Meet Norman Lears Daughters, Kate, Madeline, Maggie, Ellen, and Brianna Lear

Norman Lear was popularly known as an American screenwriter and producer who produced, wrote, created or developed over 100 shows. Most of his productions were popular in the 1970s. Some include the following All in the Family (1971–1979), Maude (1972–1978), Sanford and Son (1972–1977), One Day at a Time (1975–1984), The Jeffersons (1975–1985), and Good Times (1974–1979). He passed away on 5 December 2023. In this post, we will take a look at Meet Norman Lear’s Daughters, Kate, Madeline, Maggie, Ellen, and Brianna Lear. Find out more by reading below.

Norman Lear Biography

Lear was born on July 27, 1922, in New Haven, Connecticut. He was the eldest child of his parents namely Jeanette and Hyman. Norman’s mother was from Ukraine, while his father’s family was from Russia. He also had a younger sister named Claire Lear Brown who passed away in 2015.

Norman attended Samuel J. Tilden High School in Brooklyn, New York. He also graduated from Weaver High School in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1940 and attended Emerson College in Boston, but dropped out in 1942 to join the United States Army Air Forces. In September 1942, Lear enlisted in the United States Army. He served in the Mediterranean theatre as a radio operator/gunner on Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers with the 772nd Bomb Squadron, 463rd Bomb Group of the Fifteenth Air Force. In 1945, he was discharged from the Army.

Norman Lear Film Career

Lear’s film career began after the Second World War. He started a career in public relations which was inspired by his Uncle Jack. Later in 1954, Lear was enlisted as a writer and asked to salvage the new CBS sitcom starring Celeste Holm, Honestly, Celeste!, but the program was cancelled after eight episodes. With the experience gathered, Norman became the producer of NBC’s short-lived (26 episodes) sitcom The Martha Raye Show, after Nat Hiken left as the series director. Lear also wrote some of the opening monologues for The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show which aired from 1956 to 1961. In 1959, Lear created his first television series, a half-hour western for Revue Studios called The Deputy, starring Henry Fonda.

In 1980, Lear also founded the organization People for the American Way to counteract the Christian rights group Moral Majority which had been founded in 1979. In 1981, Lear began a 14-month run as the host of a revival of the classic game show Quiz Kids for the CBS Cable Network. In January 1982, Lear and Jerry Perenchio bought Avco Embassy Pictures from Avco Financial Corporation. Then in January 1982, after merging with the company with T.A.T. Communications, Avco was dropped, and the combined entity was renamed Embassy Communications, Inc.

In March 1982, Lear produced an ABC television special titled I Love Liberty, as a counterbalance to groups like the Moral Majority. As already discussed, Norman’s production was very popular in the 1970s.

On July 29, 2019, it was announced that Lear had teamed with Lin-Manuel Miranda to make an American Masters documentary about Moreno’s life, tentatively titled Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It. In 2020, it was announced that Lear and Act III Productions would executive produce a revival of Who’s The Boss?

Norman Lear’s Children: Who Are Norman Lear’s Daughters?

Before his death on 5 December 2023, Norman Lear was married three times. His first marriage was to Frances Loeb, the publisher of Lear’s magazine, which lasted from 1956 to 1985. However, they separated in 1983, and as part of their divorce settlement, Loeb received a substantial sum of $112 million from Lear. In 1987, Lear tied the knot with his current wife, Lyn Davis, who is a producer.

From his marriage, Norman had 6 children and four grandchildren as of 2022. His children are Ellen, Kate, Maggie, Benjamin, Brianna, and Madelaine.

Norman Lear’s Children: Who Is Ellen Lear?

The late Norman and his first wife Charlotte Rosen, whom he married in 1943, welcomed their first child Ellen Lear in 1947. Ellen Lear worked as a graphic designer before switching careers to social work. Later in 2011, Ellen went on to work for Pal-O-Mine as an Eagala Certified Mental Health practitioner.

Norman Lear’s Children: Who Is Kate Lear?

Norman Lear’s marriage to his second wife Frances Loeb Lear in 1956 welcomed a daughter named Kate. Kate is a writer and Broadway producer. She is also a member of the Ballet Hispánic board.

Norman Lear’s Children: Who Is Maggie Lear?

Maggie is the third child of Norman Lear. She is also the second child her father had with Frances Loeb. Maggie is the president of The Frances Lear Foundation — an organization that focuses on democracy, environment, and criminal justice reform. In addition to her other roles, Maggie also serves as the chair of The Youth Justice Funding Collaborative.

Norman Lear’s Children: Who Are Brianna and Madelaine Lear?

Brianna and Madelaine were born via surrogate in 1994. Not much is known about Madelaine, however, Brianna studied at the University of Southern California. Brianna also went on to pursue a career in social work like her siblings.

From April 2020 until April 2023, Brianna worked as an outpatient and trauma specialist clinician at Riverside Community Care. She also has volunteered her time as a research assistant for the Cell to Society Lab at Boston College.

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