MICHAEL LEMBECK (director) is a veteran of television comedy. As an actor, he appeared in over 200 episodes of half-hour comedy television. As a director, he has helmed nearly 300 episodes of television in the last fourteen years. Among the awards for directing he has received is the Emmy Award in 1996 for Best Direction of a Comedy Series for his work on "Friends," one of three Emmy nominations he has received for his work on that show. He lists as some of his other television directing credits multiple episodes of "Mad About You," with Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser, and the pilot and episodes of "Everybody Loves Raymond." Lembeck has had the good fortune of directing some of the world’s greatest comedy players – Carol Burnett, Carroll O’Connor, Nathan Lane, Mel Brooks, Phil Hartman – in addition to working with Julia Roberts, Jerry Seinfeld, Tom Selleck, Hector Elizondo, Carl Reiner, Gene Kelly, Jack Benny, Joan Plowright, Dennis Quaid, John Ritter, Harvey Korman, and many others.
Lembeck is a second generation of comedy tradition and followed his father, Harvey, into the theater. Harvey Lembeck starred in both the Broadway play and movie "Stalag 17" as Harry Shapiro, and had a long and illustrious career as one of Broadway’s and Hollywood’s best-known character men, perhaps best remembered for his work as Corporal Rocco Barbella on "The Phil Silvers Show" and as Eric Von Zipper in the "Beach Party" series of movies for AIP.
Michael appeared in many plays in New York and regional theater before finding his way to California and movies and television. He appeared in such movies as "The In-Laws," as Peter Falk’s son, and "The Boys in Company C." He played Abbie Hoffman in the HBO award-winning movie, "The Trial of the Chicago 8," was a regular on "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," and for five years was part of the ensemble on "One Day at a Time," playing Max, Mackenzie Phillips’ husband.
When not at work as a director, Lembeck and his sister Helaine run the comedy workshop his father created thirty-five years ago, the Harvey Lembeck Comedy Workshop, which lists as its longtime members Robin Williams, Penny Marshall, and John Ritter, among others.
The Santa Clause 2" is Lembeck’s first theatrical feature film as a director.
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