Wave Wire Services
HOLLYWOOD — Greg Berlanti received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame May 23, honoring him for producing such television shows as “Dawson’s Creek,” “Everwood,” “Brothers & Sisters” and “Arrow.”
“I’m sure I’m not the first person to receive a star who feels shocked or undeserving or overwhelmed with gratitude, but I’m feeling all of that,” Berlanti told City News Service before the ceremony.
“It’s a wonderful acknowledgement of all the TV shows I’ve been so lucky and proud to be a part of, and just makes me even more thankful for all the friends, family, coworkers and audiences that have made a life like mine and a moment like this one possible.”
Berlanti called the ceremony at 6420 Hollywood Blvd., between Cahuenga Boulevard and Wilcox Avenue, a “heady and emotional day and acknowledgment, not of me, but really of all the television I’ve been lucky and proud to have been a part of.”
Berlanti said he “didn’t come to Hollywood to be recognized in this way but I did come to be part of the great history of telling stories here.”
“Growing up in the ’70s and ’80s, names like Garry Marshall and Norman Lear, for a gay kid that wasn’t into sports, these were my Mickey Mantle and Lou Gehrig — far away icons, the greatest storytellers of all time,” Berlanti said, referring to the producers of such programs as “Happy Days,” “Laverne & Shirley” and “All in the Family.”
Berlanti’s producing partner, Sarah Schechter, “Glee” creator Ryan Murphy — a longtime friend — and former Warner Bros. Television Studios chairman and chief executive officer Peter Roth preceded Berlanti in speaking at the ceremony.
Berlanti began his career in television in 1997 as a writer on the then-new WB teen drama “Dawson’s Creek.” He became an executive producer and showrunner of the series after only one year on staff.
In the 2017-18 television season, Berlanti tied Jerry Bruckheimer’s 2005-06 record in having 10 live-action scripted series airing on various networks and digital platforms. He set the record in the 2018-19 season with 14 series.
On the 2022 fall schedule for The CW released May 19, Berlanti will be producing four of its 14 hours of programming — the martial arts action-adventure series “Kung Fu”; the high school football drama “All American”; the drama set at a historically Black university, “All American: Homecoming”; and the superhero series “DC’s Stargirl.”
Four more Berlanti-produced series will join The CW’s schedule at midseason — the superhero series “Superman & Lois” and “The Flash”; the young adult drama “Riverdale”; and a new superhero-related series, “Gotham Knights,” set in Gotham City following the murder of Bruce Wayne.
Berlanti is also an executive producer of the HBO Max’s dark comedy-drama mystery thriller “The Flight Attendant,” which received an outstanding comedy series Emmy nomination in 2021.
Berlanti’s other Emmy nomination came in 2013 for the USA Network comedy-drama “Political Animals,” which received a nomination for outstanding miniseries or movie.
Berlanti’s other television producing credits include the Lifetime/Netflix psychological thriller “You”; the CBS/CW superhero series “Supergirl”; and the DC Universe/HBO Max superhero series “Doom Patrol.”
Berlanti made his feature film directing debut with the 2000 romantic comedy-drama “The Broken Hearts Club.” He also directed the 2010 romantic comedy “Life as We Know It” and the romantic comedy-drama “Love, Simon.”
The next film Berlanti plans to direct is a biography of the late actor Rock Hudson.
