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Writer/director's run includes Seinfeld, late night, film
ALEC BERG, writer, director and executive producer of HBO's Silicon Valley, was hooked on comedy from a young age.
"I was definitely a huge comedy nerd," says Berg. "When other kids were listening to bands, I was listening to Cosby and Steve Martin and Bob Newhart and George Carlin."
When Berg attended Harvard University, it became clear a career in the entertainment business was not far behind. Taking filmmaking classes and joining The Harvard Lampoon staff only affirmed his interest in writing.
While at the Lampoon, Berg met his longtime writing partner Jeff Schaffer (cocreator and executive producer of FXX's The League). Berg and Schaffer moved to Los Angeles in 1992 and worked together as a team. Life in L.A. was not quite glamorous, as Berg describes his "flea-infested" apartment.
"I don't know how I didn't get scurvy or jaundice," he recalls. "All I ate was 99-cent store-brand mac and cheese. Every once in a while I would get a can of peas or something like that so I could pretend I was having a green vegetable. "
After countless hours of writing and calling mentors for advice, Berg got his first break with Fox's Great Scott!, starring Toby Maguire and run by Tom Gammill and Max Pross. "We wrote an episode, and I think it ended up being a 13-episode...