Ed Decter

Although his parents hoped that he would become a doctor, Ed Decter didn't want to do anything but tell stories. After graduating from Wesleyan University, Decter moved to Los Angeles and in the early 1980s started writing for television programs like "Riptide" and the comedy movie "Options." In the early 1990s, Decter was a writer for the television show "The Adventures of Mark & Brian," a comedy show based around real-life shock jock radio deejays Mark Thompson and Brian Phelps, who hosted a popular morning show in Los Angeles. He also worked on the television shows "Boy Meets World," "Me and the Boys," and "Odd Man Out"; the latter show he also co-created. It was during this time that Decter started to make serious inroads into feature film making as well. He was a co-screenwriter on the Farrelly brothers comedy smash "There's Something About Mary" (along with his creative partner John J. Strauss), a co-screenwriter on "The Santa Clause 2" and "The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause," and a co-writer on "The Lizzie McGuire Movie." In 2002, Decter directed the raucous teen comedy "The New Guy," starring DJ Qualls as an awkward, geeky teenager who flees his old school and makes himself over as a cool dude at a new school. He is also the author of the young adult Outriders series of books and Chloe Gamble series.