Gary Nelson (director)

{{Short description|American television and film director (1934–2022)}}

{{For|other individuals with the same name| Gary Nelson (disambiguation) }}

{{Infobox person

| name = Gary Nelson

| birth_date = {{birth date|1934|10|06}}

| birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|05|25|1934|10|06}}

| death_place = Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.

| occupation = Film director, television director

| notable_works = Freaky Friday
The Black Hole

| spouse = {{marriage|Judi Meredith|1962|2014|end=her death}}

| children = 2

}}

Gary Nelson (October 6, 1934 – May 25, 2022) was an American television and film director. He directed many television series, including Get Smart, Gunsmoke, Have Gun – Will Travel, The Patty Duke Show, Gilligan's Island and Happy Days. In addition, Nelson directed five feature films, including Disney's Freaky Friday (1976), and many television movies, including Murder in Coweta County starring Johnny Cash and Andy Griffith.

In 1978, Nelson was nominated for an Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series on Washington: Behind Closed Doors.

Nelson was born in Los Angeles, California. He was married to actress Judi Meredith, who died on April 30, 2014; the couple had two sons.{{cite web |url=https://obits.oregonlive.com/us/obituaries/oregon/name/judi-nelson-obituary?pid=170972529 |title=Judi Meredith Nelson |work=The Oregonian |via=Legacy.com |date=May 9, 2014 |access-date=July 22, 2022 |archive-date=July 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220722044655/https://obits.oregonlive.com/us/obituaries/oregon/name/judi-nelson-obituary?pid=170972529 |url-status=live}}

During semi-retirement, Nelson continued to occasionally guest lecture at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} He died in Las Vegas of Congestive Heart Failure on May 25, 2022, at the age of 87.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/gary-nelson-dead-freaky-friday-black-hole-1235216056/|title=Gary Nelson, Director of 'Freaky Friday,' 'The Black Hole' and 'Get Smart,' Dies at 87|work=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Mike|last=Barnes|date=September 9, 2022|access-date=September 9, 2022}}