Jerry Foley Dies: ‘Late Show With David Letterman’ Director Was 68

Peter White
·1 min read
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Jerry Foley, the former Late Show with David Letterman director who helmed close to 4,000 hours of late-night television and was nominated for two dozen Emmys, has died. He was 68. He’s understood to have died last week as a result of ski accident.

He worked with Letterman for more than 25 years, having started as technical director of NBC’s Late Night with David Letterman before moving to CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman. He succeeded Hal Gurnee as director of the show in 1995 and helmed all but one month of the late-night series until it ended in 2015.

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Foley received 24 Emmy nominations from 1994-2017 — the last one for the NBC special Tony Bennett Celebrates 90: The Best Is Yet to Come — as well as nine DGA Award nominations.

In addition to Late Show, he directed and executive produced all 72 episodes of the webcast concert series Live on Letterman from 2010-15 and also worked on The Alec Baldwin Show and Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons: A Life on Stage, along with episodes of ABC’s The View and Jimmy Kimmel Live!

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He also produced and directed the “America Salutes You” benefit concert in November 2016 and helmed an off-Broadway presentation of Dorothy Dandridge – Hollywood’s Sepia Goddess for Amas Musical Theatre.

Watch Foley’s favorite moments from Letterman’s career on the David Letterman YouTube page below.

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