Helen Kushnick
Encyclopedia
Helen Kushnick born Helen Gorman in New York, was the agent of comedians Jimmie Walker
, Elayne Boosler
and Jay Leno
for much of her early career. Leno had been performing stand-up comedy in a variety of venues when she found him, and afterwards, Kushnick was with him all the way to his role hosting The Tonight Show
.
Her strong-arm tactics in her role as executive producer
of the show created a great deal of conflict with NBC
. (For example, she reportedly banned stars from appearing on the program if they appeared on any other talk show.) These practices led to her dismissal only four months into her tenure in that position.
was about the network politics that occurred after the retirement of Johnny Carson
from the Tonight Show on NBC
. The movie starred Kathy Bates
, who received an Emmy Award
nomination for portraying Helen Kushnick and won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award. Kushnick sued over her portrayal, and settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
due to an infected blood transfusion.
Her daughter (Samuel's twin sister), Sara, became an AIDS advocate, founding AmfAR
with Elizabeth Taylor
, and testified before Congress about changing blood supply rules. Former surgeon general
C. Everett Koop
dedicated a book to the memory of Samuel Kushnick.
Kushnick's husband, Jerrold, died of cancer in 1989. Kushnick died of breast cancer
in Los Angeles
, California
, aged 51. Helen's only brother, Joseph Gorman, works for Burson Marsteller, a public relations firm in New York City.
Jimmie Walker
James Carter "Jimmie" Walker is an American actor and stand-up comedian, known for portraying J. J. Evans on the television series Good Times, which ran from 1974 to 1979...
, Elayne Boosler
Elayne Boosler
Elayne Boosler is an American comedian.Boosler was born and raised in Brooklyn, the youngest child and only daughter of a Russian-acrobat father and a Romanian-ballerina mother...
and Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
for much of her early career. Leno had been performing stand-up comedy in a variety of venues when she found him, and afterwards, Kushnick was with him all the way to his role hosting The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
.
Her strong-arm tactics in her role as executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
of the show created a great deal of conflict with NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. (For example, she reportedly banned stars from appearing on the program if they appeared on any other talk show.) These practices led to her dismissal only four months into her tenure in that position.
Filmography
- The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992) TV Series (executive producer)
- Jay Leno and the American Dream (1986) (TV) (executive producer)
The Late Shift
A 1996 HBO TV movie called The Late ShiftThe Late Shift (film)
The Late Shift is a 1996 American TV movie produced by HBO. It is directed by Betty Thomas and based on the book of the same name by The New York Times media reporter Bill Carter.-Plot synopsis:...
was about the network politics that occurred after the retirement of Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
from the Tonight Show on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. The movie starred Kathy Bates
Kathy Bates
Kathleen Doyle "Kathy" Bates is an American actress and director.After several small roles in film and television, Bates rose to prominence with her performance in Misery , for which she won both the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe...
, who received an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nomination for portraying Helen Kushnick and won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award. Kushnick sued over her portrayal, and settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
Family
Kushnick's son, Samuel, died of AIDSAIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
due to an infected blood transfusion.
Her daughter (Samuel's twin sister), Sara, became an AIDS advocate, founding AmfAR
AmfAR
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy.-History:...
with Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
, and testified before Congress about changing blood supply rules. Former surgeon general
Surgeon General of the United States
The Surgeon General of the United States is the operational head of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government...
C. Everett Koop
C. Everett Koop
Charles Everett Koop, MD is an American pediatric surgeon and public health administrator. He was a vice admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and served as thirteenth Surgeon General of the United States under President Ronald Reagan from 1982 to 1989.-Early years:Koop was born...
dedicated a book to the memory of Samuel Kushnick.
Kushnick's husband, Jerrold, died of cancer in 1989. Kushnick died of breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, aged 51. Helen's only brother, Joseph Gorman, works for Burson Marsteller, a public relations firm in New York City.