What Is the Net Worth of ‘The Simpsons’ Co-writer and Producer Al Jean?

Al Jean's net worth

Al Jean, an American screenwriter and producer, has a net worth of $200 million as of November 2023, per Celebrity Net Worth. He teamed up with Mike Reiss at Harvard University and wrote for "The Harvard Lampoon." Their breakthrough came in 1989 when they joined the writing crew of "The Simpsons." After a stint as showrunners, they created "The Critic" (1994–1995). Jean returned to "The Simpsons" in 1998, becoming showrunner again in 2001. He has won nine Primetime Emmys and two Peabody Awards for his work on "The Simpsons."

What are Al Jean's sources of income?

TV series

After finishing up at Harvard, Jean and Reiss landed a job with "National Lampoon." In the '80s, they worked as writers on various TV series like "Nine to Five" (1983), "Not Necessarily the News" (1983–1985), "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (1984–1988), "Head of the Class" (1986), "Sledge Hammer!" (1986–1987), "ALF" (1988–1989), and "It's Garry Shandling's Show." (1988–1990). They even produced "It's Garry Shandling's Show."

"The Simpsons"

In 1989, Jean and Reiss scored a writing gig for "The Simpsons," contributing to over a dozen episodes in the first season. The duo took on the role of showrunners for seasons three and four. Reflecting on his early experience as a showrunner in a 2003 interview, Jean shared, "The only thoughts running through my head every minute of the day was, 'Don't blow it and screw up this thing everyone loves.' Maybe because the show was established, we were able to do deeper things." 

Jean also contributed as a writer and producer for the 2007 "The Simpsons Movie," grossing $536.4 million and earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Feature, adding to his impressive resume.

After wrapping up season four in 1993, Jean and Reiss left to create the animated series "The Critic," featuring the voice of Jon Lovitz. Premiering on ABC in January 1994, it later moved to Fox for its second and final season. The "Simpsons" episode "A Star Is Burns" served as a crossover between the two shows. While "The Critic" only lasted for 23 episodes, its DVD release and Comedy Central reruns cultivated a devoted following.

The Walt Disney deal

In 1994, The Walt Disney Company signed Jean and Reiss for a three-year deal to produce shows for ABC. They birthed the fantasy sitcom, "Teen Angel," running from September 1997 to February 1998. During this period, they also got the chance to occasionally write and produce "The Simpsons" episodes. Jean also co-wrote and produced "Simpsons" shorts like the Academy Award-nominated "The Longest Daycare" (2012) and the Emmy-nominated "When Billie Met Lisa" (2022).

Al Jean's personal life

Al Jean tied the knot with TV writer, Stephanie Gillis in 2002, and their family expanded with the arrival of two daughters. Gillis even penned 11 episodes of "The Simpsons" from 2005 to 2018.

Al Jean's awards 

Al Jean has racked up over 30 Primetime Emmy nominations. Notably, he secured the Outstanding Animated Program award for "The Simpsons" in 1990, 1991, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008, and 2019. He has also received five Annie Award nominations, winning Best Individual Achievement: Producing in a TV Production for "The Simpsons" in 1997. His other achievements include Best Individual Achievement for Creative Supervision in the Field of Animation for "The Critic" (1995), Outstanding Individual Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television Production for "The Simpsons" (2001), Best Writing in an Animated Feature Production for "The Simpsons Movie" (2008), and Outstanding Achievement in Writing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production for "The Simpsons" (2016).

In 2006, Jean and Reiss received the Animation Writers Caucus Animation Award at the Writers Guild of America Awards, and in 2009, "The Simpsons" got a nomination for a Comedy Series. "The Simpsons Movie" brought Jean a PGA Award nomination for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures in 2008 along with an Online Film & Television Association Award nomination for Best Animated Picture. Early in his career, Jean earned three CableACE Award nominations for Writing a Comedy or Music Program for "Not Necessarily the News" (1984) and Writing a Comedy Series for "Not Necessarily the News" (1985) and "It's Garry Shandling's Show" (1991).

FAQs

How many Simpsons writers went to Harvard?

More than 30 Harvard alumni have written for "The Simpsons," including the show's first two staff writers, Al Jean '81 and Michael Reiss '81.

Who all have been the producers at  "The Simpsons"?

Season 7–8: Bill Oakley & Josh Weinstein; Season 9–12: Mike Scully; Season 13–31: Al Jean; Season 32–present: Al Jean & Matt Selman

Where did Al Jean grow up?

Al Jean was raised near Detroit, Michigan.