Howard Storm, the veteran television director known for helming dozens of episodes of classic sitcoms including Mork & Mindy, died on May 26 at the age of 94, according to reports from Deadline.
Storm’s extensive career spanned acting, writing and directing across more than four decades in Hollywood. He directed an extraordinary 59 episodes of Mork & Mindy and worked on series such as Rhoda, Valerie, ALF, Full House, Head of the Class, Major Dad, Perfect Strangers, Kenan & Kel, Everybody Loves Raymond, Angie and Doc.
His path to directing began in stand-up comedy. Storm performed in Las Vegas, opened for Andy Williams and appeared on The Merv Griffin Show more than a dozen times, sources noted.
In the early 1960s he transitioned into acting with roles on programs including The Untouchables, Love, American Style and That Girl. Around the same period he started writing scripts for The Partridge Family, Happy Days and The Bob Newhart Show.
Storm also forged an early creative connection with Woody Allen, serving as the filmmaker’s assistant and collaborator on the movies Bananas and Take the Money and Run.
In 1975 he moved into directing and became closely associated with television legends James L. Brooks and Garry Marshall. He directed episodes of their shows such as Laverne & Shirley and Taxi, according to the report.
Storm’s sole theatrical feature came in 1985 with Once Bitten, which starred Lauren Hutton and featured a then-unknown Jim Carrey in one of his first major film roles.
In the early 2000s he served as National Awards Chairman for the Directors Guild of America. Colleagues remembered his steady hand on set and his long association with many of television’s most enduring comedies.
Storm is survived by his sons Anthony and Casey Storm, his daughter-in-law Julia and his grandsons Leo and Sidney. He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia.
Industry observers noted that Storm’s body of work helped shape the look and feel of several landmark sitcoms from the 1970s through the 1990s. His 59-episode run on Mork & Mindy remains one of the longest directorial tenures on a single series from that era.
While the Deadline obituary provided the primary details of his passing, no official cause of death was immediately released. Friends and former collaborators have begun sharing tributes online, highlighting his humor and professionalism behind the camera.
Storm’s early years as a stand-up performer in Las Vegas gave him a distinctive understanding of comedic timing that carried over into his directing work, sources close to his career recalled.
His contributions to shows produced by Garry Marshall and James L. Brooks placed him at the center of some of the most influential television production teams of the late twentieth century.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced, but family members said they expect a private service in the coming weeks.