Biography - Barney Rosenzweig

Began his show business career as an MGM office boy in 1959, and rose to become one of television's most honored producers, winning two EMMYS for Best television Series (CAGNEY & LACEY), and a GOLDEN GLOBE for Best Mini-series (John Steinbeck’s EAST OF EDEN). He is the recipient of citations from the Congress of the United States, the State of California, the Cities of Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, multiple women's groups throughout the country, and, from The University of Southern California, where he now serves on the prestigious Board of Councilors of the School of Cinema/Television. 

In 1981, with CAGNEY & LACEY, he initiated the current trend for placing offices and production facilities in warehouses situated throughout the LA basin, rejecting conventional studio facilities and their built-in high overhead.Then, with THE TRIALS OF ROSIE O'NEILL, Rosenzweig went the additional step and provided his own deficit financing, eliminating any middleman between his unit and the network. 

Rosenzweig has produced hundreds of hours of prime time television beyond the aforementioned multiple award-winning series and mini-series, including the successful pilot of AMERICAN DREAM, a dozen episodes of the premiere season ofCHARLIE'S ANGELS, the DANIEL BOONE series for NBC (three seasons), multiple pilots and movies for television, and the critically acclaimed, and award-winning hour family dramas, CHRISTY for CBS and TWICE IN A LIFETIME for the Pax Network. He most recently took a chance on Broadway, co-producing the audience-pleasing Elvis Presley homage, ALL SHOOK UP, and has ventured into the world of publishing with his memoir, CAGNEY & LACEY…AND ME - now also available in print and as an e-book.

Other honors awarded Rosenzweig's work include the ACLU “Bill of Rights Award,” the Humanitas, Scott Newman and Christopher Awards, a special Luminas from Women in Film, as well as citations and salutes from the National Commission of Working Women, the Museum of Television & Radio, The National Organization of Women (NOW), the "Good Guy Award" from the National Women's Political Caucus and the "Award of Merit" from USC as one of the University's "outstanding alumni." 

Rosenzweig received his degree in political science at USC (1959), where he has established a Women in Film Foundation Cagney & Lacey Scholarship. Other philanthropies include a two-year term in Los Angeles as Chairman of the Entertainment Division of the United Jewish Fund, and as Chairperson of the President's Council of the American Lung Association. 

In 1991, Rosenzweig married his third wife, multi Emmy-award winning actress Sharon Gless. They reside on Fisher Island in Florida, where Rosenzweig, quoting Playwright Terrence McNally, says he “hasn’t retired, he’s stopped,” conceding the difference to be subtle. The producer goes on to note that his “best productions” are daughters Erika, Allyn and Torrie and the “spin-offs”, granddaughters Hailey, Greer and Zoey B.