Share and Follow
In 2010, Gwyneth Paltrow’s fans were delighted to watch their idol showing off her singing and dancing abilities in the role of Holly Holliday on the TV show Glee. Although some might have forgotten that she released a hit song in 2000, many were aware of her talents, and they loved the way she slotted into the hit show. Little did they know the impact it would have on the Goop founder’s life.
In 2015, Paltrow went public about her relationship with Brad Falchuk, the co-creator of the hit series. The couple married three years later. And while the Shakespeare In Love star is undoubtedly the most famous in the relationship, her husband is pretty big stuff, too. He’s been one of the creators of some of the biggest shows on TV. It seems Falchuk may be one of Hollywood’s best-kept secrets.
Brad Falchuk Flies Under The Radar In Hollywood
Falchuk’s entry into the industry came in part as the result of struggling in high school. Born into a family of academic achievers, he was anything but. As a method of coping with his bad grades, he created a specific persona, dressing in a jacket and tie because, as he said, “That’s what a smart person looks like.”
As reading was a real struggle for him, he was drawn to the visual appeal of television and started shooting horror movies on a VHS camera.
It was only during his sophomore year at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, that Falchuk was diagnosed with severe dyslexia. With his condition finally named, he was able to address it and adapt his learning methods. As a result, he started achieving success, especially in the area of writing.
Falchuk went on to attend the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, ad moved on to writing for sci-fi shows Earth: Final Conflict and Mutant X. In 2003, he got his big break when he was hired by rising star Ryan Murphy as a junior writer for a new show called Nip/Tuck.
An edgy drama about a plastic surgery practice immediately caught the audience’s attention with its graphic scenes in the operating room. Nip/Tuck became known as one of TV’s most outrageous shows.
In its debut season, it became the highest-rated cable series of all time for 18-49 and 25-54 demographics and went on to run for six seasons. Working together on the 100 episodes cemented the relationship between Falchuk and Murphy, and the two became co-creators and executive producers on some of the biggest hits on TV.
For their next TV project, they decided to move away from the cynicism of Nip/Tuck. At the time, Fox executives were looking for a scripted series with music, and in association with fellow writer Ian Brennan, who had written a screenplay about high school show choirs, Falchuk and Murphy developed Glee, which was a runaway success.
Nip/Tuck And Glee Weren’t Falchuk’s Only Hits
The partnership’s new show was even bigger than Nip/Tuck, and became universally loved, with fans desperate to know what was happening behind the scenes, as well as on screen.
Glee also brought many accolades for its stars and creators. Season 1 attracted an astounding 86 nominations, including 19 Emmy Awards, and 4 Golden Globes. The show walked away with 37 of the awards it was nominated for.
Read Related Also: Gregory Peck’s heart-wrenching comment on Ingrid Bergman: ‘Couldn’t avoid falling in love’ | Celebrity News | Showbiz & TV
Falchuk, Brennan, and Murphy’s next collaboration was also a hit. The FX series American Horror Story was nominated for 49 Primetime Emmy Awards in 3 seasons, winning two awards for Outstanding Limited Series. Falchuk himself was nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special.
The man who prefers to stay behind the scenes has also been involved in other massive hits, like Scream Queens and the Netflix series The Politician, which stars wife Paltrow alongside Ben Platt and Jessica Lange.
The team also created 9-1-1 and the ground-breaking Golden Globe®-nominated Pose, an FX Series about New York’s LGBTQ ballroom subculture.
Although much of the shine for the work they’ve done together has gone to Ryan Murphy, Falchuk has been an integral part of the creative process, and Paltrow has been pushing for more recognition for her husband.
Falchuk has admitted that it’s not only his wife who has been pushing him to make a move on his own. Talking to WSJ Magazine, he said his agent, his brother, his friends, and Ryan Murphy had all been supportive of him pursuing his own projects.
In 2010, he established Brad Falchuk Teley-Vision production company. A year earlier, he had signed a four-year overall deal with Netflix to develop, write, produce, and direct new series.
The first of these was confirmed in February 2022, when Netflix ordered an eight-episode drama series called The Brothers Sun. Falchuk will be working with newcomer to TV, Byron Wu.
Brad Falchuk Also Runs A Foundation
Among all the other work he does, Falchuk also gives back to the community. Remembering what it felt like growing up and struggling to fit in, he co-founded Young Storytellers in 1997with partners Mikkel Bondesen and Andrew Barrett.
Using the art of storytelling, the non-profit program helps fourth-graders in over 80 Los Angeles public schools create their own screenplays, and brings in famous actors for staged readings.
Falchuk once said: “I’m not the person out front. Never been my thing,” but behind the scenes, he’s steadily been building a career that’s seen him become one of the television industry’s most influential producers and most inspiring writers.
