Neil Marvin Simon (1927–2018) was a Jewish-American playwright and screenwriter. One of the most prolific and popular playwrights in the history of the American theater, Simon’s plays are wry comedies exposing the frailties of middle-class life.
Born in New York City’s Bronx, and educated at New York University, Simon launched his career by writing jokes for radio and television performers such as Sid Caesar and Phil Silvers.
Simon achieved a hit with his first comedy, Come Blow Your Horn (1961; film 1961) He made his mark on Broadway with Barefoot in the Park (1963) and The Odd Couple (1965;) in 1966, he had four Broadway shows going all at once. From 1965–80, his plays and musicals were performed more than 9,000 times.
Simon also received accolades for the semiautobiographical trilogy Brighton Beach Memoirs (1983,) Biloxi Blues (1985,) and Broadway Bound (1986.) Recent works include Lost in Yonkers (1991,) which won him a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award, Laughter on the 23rd Floor (1993) and London Suite (1995.)
Simon also adapted more plays to movies than any other American playwright did, and wrote ten original screenplays.
In 1983, a Broadway theater was named after Simon, an honor rare for a living playwright. He also received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2006.
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People with honorary awards are looked upon with disfavor. Would you let an honorary mechanic fix your brand-new Mercedes?
—Neil Simon
Writing is an escape from a world that crowds me. I like being alone in a room. It’s almost a form of meditation—an investigation of my own life. It has nothing to do with “I’ve got to get another play.”
—Neil Simon
Don’t listen to those who say, “It’s not done that way.” Maybe it’s not, but maybe you will. Don’t listen to those who say, “You’re taking too big a chance.” Michelangelo would have painted the Sistine floor, and it would surely be rubbed out by today. Most importantly, don’t listen when the little voice of fear inside of you rears its ugly head and says, “They’re all smarter than you out there. They’re more talented, they’re taller, blonder, prettier, luckier and have connections … ” I firmly believe that if you follow a path that interests you, not to the exclusion of love, sensitivity, and cooperation with others, but with the strength of conviction that you can move others by your own efforts, and do not make success or failure the criteria by which you live, the chances are you’ll be a person worthy of your own respect.
—Neil Simon
Topics: Risk
Wisdom doesn’t come with age. Wisdom comes with wisdom.
—Neil Simon
Sports is the only entertainment where, no matter how many times you go back, you still don’t know the ending.
—Neil Simon
Sudden money is going from zero to two hundred dollars a week. The rest doesn’t count.
—Neil Simon
Topics: Money
There’s no such thing as a sure thing. That’s why they call it gambling.
—Neil Simon
If you can go through life without ever experiencing pain you probably haven’t been born yet. And if you’ve gone through pain and think you know exactly why, you haven’t examined all the options.
—Neil Simon
Topics: Self-Discovery
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