Biography
One of the busiest men in Hollywood, this extremely prolific television director has helmed numerous musical variety specials, beauty pageants, awards shows, and gala tributes. Margolis' flair for comedy and musical variety formats was evident from the beginning of his career in the early 1970s. The impressive list of performers he has directed includes Bill Cosby, Beatrice Arthur, Julie Andrews, Susan Anton, Olivia Newton-John, Ringo Starr, Perry Como, Kenny Rogers, David Copperfield, Dolly Parton, Carol Burnett, and Jerry Lewis. His feature debut was appropriately enough "Richard Pryor--Live in Concert" (1979). Margolis is highly regarded for his calm professionalism when faced with the many stresses of live telecasts. That he has directed each annual Oscar telecast from 1989-1995 is a testament to the truth of this evaluation. He received an Emmy for his direction of the 67th Annual Academy Awards presentation. Jeff Margolis died May 23, 2025 at age 78.
