Garry Shandling to get Just for Laughs honour
Montreal comedy conference also pays tribute to Modern Family creators
Garry Shandling, the U.S. comedian behind Emmy-winning 1990s TV series The Larry Sanders Show, will get a lifetime achievement award next week at the Just For Laughs comedy conference in Montreal.
Just for Laughs festival organizers say they want to recognize Shandling's more than 30 years as a writer, producer and comedian.
The Larry Sanders Show, starring Shandling as a late-night talk show host, ran 1992 to 1998. Shandling had been offered NBC's Late Night show — and turned it down — just as he launched the series.
He also starred in It's Garry Shandling's Show, which ran 1986 to 1990, and both wrote and produced What Planet are You From? He recently appeared in Iron Man 2.
Just for Laughs also pays tribute annually to comedians and comedy writers and directors. This year's honourees:
- Comedy person of the year: Louis C.K. of comedy series FX.
- Comedy writer of the year: Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd, creators of Modern Family.
- Comedy director of the year: Paul Feig of Bridesmaids.
- Breakout comedy star of the year: Ken Jeong of Community and The Hangover 2.
They all will receive their awards July 29 during the Just for Laughs comedy conference, which runs July 28-30 in Montreal.