Gary Kordan

American TV production designer

Kordan at the 2024 WonderCon

Gary Kordan is an American production designer and television producer. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on the fifth and final season of Key & Peele.[1]

## Career

[edit]

In 2016, Kordan won an Art Directors Guild Award and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for his work on the hit series Key & Peele starring Keegan Michael-Key and Jordan Peele.[2] Additionally, he was the first Production Designer on the West Coast to design an Amazon series Betas and the second designer overall for Amazon Studios.

In addition to the entire 54-episode run of the Emmy and Peabody Award winning Key & Peele, some of Kordan's production design credits include: The Prank Panel starring Johnny Knoxville, Eric André and Gabourey Sidibe (ABC), Kenan starring Kenan Thompson and Don Johnson (NBC), Miracle Workers starring Daniel Radcliffe and Steve Buscemi (Max), Downward Dog (ABC), Ghosted starring Adam Scott and Craig Robinson (FOX),[3] Jordan Peele's Weird City (YouTube), Crank Yankers (Comedy Central), Time Traveling Bong starring Broad City's Ilana Glazer (Comedy Central),[4] The Meltdown with Jonah & Kumail (Comedy Central), @midnight (Comedy Central), Workaholics starring Blake Anderson, Adam Devine and Anders Holm,[5] Reggie Watts: Spatial (Netflix), Fred Armisen's Netflix special "For Drummers Only",[6] The New Negroes with Baron Vaughn & Open Mike Eagle (Comedy Central), Melissa McCarthy's Nobodies,[7] the feature film What Now? starring Kevin Hart (Universal), Just Add Magic,[8] Betas (Amazon Prime), Patton Oswalt: Tragedy Plus Comedy Equals Time (Epix), Teachers (TV Land), Those Who Can't (TruTV), Just Add Magic: Mystery City (Amazon Prime), For The Cultura (Quibi) and 2022 Emmy Nominee for Outstanding Art Direction, The Barbarian and the Troll (Nickelodeon).

He also co-created and executive produced E!'s Number 1 Single with Lisa Loeb (E! Entertainment), directed two music videos for the alternative rock band Veruca Salt and wrote jokes for Joan Rivers, one of his many professional and personal collaborations with the comedy legend. Gary spent the fall and winter of 2002 in Paris as a writer for the massive reality hit Fox's dating show Joe Millionaire (FOX), its finale beating the Super Bowl ratings with 42.6 million viewers. In 2017 he followed Ike Turner with a camera, documenting the final months of his life which resulted in hours of footage, some of which was used in the critically acclaimed HBO Documentary 'Tina'.

In front of the camera, Kordan produced and hosted two public access shows on Manhattan Neighborhood Network, both resulting in a cult following, co-hosted Treasures In Your Home, a nightly live eBay style talk show that very often surpassed Late Night with David Letterman in many markets, and in 2000 was the red carpet arrivals host for the first 'X-Men' film on Ellis Island.

Kordan's life in art and comedy began at a very early age, drawing portraits and caricatures of everyone he knew and working as a doorman at the legendary Catch A Rising Star comedy club. He went on to study Fine Arts and Illustration at School of Visual Arts in New York City, and during his junior year landed full-time job working for Joan Rivers on her daytime talk show, CBS's The Joan Rivers Show.[9] It was there, and because of Joan's encouragement, Gary began his career in the art department.[10]

Gary is a member of the Art Directors Guild Local 800, a Daytime Emmy Judge, a member of the Television Academy Peer Group Executive Committee, Moderator of the first ever Television Academy Peer Circle Program, appeared on numerous Comic-Con and WonderCon panels and resides in Los Angeles with his photographer wife, Justine Ungaro. Together they owned 'Muse, Studio City', a creative home to photo, film and music video shoots, commercials, retail pop-ups, fundraisers and too many parties to count. Notable events included intimate concerts by Lisa Loeb, Letters To Cleo, Steve Kilby (The Church), Amanda Kramer (The Psychedelic Furs), Lou Barlow (Dinosaur Jr, Sebadoh), Tommy Stinson (The Replacements), Campfire Cassettes, Kay Hanley (Letters To Cleo), 'Rex Manning Day' featuring bands and actors from the film 'Empire Records', Olivia Sanabia (Just Add Magic), Alex Wassabi, David Poe, Joey Santiago (Pixies) and Danny Zucker & Timothy Simons (Veep) reading 'Trump Tweets'.

Fundraisers at 'Muse, Studio City' raised money for the Hurricane Harvey Relief, the Puerto Rico Hurricane,[which?] Music Cares, Cookies For Kids Cancer and Valley Community Fundraisers among many others. Classes offered included Calligraphy, Hair Braiding, Loom Weaving, The Art of Paper Flowers, and Watercolor Lettering.

In 2022, Justine and Gary moved 'Muse, Studio City' from its Ventura Blvd. location and launched three photo and film studios with stylish standing sets, including a storefront/ event space in Los Angeles all under the new name 'StuSpaceLA'.

## Awards

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In 2015, Kordan was nominated for an Art Directors Guild Award for his work on Key & Peele. In 2016, he was nominated once again for Key & Peele and won.[2] In 2016 Kordan was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on the final season of Key & Peele. Most recently, Gary was nominated for a 2022 Emmy Award for The Barbarian and the Troll for Outstanding Art Direction.

