Richard Michaels (born February 15, 1936, in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Kings County is the most populous Administrative divisions of New York (state)#County, county in the State of New York, ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

) is a retired American film and TV show director and producer whose career spanned five decades. His directing credits include the television series ''

Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typi ...

'', ''

The Brady Bunch ''The Brady Bunch'' is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family with six children. The show aired for five seasons and, af ...

'', ''

Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from 1969 to 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a part of ABC's Friday primetime lineup ...

'' and the TV movies '' Once an Eagle'' (1976), ''Homeward Bound'' (1980 TV movie)', ''

The Children Nobody Wanted ''The Children Nobody Wanted'' is a 1981 American made-for-television drama film based on the true story of child advocate Tom Butterfield (1940–1982), the youngest bachelor to become a legal foster parent in the state of Missouri, and his creati ...

'' (1981), ''

Sadat Sadat ( ar, سادات) is a suffix, which is given to families believed to be descendants of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. In Iran, after the revolution, it is mandatory to mention "Seyed" or "Sadat" in the names of or whose descent from Muham ...

'' (1983), ''

Silence of the Heart ''Silence of the Heart'' is a 1984 American made-for-television drama film starring Charlie Sheen, Chad Lowe, Mariette Hartley, Dana Hill, Howard Hesseman and Silvana Gallardo, directed by Richard Michaels and written by Phil Penningroth. The f ...

'' (1984), '' Rockabye'' (1986), '' I'll Take Manhattan'' (1987),''Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean'' (1990) (

Suzanne Pleshette Suzanne Pleshette (January 31, 1937 – January 19, 2008) was an American theatre, film, television, and voice actress. Pleshette started her career in the theatre and began appearing in films in the late 1950s and later appeared in prominent ...

was nominated for an Emmy and a

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

for her portrayal of Leona Helmsley), ''

Father and Scout ''Father and Scout'' is a 1994 comedy film, starring Bob Saget and Brian Bonsall. The film was written by Sheldon Bull and Hoyt Hilsman and directed by Richard Michaels. Plot Spencer Paley is a neurotic, sarcastic, cowardly writer from Los A ...

'' (1994).

Personal life

Marriages

Michaels has been married three times. His first was to Toby Michaels from 1959 to 1962. His second marriage was to actress Kristina Hansen in 1964; they divorced in 1972. In 1986 he married Judith Penrod; they currently reside in Makena,

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...

Relationship with Elizabeth Montgomery

Michaels was one of the directors of the TV series ''

'' in the 1960s and early 1970s. Actress

Elizabeth Montgomery Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery (April 15, 1932 – May 18, 1995) was an American actress whose career spanned five decades in film, stage, and television. She is best remembered for her leading role as the witch Samantha Stephens on the televisi ...

was the star of the show and her husband

William Asher William Milton Asher (August 8, 1921 – July 16, 2012) was an American television and film producer, film director, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prolific early television directors, producing or directing over two dozen series. Wit ...

served as producer. During the show's last season in 1971, Montgomery and Michaels, friends and working partners since 1964, fell in love and began a romantic relationship, subsequently moving in together. The affair was the end of both their marriages and, because Asher and Montgomery's company Ashmont produced ''Bewitched'', it was also the end of the show. Michaels and Montgomery were together 2½ years.

Children

Michaels has a son, Gregory Michaels, and a daughter,

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (born 26 December 1969) is an American-born German equestrian who competes at the international level in show jumping. Career She grew up riding ponies and had a successful career as a Young Rider, both in equita ...

, with Hansen. Michaels-Beerbaum was born on December 26, 1969, and is an Olympic

equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or Riding in British English) Examples of this are: *Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes in ...

who lives in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

. She won team bronze in Rio in 2016.

References

External links

* 1936 births Living people American television directors Television producers from New York City People from Brooklyn Film directors from New York City {{US-film-bio-stub