Gary Kordan is an American production designer and television producer. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on the fifth and final season of Key & Peele.
Career
In 2016, Kordan won an Art Directors Guild Award, a Peabody Award and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for his work on the hit series Key & Peele starring Keegan Michael-Key and Jordan Peele. Additionally, he was the first Production Designer on the West Coast to design an Amazon series, Betas, and the second designer overall for Amazon Studios.
In addition to the entire 54-episode run of the Emmy and Peabody Award winning Key & Peele, some of Kordan's production design credits include: The Prank Panel starring Johnny Knoxville, Eric André and Gabourey Sidibe (ABC), Kenan starring Kenan Thompson and Don Johnson (NBC), Miracle Workers starring Daniel Radcliffe and Steve Buscemi (Max), Downward Dog (ABC), Ghosted starring Adam Scott and Craig Robinson (FOX), Jordan Peele's Weird City (YouTube), Crank Yankers (Comedy Central), Time Traveling Bong starring Broad City's Ilana Glazer (Comedy Central), The Meltdown with Jonah & Kumail (Comedy Central), @midnight (Comedy Central), Workaholics starring Blake Anderson, Adam Devine and Anders Holm, Reggie Watts: Spatial (Netflix), Fred Armisen's Netflix special "For Drummers Only", The New Negroes with Baron Vaughn & Open Mike Eagle (Comedy Central), Melissa McCarthy's Nobodies, the feature film What Now? starring Kevin Hart (Universal), Just Add Magic, Betas (Amazon Prime), Patton Oswalt: Tragedy Plus Comedy Equals Time (Epix), Teachers (TV Land), Those Who Can't (TruTV), Just Add Magic: Mystery City (Amazon Prime), For The Cultura (Quibi), 2022 Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Art Direction, The Barbarian and the Troll (Nickelodeon) and 2026 Art Directors Guild Award Nomination and Webby Award win for Atsuko Okatuska: Father (Hulu).
He also co-created and executive produced E!'s Number 1 Single with Lisa Loeb (E! Entertainment), directed two music videos for the alternative rock band Veruca Salt and wrote jokes for Joan Rivers, one of his many professional and personal collaborations with the comedy legend. Gary spent the fall and winter of 2002 in Paris as a writer for the massive reality hit Fox's dating show Joe Millionaire (FOX), its finale beating the Super Bowl ratings with 42.6 million viewers. In 2017 he followed Ike Turner with a camera, documenting the final months of his life which resulted in hours of footage, some of which was used in the critically acclaimed HBO Documentary 'Tina'.
In front of the camera, Kordan produced and hosted two public access shows on Manhattan Neighborhood Network, both resulting in a cult following, co-hosted Treasures In Your Home, a nightly live eBay style talk show that very often surpassed Late Night with David Letterman in many markets, and in 2000 was the red carpet arrivals host for the first 'X-Men' film on Ellis Island.
Kordan's life in art and comedy began at a very early age, drawing portraits and caricatures of everyone he knew and working as a doorman at the legendary Catch A Rising Star comedy club. He went on to study Fine Arts and Illustration at School of Visual Arts in New York City, and during his junior year landed full-time job working for Joan Rivers on her daytime talk show, CBS's The Joan Rivers Show. It was there, and because of Joan's encouragement, Gary began his career in the art department.
Gary is a member of the Art Directors Guild Local 800, a Daytime Emmy Judge, a member of the Television Academy Peer Group Executive Committee, Moderator of the first ever Television Academy Peer Circle Program, appeared on numerous Comic-Con and WonderCon panels and resides in Los Angeles with his photographer wife, Justine Ungaro. Together they owned 'Muse, Studio City', a creative home to photo, film and music video shoots, commercials, retail pop-ups, fundraisers and too many parties to count. Notable events included intimate concerts by Lisa Loeb, Letters To Cleo, Steve Kilby (The Church), Amanda Kramer (The Psychedelic Furs), Lou Barlow (Dinosaur Jr, Sebadoh), Tommy Stinson (The Replacements), Campfire Cassettes, Kay Hanley (Letters To Cleo), 'Rex Manning Day' featuring bands and actors from the film 'Empire Records', Olivia Sanabia (Just Add Magic), Alex Wassabi, David Poe, Joey Santiago (Pixies) and Danny Zucker & Timothy Simons (Veep) reading 'Trump Tweets'.
