eCREATIVE
After leaving United Artists, David landed a series of exclusive, multi-year development
studio deals, the first with Walt Disney Studios. “My only regret about working at Disney
is that I didn’t take stocks in lieu of a salary. If I had, I’d be a multimillionaire today,” he
said. At Universal, Simon worked on several television series. If one had a pilot episode,
he wrote a back up script if it was picked up. “I was all of 24 and I had a secretary, an
office, and a deal to develop sitcoms.”
According to Simon, “after getting away with all that murder and abusing his expense
account,” he teamed up with Broadway/soap opera star Leslie Ann Ray, and for the next
eighteen years worked on some of Hollywood’s highest-rated sitcoms. “Suddenly I’m
sitting with [producer] Gerry Abrams (director JJ Abrams’ father), the guys who did
McMillan and Wife and Columbo; and Anne Beatts, one of the founding writers of
Saturday Night Live learning how to write sitcoms.”
At Columbia, Simon worked on top-rated comedies that included Charles in Charge, Full
House, and The Royal Family, starring Redd Foxx and Della Reese. That work was cut
short when Foxx collapsed and died on the set. “Everyone thought Foxx was doing a bit
“There was no line in the sand
between blacks and whites on
the Fresh Prince set.
Only a lot of love.”
from Sanford and Son when he was actually gripping his chest because he was having a
massive coronary.”
Simon was a co-creator of The Wayans and served as Consulting Producer on Mad
About You, starring Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt. During his free time, he wrote feature
projects for actors, including John Travolta and Kevin Costner. He was Executive
Producer of Sister, Sister starring Tia and Tamera Mowry, and The Fresh Prince of BelAir starring an 18 year-old Will Smith. “Will was the most intuitive, naturally talented
kid I ever worked with,” noted Simon. “There was some ray of sunshine over this guy.”