Biography
Triple-threat writer/director/producer Charles Shyer has managed to maintain a successful career for close to three decades, much of it in collaboration with one-time spouse
Nancy Meyers.
Born in Los Angeles, CA, on October 11, 1941, Shyer broke into show business writing for television, eventually becoming one of the main contributors to
The Odd Couple. His first foray into screenwriting with then-partner Alan Mandel was the smash hit
Burt Reynolds vehicle
Smokey and the Bandit. They would follow up that success by contributing to
Jack Nicholson's directorial debut,
Goin' South. They then earned Oscar nominations for their work on
Goldie Hawn's 1980 film
Private Benjamin. That same year he would marry Meyers, who was also a screenwriter on
Benjamin. The screenwriting couple with the rhyming names also contributed to Hawn's
Protocol in 1984, but that year was highlighted by the release of Shyer's directorial debut,
Irreconcilable Differences. The gentle Hollywood satire, about a daughter who divorces her celebrity parents, displays the qualities and themes -- the importance of family, warm humor, and a light touch -- that would distinguish his work.
Shyer and Meyers had a huge hit at the beginning of the '90s with the remake of
Father of the Bride, starring
Steve Martin. Shyer's directorial career hit a snag when his 1994
Julia Roberts film
I Love Trouble bombed, and a sequel to
Father of the Bride the following year failed to produce any momentum. The close of the decade saw Shyer and Meyers end their personal relationship. Although it failed to light up the box office, his 2001 effort
The Affair of the Necklace was a visually beautiful period piece that marked an attempt at something different from a director best known for lighthearted family comedy. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide