Donald P. Bellisario
| Donald P. Bellisario | |
|---|---|
Bellisario at Leap Con, 1993
|
|
| Born |
Donald Paul Bellisario August 8, 1935 Cokeburg, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Pennsylvania State University |
| Occupation | Television producer, screenwriter |
| Known for | Magnum, P.I., Tales of the Gold Monkey, Airwolf, Quantum Leap, JAG, NCIS |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Schaffran (1956-1974; divorced) Lynn Halpern (1979-1984; divorced) Deborah Pratt (1984-1991; divorced) Vivienne Bellisario (1998-present) |
| Children | Joy Bellisario-Jenkins (b. 1956) Leslie Bellisario-Ingham (b. 1961) David Bellisario Julie Bellisario Watson Michael Bellisario (b. 1980) Troian Bellisario (b. 1985) Nicholas Bellisario Sean Murray (stepson) Chad W. Murray (stepson) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Marine Corps
|
| Years of service | 1955–1959 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
Donald Paul Bellisario (born August 8, 1935) is an American television producer and screenwriter who created and sometimes wrote episodes for the TV series Magnum, P.I. (1980), Tales of the Gold Monkey (1982), Airwolf (1984), Quantum Leap (1989), JAG (1995), and NCIS (2003). He has often included military veterans as characters.
Bellisario was born in Cokeburg, Pennsylvania to an Italian father, Albert Jethro, and a Serbian mother, Dana (née Lapčević). He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1955 to 1959, and attained the rank of Sergeant.
Bellisario earned a bachelor's degree in journalism at Pennsylvania State University in 1961. In 2001 he was named a Distinguished Alumnus—the highest honor bestowed on a graduate of Penn State. In 2006, Bellisario endowed a $1 million Trustee Matching Scholarship in the Penn State College of Communications. He recalled:
Growing up in a hardscrabble western Pennsylvania coal mining town, I know first hand the sacrifices that are made to give a son or daughter a university education…and as a Marine veteran who returned to Penn State with two small children and little money, I remember all too well that struggle. It's my hope that this scholarship will also ease the financial burden of other young men and women who have defended our country to attain their academic goals.
Bellisario became an advertising copywriter in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1965, and three years later became creative director of the Bloom Agency in Dallas, Texas. After rising to senior vice president after eight years, he then moved to Hollywood to pursue screenwriting and production.
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