Roseanne writer Eric Gilliland has died at the age of 62 after a battle with colon cancer.
The sad news about the television producer best known for his work on the hit 1990s sitcom was confirmed by his sister Lisa. Variety on Mondays.
Gilliland worked as a producer and writer on the ABC series from 1992 to 1996.
He was recognized for his efforts by earning a Writers Guild of America Award nomination for the episode The Dark Ages which aired in 1992.
Roseanne writer Eric Gilliland has died at the age of 62 after a battle with colon cancer.
Gilliland worked as a producer and writer on the ABC series from 1992 to 1996.
The talented Hollywood veteran then went on to work as a consulting producer for two episodes of the Roseanne spin-off series The Conners in 2019.
Gilliland was also known for his work as a consulting producer on the popular teen sitcom That ’70s Show from 1998 to 1999.
During his time on the Fox series, he wrote the third episode of the first season titled ‘Streaking’.
The creative did a lot of television production during his career, including Nurses, That’s Life, Welcome To New York, Mr. Sunshine and My Boys.
He also wrote episodes for many of the aforementioned series, including two episodes of Mr. Sunshine, which the late Matthew Perry starred in and co-created but which was short-lived on ABC.
Gilliland’s other writing credits include The Wonder Years, Who’s The Boss, Doogie Howser, MD, Women In Prison, Live-In, Living Dolls and Married People.
Most recently, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for his work on the Netflix historical comedy series The Who Was? Show in 2019.
Born and raised in Glenview, Illinois.
Gilliland graduated from Glenbrook South High School in 1980 before earning his degree from Northwestern University’s School of Communication in 1984.
Many in the entertainment industry took to social media to pay tribute to the producer and writer.
Modern Family co-creator Steve Levitan wrote on Facebook on Monday: “It’s strange, I know, but this morning I found myself thinking that Eric Gilliland would have taken a perverse pleasure in knowing that, of all people, Dick Van Dyke outlived him.
The talented Hollywood veteran then went on to work as a consulting producer for two episodes of the Roseanne spin-off series The Conners in 2019.
He (pictured in June 2017) was born and raised in Glenview, Illinois and graduated from Glenbrook South High School in 1980 before earning his degree from Northwestern University’s School of Communication in 1984.
‘That’s one of the ways Eric and I bonded in eighth grade, over our mutual love of The Dick Van Dyke Show. And Monty Python, Jack Benny, The Carol Burnett Show, SNL, and bad puns. (Yes, people, we started a pun club.)’
Actress Martha Plimpton took to Instagram to pay tribute, writing: “I don’t have the ability to find the older photos at the moment. I don’t know exactly what to do with myself.
“Today is a more difficult day. The world is a less happy and less joyful place without my friend, Eric Gilliland.”
Actor Dan Bucatinsky called Gilliland “brilliant, sweet, kind, funny and generous” in his tribute posted on Instagram.
He concluded: “His legacy is the wake of love that he generated among so many friends.”
Ryan Reynolds reacted to the news of Gilliland’s passing via Instagram on Tuesday.
The pair maintained a friendship that lasted 27 years, with Reynolds describing Gilliland as “kind” and “very funny.”
“My friend (and friend of many) Eric Raymond Gilliland passed away on Sunday,” she began. “He was kind, gentle and very funny, and incapable of holding a conversation that was cruel or tearing someone down. It’s a tragedy that he’s gone and it’s a tragedy that more people won’t have the chance to know him.”
He recalled his “nervous” first meeting with Gilliland early in his career.
‘Eric was my friend for 27 years. He was my first major meeting early in my career. I had just finished writing on ROSEANNE and had a fancy office in a bungalow on the Fox studio lot in Los Angeles. I was very nervous about meeting him. I had been drinking heavily the night before and my hangover wasn’t helping.
Gilliland was also known for his work as a consulting producer on the popular teen sitcom That ’70s Show from 1998 to 1999.
Most recently, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for his work on the Netflix historical comedy series The Who Was? Show in 2019.
“My head was hurting terribly, but what worried me was my stomach… I had these horrible burps that gave me away. Something bad was coming.”
However, Reynolds’ nerves disappeared when he realized that Gilliland was unlike any other successful Hollywood writer he had met in the past.
“Eric was not how I imagined a successful comedy writer to be. He was very approachable. When he smiled, his nostrils flared and his eyelids closed halfway. Imagine Pixar, but Pixar is Eric’s face,” he recalled.
“I felt like I had known him forever. And there are hundreds, if not thousands, of waiters, cashiers and shopkeepers in dozens of countries who feel the same way.”
The duo forged a close personal and professional bond, and Reynolds thanked Gilliland for helping him “grow and find my voice.”
“I traveled the world with Eric. He introduced me to vaudeville and Jack Benny and welcomed me into his circle of friends, which was made up of incredibly talented writers and performers. He was my university. He helped me grow and find my voice,” Reynolds wrote.
And he did all of this while searching for himself. Eric never stopped being Eric. He eventually moved to New York and found a new crew. He walked everywhere. He threw Swedish Glug parties. He appreciated old, forgotten things.
“He loved soup. My God, that man loved soup. Check out his Twitter account to see for yourself,” she joked.
‘When I left that meeting at Fox all those years ago, I felt an undeniable need to see him again. As soon as I finished violently vomiting on the rose bush outside his office, I went back and gave him my phone number. I also told him that I had recently vomited on the rose bush outside his office. This news seemed to please him.
“The rosebush died, but Eric lived 27 more years,” Reynolds concluded. Along with his heartfelt tribute, he shared photos of Gilliland taken over the years.
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