## Filmography

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Year  | Title  | Notes

|
|

2023  | Miracle Workers  | Production designer
2023  | The Prank Panel  | Production designer
2022  | Atsuko Okatsuka: The Intruder  | Production designer
2021  | The Barbarian and The Troll  | Production designer
2021  | Kenan | Production designer
2020  | Let's Go, Atsuko!  | Production designer
2020  | Just Add Magic: Mystery City | Production designer
2019-2021  | Crank Yankers | Production designer, Co-Producer
2019  | Comedy Central Roast: Alec Baldwin | Segment Production designer
2019  | The New Negroes  | Production designer
2019  | Weird City | Production designer
2017  | Ghosted | Production designer
2017  | Truth & Iliza | Post-production, Production designer
2017  | Downward Dog | Post-production, Production designer
2017  | Nobodies | Post-production, Production designer
2016  | Untitled Weeks/Mackay Project  | Pre-production, Production designer
2016  | Reggie Watts: Spatial  | Post-production, Production designer
2016  | Kevin Hart: What Now? | Production designer
2016  | Time Traveling Bong | Production designer
2016  | Those Who Can't | Production designer
2016-20117  | Teachers | Production designer
2016  | Idiot Sitter | Production designer
2015-2016  | Just Add Magic | Production designer
2012-2015  | Key & Peele | Production designer
2014-2016  | The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail | Production designer
2013-2015  | @midnight | Production designer
2015  | Salem Rogers  | Production designer
2014  | Gettin' Some Strange with Kurt Braunohler  | Production designer
2013-2014  | Quick Draw | Production designer
2013-2014  | Betas | Production designer
2014  | Patton Oswalt: Tragedy Plus Comedy Equals Time | Production designer
2009-2014  | Shark Tank | Art director
2013  | Adam DeVine's House Party | Production designer
2011-2013  | Workaholics | Production designer
2012  | Megawinner  | Production designer
2012  | Workaholics: The Other Cubicle  | Production designer
2011  | Shredd  | Production designer
2011  | Sports Show with Norm Macdonald | Art director
2011  | JailBait | Production designer
2011  | The Boys and Girls Guide to Getting Down | Production designer
2010  | Alabama  | Production designer
2010  | Back Nine  | Production designer
2010  | Savage Love  | Production designer
2010  | Thintervention with Jackie Warner | Production designer
2010  | Instant Recall | Production designer
2010  | Curb: The Discussion  | Production designer
2010  | Untitled Burr and Hart Project  | Production designer
2009  | The League | Production designer
2009  | Dogg After Dark | Production designer
2009  | Top Chef Masters | Art director
2008  | Chocolate News | Art director
2008  | Man Stroke Woman | Art director
2008  | Cheech & Chong: Roasted | Art director
2008  | Root of All Evil | Art director
2008  | The McCaingels  | Art director
2008  | Scream Queens | Production designer
2008  | Dan's Detour to Life  | Production designer
2008  | Guinness World Records Live: Top 100  | Production designer
2005-2008  | Mind of Mencia | Art director
2007  | Temptation | Art director
2007  | Talkshow with Spike Feresten | Art director
2006  | Number 1 Single | Producer
2006  | VIP Passport  | Art director
2003  | Shock Video 2004: Too Hot for the Box | Production designer
2003  | Joe Millionaire | Host writer
2003  | House of Clues  | Props department
1999  | Door Knock Dinners | Art director
1997  | The Rosie O'Donnell Show | Tattoo artist
1995  | Can We Shop?  | Set dresser
1989-1993  | The Joan Rivers Show | Production assistant

## References

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1. ^ "Nominees/Winners". Retrieved 2016-08-29.
2. ^ a b "Gary Kordan". IMDb. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
3. ^ "'Ghosted': Slime and Sets Were Made With Classic Horror in Mind". 4 October 2017.
4. ^ "'Key & Peele's' Production Designer on the Importance of Authenticity". 3 July 2016.
5. ^ "'Key & Peele' Production Designer Gary Kordan on Challenging the Status Quo in Television Comedy". 8 June 2016.
6. ^ "Fred Armisen Netflix Special Taping Drummers Only seated - SFGate". Archived from the original on 2017-10-14. Retrieved 2017-10-14.
7. ^ "Gary Kordan - Nobodies, Teachers, Just Add Magic | On The Fly Filmmaking - Popcorn Talk - We Talk Movies". popcorntalknetwork.com. Archived from the original on 2017-10-14.
8. ^ "Darkness and Danger Are Leavened with Humor in 'Just Add Magic' Season 2". 18 January 2017.
9. ^ "Key & Peele's production designer on how he makes the show's sets part of the joke". The A.V. Club. 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
10. ^ "Meet Gary Kordan, the Designer Behind Kevin Hart, Key & Peele, and Patton Oswalt". The Interrobang. 2016-08-16. Retrieved 2016-08-29.

## External links

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* Gary Kordan at IMDb
* Official Website
* Interview with Gary Kordan by Mannie Holmes on Variety
* Interview with Gary Kordan by Matthew Grobar on Deadline
* ‘Kenan’ production designer Gary Kordan on striving to ‘redefine the genre of comedy’ [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW]
* 'Kenan' Interview
* Production Designer Gary Kordan Moonlights as Venue Impresario With Wife Justine Ungaro