Bernard Sofronski is an American producer with an extensive television career. Although he has a few credits on the big screen, these have mostly been independent, low to moderate budget movies. While his name may not be as popular as several other television producers, Sofronski has contributed greatly to American television.
With his professional career starting in the mid-60s, Bernard Sofronski’s credits span 41 years. However, the producer hasn’t done any projects in the last two decades. To know more about the veteran TV producer, here are 7 things you didn’t know about Bernard Sofronski.
Bernard Sofronski Had An Early Passion For Television
Bernard Sofronski was born in Coatesville, Philadelphia, in 1940. For most of his growing years, Sofronski was fascinated with television and entertainment. As long as he could remember, Bernard Sofronski wanted to be an actor and star. Like many kids his age, Sofronski was greatly influenced by the Golden Age of Hollywood. Unsurprisingly, Sofronski actively participated in school plays during his junior and senior years in high school. He was considered a natural and often landed lead or supporting roles.
Bernard Sofronski Studied Under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio
After graduating High School, Bernard Sofronski initially worked as a DJ and radio station personality. It was his way of getting into the entertainment world as quickly as he could. However, Sofronski remained committed to pursuing a career as a professional actor. To this end, Sofronski moved to New York City to enroll at the Actors Studio. Sofronski studied under legendary theater director and acting coach Lee Strasberg.
He Studied With Jane Fonda & Marilyn Monroe
At the Actors Studio, Bernard Sofronski was classmates with two iconic Hollywood actresses, Jane Fonda and Marilyn Monroe. Jane Fonda is a two-time Academy Awards-winning actress with seven nominations. Marilyn Monroe, although she had a short career, is considered one of Hollywood’s most famous actresses of all time. Like other students, Sofronski acted in several summer stock and off-Broadway productions during his time at the acting school.
Bernard Sofronski Performed For The Armed Services
Bernard Sofronski had always been a true patriot at heart. After graduating from the Actors Studio, Sofronski chose to serve the United States Armed Services the only way he knew how to. He performed several plays for them for three years outside the country. He served two years in Europe and spent a year in Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. After his service year, Bernard Sofronski returned to New York.
Bernard Sofronski’s Early Career
According to his IMDb page, Bernard Sofronski’s first credit as a producer was on the NBC soap opera Another World. The show lasted 35 seasons, with over 8,800 episodes from 1964 to 1999. Sofronski is credited to have been a producer on the show from its premiere year to the series finale. However, his next major project was in 1973, having joined the then-CBS soap opera Search for Tomorrow as an associate producer. As an associate producer, Sofronski was responsible for preparing a roster for five directors, six writers, and over forty actors for its 30-minute runtime.
Bernard Sofronski’s passion for television was for both on-screen and production. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long for the studio to notice his immense talent and contribution to the show. Sofronski was promoted to executive producer and quickly made history on the show. Within a year after Sofronski became executive producer, Search for Tomorrow became the top-rated show on the network. Bernard Sofronski left the show in 1975, having been credited as producer in 204 episodes. However, Procter & Gamble sold the show’s broadcast rights to NBC, moving the soap opera to another network and timeslots.
Bernard Sofronski’s Other Projects
His success with Search for Tomorrow quickly grew his reputation in television. Bernard Sofronski’s first TV movie as a producer was the 1980 musical drama Playing for Time. However, he was uncredited as a producer. He got his first credited role in 1981 as an executive producer in Skokie and the biological drama Bill. Sofronski also produced and executive produced several TV specials between his TV movie and series projects.
Bernard Sofronski’s last credit as a producer was in 2005 when he executive produced the TV movie Mom at Sixteen. Sofronski received his first Primetime Emmy Awards nomination for Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special as an executive producer for Murder in Mississippi. Sofronski’s next two Emmy nominations came in 1993 and 1996 for the TV series and movie Queen and Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story, respectively.
Bernard Sofronski Is Married To Actress Susan Dey
Bernard Sofronski’s first marriage was to Myra Phyllis Tamarkin, with whom he had two children. However, the marriage ended in a divorce on June 8, 1984. A couple of years later, Sofronski and now-retired American actress Susan Dey began dating. Sofronski married Dey on February 20, 1988. The couple have remained married ever since. Although Susan Dey married the producer at age 31, their union produced no child. However, Dey had a child, Sara Dey-Hirshan, from her previous marriage to Leonard “Lenny” Hirshan. If you enjoyed reading about TV producer Bernard Sofronski, here are 9 things you need to know about the actor and director Shavar Ross.
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