Fundraisers at 'Muse, Studio City' raised money for the Hurricane Harvey Relief, the Puerto Rico Hurricane, Music Cares, Cookies For Kids Cancer and Valley Community Fundraisers among many others. Classes offered included Calligraphy, Hair Braiding, Loom Weaving, The Art of Paper Flowers, and Watercolor Lettering.
In 2022, Justine and Gary moved 'Muse, Studio City' from its Ventura Blvd. location and launched three photo and film studios with stylish standing sets, including a storefront/ event space in Los Angeles all under the new name 'StuSpaceLA'.
Awards In 2015, Kordan was nominated for an Art Directors Guild Award for his work on Key & Peele. In 2016, he was nominated once again for Key & Peele and won. In 2016 Kordan was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on the final season of Key & Peele in addition to winning a Peabody Award. Gary was nominated for a 2022 Emmy Award for The Barbarian and the Troll for Outstanding Art Direction and most was most recently nominated for an Art Directors Guild Award and won a Webby Award for the Hulu stand-up special Atsuko Okatsuka: Father.
Filmography YearTitleNotes2025Atsuko Okatsuka: FatherProduction designer2023Miracle WorkersProduction designer2023The Prank PanelProduction designer2022Atsuko Okatsuka: The IntruderProduction designer2021The Barbarian and The TrollProduction designer2021KenanProduction designer2020Let's Go, Atsuko!Production designer2020Just Add Magic: Mystery CityProduction designer2019-2021Crank YankersProduction designer, Co-Producer 2019Comedy Central Roast: Alec BaldwinSegment Production designer2019The New NegroesProduction designer2019Weird CityProduction designer2017GhostedProduction designer2017Truth & IlizaProduction designer2017Downward DogProduction designer2017Nobodies Production designer2016Untitled Weeks/Mackay ProjectProduction designer2016Reggie Watts: SpatialProduction designer2016Kevin Hart: What Now?Production designer2016Time Traveling BongProduction designer2016Those Who Can'tProduction designer2016-20117TeachersProduction designer2016Idiot SitterProduction designer2015-2016Just Add MagicProduction designer2012-2015Key & PeeleProduction designer 2014-2016The Meltdown with Jonah and KumailProduction designer2013-2015@midnightProduction designer2015Salem RogersProduction designer2014Gettin' Some Strange with Kurt BraunohlerProduction designer2013-2014Quick DrawProduction designer2013-2014BetasProduction designer2014Patton Oswalt: Tragedy Plus Comedy Equals TimeProduction designer2009-2014Shark TankArt director2013Adam DeVine's House PartyProduction designer2011-2013WorkaholicsProduction designer2012MegawinnerProduction designer2012Workaholics: The Other CubicleProduction designer2011ShreddProduction designer2011Sports Show with Norm MacdonaldArt director2011JailBaitProduction designer2011The Boys and Girls Guide to Getting DownProduction designer2010AlabamaProduction designer2010Back NineProduction designer2010Savage LoveProduction designer2010Thintervention with Jackie WarnerProduction designer2010Instant RecallProduction designer2010Curb: The DiscussionProduction designer2010Untitled Burr and Hart ProjectProduction designer2009The LeagueProduction designer2009Dogg After DarkProduction designer2009Top Chef MastersArt director2008Chocolate NewsProduction Designer2008Man Stroke WomanProduction Designer2008Cheech & Chong: RoastedArt director2008Root of All EvilArt director2008The McCaingelsProduction Designer2008Scream QueensProduction designer2008 Dan's Detour to LifeProduction designer2008 Guinness World Records Live: Top 100Production designer2005-2008Mind of MenciaArt director / Production Designer2007TemptationArt director2007Talkshow with Spike FerestenArt director2006Number 1 SingleProducer / Co-Creator2006VIP PassportProduction Designer2003Shock Video 2004: Too Hot for the BoxProduction designer2003Joe MillionaireHost writer2003House of CluesProps department1999Door Knock DinnersProduction Designer1997The Rosie O'Donnell ShowTattoo artist1995Can We Shop?Set decorator1989-1993The Joan Rivers ShowProduction assistant
References
External links
Official Website Interview with Gary Kordan by Mannie Holmes on Variety Interview with Gary Kordan by Matthew Grobar on Deadline ‘Kenan’ production designer Gary Kordan on striving to ‘redefine the genre of comedy’ [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW] 'Kenan' Interview Production Designer Gary Kordan Moonlights as Venue Impresario With Wife Justine Ungaro