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

''. 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. The Commendation of the Dying is practiced in liturgical Chri ...

''. 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 ...

s are current or former members of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

Marines Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included Raid (military), raiding ashor ...

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 fo ...

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

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

graduate, former Naval Intelligence officer and

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

veteran;

Jan-Michael Vincent Jan-Michael Vincent (July 15, 1944 – February 10, 2019) was an American actor. He emerged as a leading man in the 1970s, playing notable roles in films like '' Going Home'' (1971), which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Sup ...

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

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

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

Naval Aviator Naval aviation / Aeronaval is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. It often involves '' navalised aircraft'', specifically designed for naval use. Seaborne aviation encompas ...

; and ''NCIS''s main character,

Leroy Jethro Gibbs Leroy Jethro Gibbs (born November 21, 1954) is a fictional character and the original protagonist of the CBS TV series '' NCIS'', portrayed by Mark Harmon in the original series and by Austin Stowell in the prequel series '' NCIS: Origins''. He ...

, is a retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant and

Scout Sniper United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper ( MOS 0317, formerly 8541) was 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 Sn ...

; Jake Cutter (

Stephen Collins Stephen Weaver Collins (born October 1, 1947) is an American former actor. He is known for playing Eric Camden on the WB/ CW television series '' 7th Heaven'' from 1996 to 2007. Afterwards, Collins played the roles of Dayton King on the ABC ...

) 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 Ar ...

pilot; and Albert "Al" Calavicci in ''

'' was a former Naval Aviator, Vietnam

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person 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 war for a ...

and

rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

. 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 landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...

in 2004, which was shown in a Season 9 ''JAG'' episode, "Trojan Horse". In an interview with Sci-Fi Channel 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, writer, producer, television director and former American football, football player. He is best known for playing the lead role of Leroy Jethro Gibbs on ''NCIS (TV series), NCIS'' ...

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

Flavius Belisarius BelisariusSometimes called Flavius Belisarius. The name became a courtesy title by the late 4th century, see (; ; The exact date of his birth is unknown. March 565) was a military commander of the Byzantine Empire under Emperor Justinian I. B ...

, as "Bellisario" is an Italian-variant of the Latin language "Belisarius".

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 ''

''). 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 Michael "Mikey" Roberts ...

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

Midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...

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

Deborah Pratt Deborah M. Pratt is an American director, writer, television producer and actress. Early life Pratt was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, to an African American family. She's the daughter of Geraldine Marian (''née'' Bryant), a teacher, and ...

, 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 ''

'', 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 fiction, mystery teen drama television series created by I. Marlene King, which aired on Freeform (TV channel), Freeform from June 8, 2010 to June 27, 2017, based on the novel series Pretty Little L ...

'', 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'', portrayed by Sean Murray. McGee specializes in cybersecurity and computer crime, and is a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology Murra ...

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 financial endowment is a legal structure for managing, and in many cases indefinitely perpetuating, a pool of financial, real estate, or other investments for a specific purpose according to the will of its founders and donors. Endowments are ...

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 the 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 Living people American male screenwriters American male television writers American showrunners American television directors American television writers American writers of Italian descent American people of Serbian descent Bellisario family Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications alumni Edgar Award winners Film directors from Pennsylvania Military personnel from Pennsylvania People from Washington County, Pennsylvania Screenwriters from Pennsylvania Television producers from Pennsylvania American television show creators United States Marine Corps personnel of the Korean War