Everyone knows the name well: Garry Shandling. To the world he was the star of groundbreaking sitcoms. To Philes he was the Hollywood version of Fox Mulder. Anyone familiar with Garry Shandling is familiar with the The Larry Sanders Show, in which Shandling plays a fictional late-night talk show host. The series ran on HBO from 1992 to 1998. His comedic style has transformed television comedy and influenced many on the way. He's influenced the work of Jerry seinfeld, Ricky Gervais, Jon Stewart, and Sarah Silverman to name a few. For more on his extrodinary career, read more after the jump.
Garry Emmanuel Shandling was born in Chicago on November 29th, 1949 to mother Muriel, who ran a pet shop, and father Irving, a print shop owner. He graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering but eventually pursued postgraduate studies in creative writing. In 1973 he sold a script to the popular NBC show Sanford and Son and the rest is history.
Shandling hosted several award shows including The Grammy Awards and The Emmy Awards. He appeared occasionally in movies, beginning with a cameo in The Night We Never Met, to supporting roles in Love Affair and Dr. Dolittle.
The list of awards he won and nominations is extensive. He received two British Comedy Awards, a BAFTA Award, and three American Comedy Awards, among others. He was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award twice. The list goes on and on.
Shandling wrote a book released in 1994 called Confessions of a Late-night Talk-show Host: The Autobiography of Larry Sanders. It was written in-character as Larry Sanders by Garry Shandling with co-writer David Rensin.
But what not everyone might be familiar with is the impact he had on David Duchovny's life, and the man-crush that Duchovny, playing himself (fictionally of course, ladies) had on Larry Sanders, played respectively by Shandling.
David Duchovny and Garry Shandling were close friends both on and off the screen, as evident inThe X-Files episode titled "Hollywood A.D." written and directed in the seventh season by Duchovny. The episode follows Mulder and Scully’s investigation of the attempted murder of Cardinal O’Fallon with Hollywood producer Wayne Federman tagging along as “research” into a film that he is producing about the FBI.
Mulder and Scully get suspended and venture out to Hollywood to view the production of Federman’s film. When they meet Garry Shandling and Tea Leoni, you get a glimpse into the relationship between Duchovny and Shandling, as well as a rare and precious view from the outside in. Watch a little glimpse into it with this behind the scenes clip from "Hollywood A.D.":
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This friendship, however, began way before "Hollywood A.D." In The Larry Sanders Show’s series finale, which was written by series writer Todd Holland and Shandling himself, Sanders meets Duchovny at the Bel-Air Hotel.
When Duchovny answers the door in nothing by a white robe what entails is a strange and inexplicable sexual tension between Duchovny and Sanders that will have you laughing and crying all in the same moment. You can view the clip below, but it was just the tip of the iceberg of the camaraderie that these two shared, and the comedic and witty sense of humor of both men.
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Duchovny, in an interview with The HuffPost Show, related the moment in which he and Shandling first met, which was on the set of The Larry Sanders Show. Duchovny shared how much of a fan of the show he was and that he wanted to be on it. The stars aligned and he got a guest role on an episode doing a scene with Shandling, the notorious hallway scene that we all know (no, not that one). Watch a clip of David reminiscing on how it was guest starring on the show and how the friendship of a short but poignant lifetime began.
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Duchovny and Shandling’s friendship was one in which every person wish that they had. They supported each other’s endeavors both in front of and behind the lens of paparazzi, whether it was most recently at David’s receiving of his Hollywood Star on the Walk of Fame, to attending each other's premieres. The moments are numerous and the possibilities were endless. Watch the clip below of David presenting the British Comedy Awards to Garry in 1999.
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But in seeing these pictures and these moments of time with them together, you get a rare and small glimpse into the man that Garry Shandling was and how much of an impact that he had on his friends, family and fans. Many X-Files alumni were sadden and shocked by the news of his passing. Here are some reactions from some people you might find familiar to The X-Files world:
"I feel that everything that I do in my life I can do in a shorter time than most men. It's the quality, not the quantity."
Garry Shandling November 29, 1949 - March 24, 2016