Fred Gerber

From his inauspicious debut as an uncredited stuntman in the 1969 John Wayne Western "True Grit," few could have predicted that Fred Gerber would become an Emmy-nominated director. The versatile young talent also guest-starred on TV's "Bonanza" and "My Three Sons" before trying his hand as an assistant director. His most notable contributions included six episodes of the post-Korean War spinoff, "AfterMASH," and the sibling sitcom "My Sister Sam." By the mid '80s, Gerber had graduated to unit production manager on "Sam" and went on to fill the same role on the Vietnam hospital drama, "China Beach." In 1989, Gerber was permitted to direct the series and helmed four episodes total by its final season. His career exploded in the ensuing '90s, when Gerber directed multiple installments of a diverse array of popular series, including police procedural "Law & Order." In 1995, Gerber paired with funnyman Leslie Nielsen for the TV movie "Rent-a-Kid," and the two later reteamed for what was Gerber's first and only theatrical endeavor, "Family Plan." In 2002, he directed the small-screen feature-length copper "Hack," and several episodes of the subsequent series. More recently, Gerber's direction has been featured on the suburban drama "Desperate Housewives," the malady mystery "House M.D.," and the fraternity comedy "Greek."