Robert King (writer)

Robert King
Robert and Michelle King at the 2015 PaleyFest presentation for The Good Wife
Born1959 (age 64–65)
NationalityAmerican
Alma materWestmont College
Occupation(s)Writer, producer
Spouse
​
(m. 1987)​
Children1

Robert King (born 1959) is an American film and television writer and producer. He is married to Michelle King, who is also his writing partner. The couple created the legal drama series The Good Wife (2009–16), which earned them a Writers Guild of America Award; its spin-off The Good Fight (2017–22); the comedy-drama BrainDead (2016); the supernatural drama Evil (2019–24); and the police drama Elsbeth (2024–present).

Personal life

King attended Archbishop Mitty High School and Westmont College.[1] King is of Irish and Italian descent.[2][3] King met Michelle Stern in 1983 when as a senior at UCLA she worked part-time at FrontRunners athletic shoe store. The couple married in 1987. They have one daughter, Sophia.[4] A Catholic, he often attends Mass with The Good Fight lead actress Christine Baranski.[5]

Career

King began his career writing the science fiction horror film The Nest (1988), and co-wrote Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge, Under the Boardwalk and Bloodfist (all 1989).[6]

King continued to write feature films throughout the 1990s, including Clean Slate, Speechless, Cutthroat Island and Red Corner. He directed the comedy film Principal Takes a Holiday in 1998. He co-wrote and directed Angels in the Infield (2000). He co-wrote and produced Vertical Limit. Robert and Michelle King co-created and co-produced the short-lived drama series In Justice in 2006.[6]

They co-created a second, far more successful, legal drama series, The Good Wife, which ran for seven seasons from 2009 to 2016 on CBS.[7] Aside from the pilot episode, they co-wrote the episodes "Stripped",[8] "Unorthodox",[9] "Hi",[10] and twelve other episodes. King and the writing staff were nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best New Series for The Good Wife.[11]

Robert and Michelle King also created and produced the comedy thriller drama series BrainDead, which aired on CBS on June 13, 2016 through October 17, 2016 before it was cancelled.[12] The couple then returned to their The Good Wife spin-off The Good Fight as showrunners. More recently, the King Size Productions company signed an overall deal with CBS Studios.[13]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role
1988 The Nest Writer
1989 Under the Boardwalk Writer
1989 Bloodfist Writer
1989 Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge Writer
1989 Silk 2 Writer
1994 Clean Slate Writer
1994 Speechless Writer
1995 Cutthroat Island Writer
1997 Red Corner Writer
2000 Vertical Limit Writer, producer

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1998 Principal Takes a Holiday Writer, director Television film
2000 Angels in the Infield Writer, director Television film
2006 In Justice Writer, creator, executive producer Television series, with Michelle King
2009–2016 The Good Wife Writer, creator, executive producer, director Television series, with Michelle King
2016 BrainDead Writer, creator, executive producer, director Television series, with Michelle King
2017–2022 The Good Fight Writer, creator, executive producer, director Television series, with Michelle King
2019–2024 Evil Writer, creator, executive producer, director Television series, with Michelle King
2020–2023 Your Honor Executive producer Television series, with Michelle King
2021 The Bite Writer, creator, executive producer Miniseries, with Michelle King
2024–present Elsbeth Writer, creator, executive producer, director Television series, with Michelle King
2025 Happy Face Creator, executive producer Television series, with Michelle King[14]

Awards and nominations

King has been nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best New Series for The Good Wife.[11]

References

  1. ^ "Can the Kings Be TV's Next Super Producers?". September 10, 2019.
  2. ^ "Creators of New CBS Drama 'Evil' Reveal Show Will Depict Positive Portrayal of Prayer on Screen (Interview)". September 25, 2019.
  3. ^ "The Couple Behind TV's Boldest Shows". The New Yorker. June 11, 2022.
  4. ^ Lynch, Jason (March 9, 2014). "The Great Marriage Behind 'The Good Wife'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  5. ^ "Writing Through the Moment". Vulture. October 20, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Profile, imdb.com; accessed May 4, 2014.
  7. ^ Charles McDougall (director), Michelle and Robert King (writers) (September 22, 2009). "Pilot". The Good Wife. Season 1. Episode 1. CBS.
  8. ^ Charles McDougall (director), Michelle and Robert King (writers) (September 29, 2009). "Stripped". The Good Wife. Season 1. Episode 2. CBS.
  9. ^ John Polson (director), Michelle and Robert King (writers) (November 10, 2009). "Unorthodox". The Good Wife. Season 1. Episode 7. CBS.
  10. ^ John Gallagher (director), Michelle and Robert King, and Barry Schkolnick (writers) (February 9, 2010). "Hi". The Good Wife. Season 1. Episode 14. CBS.
  11. ^ a b Gregg Mitchell, Sherry Goldman (2010). "2010 Writers Guild Awards Television, Radio, News, Promotional Writing, and Graphic Animation Nominees Announced". Writers Guild of America. Archived from the original (Press Release) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved April 7, 2010.
  12. ^ Ausiello, Michael (October 18, 2016). "BrainDead, American Gothic Not Returning for Season 2". TVLine. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  13. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (July 8, 2021). "Robert and Michelle King Ink Rich New CBS Studios Overall Deal". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  14. ^ Petski, Denise (May 9, 2024). "Happy Face Adds Damon Gupton & Momona Tamada As Recurring". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 9, 2024.