‘Seinfeld’ Legend Passes Away at 86 – Our Hearts Go Out 

“Seinfeld” director and producer Tom Cherones died on Monday, Jan. 5, at the age of 86. According to a family spokesperson, the prolific figure in film, who worked on the first five seasons of the hit sitcom, passed away at his home in Florence, Ore.

Cherones’ cause of death is confirmed to have been a battle with Alzheimer’s disease, per The Hollywood Reporter. He is survived by his third wife, Carol; his daughter, Susan; his son, Scott; and his two grandchildren, Jessa and Thomas.

Tom Cherones Wins Emmy Award for ‘Seinfeld’

Throughout the 81 “Seinfeld” episodes he worked on, Cherones was honored with six Emmy nominations, having won the prestigious award in 1993 for Outstanding Comedy Series. He also won a Golden Globe Award and a Directors Guild of America Award.

As the sitcom’s behind-the-scenes leader, Cherones was a pivotal figure in its monumental success. Some of the most memorable episodes he produced for the series include “The Chinese Restaurant,” “The Parking Garage” and “The Contest.

He also appeared in one episode during season 4 titled “The Pilot,” where he played the role of a boisterous director.

Tom Cherones’ Lasting Legacy in Film

In a 2015 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the legendary director opened up about the dynamic between him and “Seinfeld” writers Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld — a bond that ultimately led to the show’s longstanding praise.

“We changed the way sitcoms were looked at. I had done a lot of work in various jobs before I got to ‘Seinfeld,’ and they pretty much all looked the same,” he told the outlet. “As a producer and director, I was in a position to make this one look different. Larry and Jerry asked me early on, ‘Can we do this? Can we do that?’ I said, ‘We can do anything. You write it and I’ll shoot.’”

After making his exit from “Seinfeld,” Cherones went on to direct 23 episodes of season 2 of Ellen DeGeneres’ ABC talk show, “Ellen.” He also notably worked on NBC’s “Caroline in the City” and the hit sitcom “NewsRadio.”

Several other shows he directed include “Desperate Housewives,” “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” “My Sister Sam,” “The Pitts” and more.

Apart from his career in film, Cherones was an officer in the U.S. Navy for four years after graduating from the University of New Mexico in 1961. He was also inducted into the Alabama Stage and Screen Hall of Fame in 2003 and the University of Alabama College of Communication and Information Sciences Hall of Fame in 2001.

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