Emmy-winning director Tom Cherones, known for Seinfeld, dies at 86

Emmy-winning producer and director Tom Cherones, best known for his work on the hit sitcom Seinfeld, has died at the age of 86, according to Deadline. Cherones passed away at his home in Florence, Oregon, following a prolonged battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Cherones directed and produced the second episode of Seinfeld, titled 'The Stakeout', which aired in May 1990. Over the course of his association with the show, he worked on a total of 85 episodes and received six Emmy nominations. In 1993, he won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, which he shared with creators Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David. He also made a single on-screen appearance in the fourth episode, 'The Pilot'.

Born on September 11, 1939, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Cherones graduated from the University of New Mexico with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and later earned a master’s degree in telecommunications from the University of Alabama. He also served for four years as a lieutenant in the United States Navy.

Cherones began his career in educational television while pursuing his master’s degree, producing and directing programmes for WQED in Pittsburgh. He moved to Hollywood in 1975 and started working as a production manager on

General Hospital. His first television directing credit came with the 1986 show Babes in the Woods. In 1990, he joined Seinfeld as a director and producer, leaving the series after its fifth season. His other directing credits include NewsRadio, Welcome Back, Kotter, Caroline in the City

, Annie McGuire and Ellen.

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