Paris Barclay Named Honorary Life Member of Directors Guild of America

Cynthia Littleton
·2 min read
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Prolific director Paris Barclay has been named an honorary life member of the Directors Guild of America.

The life member designation is one of the guild’s highest honors, recognizing his career achievements and leadership in the industry. Barclay, known for directing TV shows ranging from “NYPD Blue” to “Glee” to “Sons of Anarchy,” served as president of DGA from 2014 to 2017.

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He has long been a strong champion for nurturing the careers of artists fro underrepresented communities in the entertainment industry. He’s had a trailblazing career of his own that started when he gained attention for directing notable music videos for such artists as LL Cool J, Janet Jackson and Bob Dylan.

“Paris is one of the statesmen of our industry, and his leadership has been transformative – whether on set creating iconic television, at the negotiating table fighting for our members, or as a champion for a fair and equitable world,” DGA president Thomas Schlamme said in a statement. “Behind the camera, he is an innovator whose award-winning work is part of the zeitgeist of our culture. And no matter how busy his schedule, he always makes room for mentorship, leading the way for so many diverse voices. As a past president and longtime leader, his innovation has kept us progressing into the 21st century and beyond. His accomplishments are too many to mention here, but just in the last year alone as Co-Chair of our Covid-19 Safety Negotiations Committee, Paris stepped up into such an important role that literally, lives depended on. Thanks to the cutting-edge protocols he and the committee fought for, our members and so many creative workers were able to safely return to work. And right before the Covid-19 crisis, he chaired the most significant TV Creative Rights Negotiations we’ve ever achieved.”

Barclay will be presented with the kudo on April 10 at the 73rd annual DGA Awards, which is expected to be a virtual affair.

Barclay’s many credits include episodes of “Station 19,” “House,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “The Good Wife,” “Lost,” “The Shield,” “The West Wing” and “ER.” Film credits include 1996’s “Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood.”

He earned two Emmy Awards and a DGA nod for his work on “NYPD Blue.” He’s collected six other Emmy noms and nine DGA noms over his career. In 2007 he also received the DGA’s Robert B. Aldrich Achievement Award for service to the guild that he first joined in 1992.

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