American producer and director, who was born on January 28, 1954 in San Francisco, California, USA. In 1977, he became an assistant to James L. Brooks, who later invited him to become a producer in his new film production company, Gracie Films. He eventually produced several of Brooks' films. He is known for Jerry Maguire (1996), The Simpsons (1989) and The Simpsons Movie (2007).