Jeff Baron's Life & Career

Jeff Baron grew up in suburban New Jersey, the son of a secretary and a clothing salesman. The first in his family to go to college, Jeff got a film degree from Northwestern University, where his comedy writing and lyrics were frequently performed on and off campus.

He worked for the skiing trade association for a few years, then got an MBA from Harvard Business School. During his two years at Coca-Cola, Jeff managed the creation and introduction of Ramblin’ Root Beer. He left to become a Marketing Director for Warner Amex Satellite Entertainment Company, which became MTV Networks. He left the corporate world when his dad became seriously ill, while Jeff was still in his 20’s.

After his dad passed away, Jeff wrote, directed and hosted a weekly comedy/reality cable tv series, The Jeff Baron Show. At the same time, he wrote his first screenplay, which was optioned by Marcia Nasatir (The Big Chill, Ironweed). Jeff’s other original screenplays were optioned by David Brown (Jaws, The Sting, The Player) and Disney.

He wrote episodes of a wide variety of tv series, including The Tracey Ullman Show (Fox), Almost Grown (CBS – David Chase), Sisters (NBC), A Year in the Life (NBC), Aaron’s Way (NBC) and the Disney Sunday Movie (ABC). He wrote and produced several projects for Nickelodeon. He had series development deals with TriStar (now Sony), 20th Century Fox, Nickelodeon and Dick Clark Productions. During this period, Jeff wrote and directed The Bruce Diet, an award winning 25 minute comedy-horror film, selected for film festivals around the world.

Jeff’s first play, Visiting Mr. Green starred Eli Wallach. The play ran for a full year in New York and has become one of the world’s most-performed plays, with well over 600 productions in 24 languages in 52 countries. Its numerous awards include Best Play in Greece, Germany, Mexico, Turkey and Uruguay, and the prestigious Kulturpreis Europa. An updated version of the play was published in 2023.

Eli Wallach was the first of a long list of the world’s great actors who have played Mr. Green.

Jeff’s new plays have originated in Australia, South America and Europe.

Jeff’s acclaimed middle grade novels, are published by the Greenwillow imprint of HarperCollins. The funny books follow the everyday life and show biz career of a 13 year-old boy who succeeds in Hollywood by pretending to be his own grown up manager. Readers of the books can also watch Sean Rosen’s video podcasts online

Jeff’s many speaking appearances include the United Nations, Instituto Cultural Peruano Norteamericano, Columbia University, New School, Emory University, Harvard University, Northwestern University, theatres around the world, the National English Teachers convention, and writing and digital storytelling workshops across the U.S.

Jeff’s criticism, fiction and comic poetry have been published in American Theatre, Publishers Weekly, The New York Daily News, Tetu (Paris), the Dallas Times Herald, T.O. (Toronto) and New York Magazine (the competition).

He was commissioned to write two short operas, one for the L.A. Opera, and Song of Martina, which had its premiere at Carnegie Hall.