Jonathan Prince

A dynamic if sometimes under-appreciated jack-of-all-trades, Jonathan Prince was a young actor working on the sitcom scene when chance encounters with several icons of Old Hollywood inspired him to pursue roles behind the camera. Upon entering show business, he found almost immediate TV success with major parts on the now-largely-forgotten 1980s comedy gems "Mr. Merlin" and "Throb," the latter of which featured him in a headlining role as a slick yet baby-faced record-company executive. In an era when sitcoms were filled with guest appearances by the legendary film and television stars of yesteryear, he eventually crossed paths with the inimitable George Burns, who, sensing the younger man's budding interest in screenwriting, tapped him to pen and co-produce the raucous body-swap comedy "18 Again" ('88). With a new type of credit under his belt, Prince became a consultant in the wacky world of 1990s game shows, where he found yet another mentor in the famed broadcaster, perennial TV ringleader, and "World's Youngest Teenager" Dick Clark. Although he shifted into the role of scripted-television producer largely on his own terms, overseeing such long-running hits as the quirky sitcom "Blossom," he later teamed up with Clark to create "American Dreams" (2002-'05), a nostalgic look back at the tumultuous '60s as seen through the eyes of a starry-eyed teen with dreams of dancing on a popular TV show. In 2008, he made a rather extreme departure from sweet, self-reflexive sentimentality and created the hard-edged drama of addiction and redemption "The Cleaner."