Gerald W. Abrams

Gerald W. Abrams (born ) is an Emmy Award-nominated television producer and the father of director J.J. Abrams. He appeared in Star Trek as a barfly, along with his son's father-in-law, James McGrath, Jr. He and McGarth later appeared as seated Starfleet officers in the closing scenes of 2013's follow-up Into Darkness.

Abrams began his career in television as an account executive with local New York City CBS affiliate WCBS-TV in 1965. In 1971, he became general manager of KCBS, a CBS-owned station in Los Angeles, California.

In 1973, Abrams joined The Jozak Company as Vice President of Creative Affairs. During this time, he served as an associate producer, executive producer, or producer on several made-for-TV movies and mini-series, often in collaboration with Paramount Television.

Some of Abrams' producer credits at The Jozak Company included It Couldn't Happen to a Nicer Guy  (starring Paul Sorvino), Winner Takes All (starring Laurence Luckinbill), Katherine (starring Jane Wyatt), James Dean (directed by Robert Butler and starring Stephen McHattie and Meg Foster), Red Alert (starring Adrienne Barbeau), Steeletown (starring Bibi Besch), and the Having Babies trilogy.

In 1978, Abrams formed his own company, Cypress Point Productions. Movies he produced under this moniker included Flesh & Blood (directed by Jud Taylor), Letters from Frank (featuring Gail Strickland), Act of Love (directed by Jud Taylor and starring Robert Foxworth and David Spielberg), and Scorned and Swindled (starring Keith Carradine and Fionnula Flanagan). He was also a production consultant on the 1982 telefilm A Woman Called Golda, which starred Leonard Nimoy.

In July of 1985, Abrams formed Phoenix Entertainment Group (PEG), through which he produced the mini-series Monte Carlo (starring Joan Collins and Malcolm McDowell), A Father's Revenge (which featured Joanna Cassidy), and Street of Dreams (starring Michael Cavanaugh and Diane Salinger). In 1989, PEG was acquired by The Hearst Corporation and renamed Hearst Entertainment Productions. In 1990, Abrams received his first Emmy Award nomination for executive producing the TV movie Family of Spies, which featured Gordon Clapp and Ken Jenkins.

Abrams executive produced a number of documentary movies and TV programs during the mid-to-late 1990s, including the series Portraits of Courage, hosted by Ben Vereen. Abrams has also been executive producing the History Channel series Modern Marvels.

Abrams continues producing TV movies through his Cypress Point Productions. He executive produced two productions starring Christopher Plummer: the 2000 mini-series Nuremberg and the 2005 movie Four Minutes. His work on the former earned Abrams his second Emmy Award nomination. His other recent producer credits include Out of the Ashes (directed by Joseph Sargent) and The Mystery of Natalie Wood (featuring Alice Krige).