Marty Nadler, a comic and TV writer-producer whose four-decade partnership with Garry Marshall helped shape the sound of American sitcom comedy, died August 26 in Margate, Florida. He was 80. His son, Charlie Nadler, said the cause was complications from myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disorder that weakens voluntary muscles.
Nadler grew up in the Bronx and discovered stand-up as a theater major at Ithaca College. After a run in New York clubs and a stint in Cincinnati radio, he headed west in the 1970s and fell in with Marshall, a fellow Bronx native who recognized a gift for jokes that went beyond the stage. Marshall put him to work as a script consultant on “Happy Days” during its early seasons, then promoted him to executive script consultant on its spinoff “Laverne & Shirley.” Nadler also contributed to “The Odd Couple” and served as lead writer on lesser-known Marshall sitcoms “Who’s Watching the Kids” and “Blansky’s Beauties,” often doubling as the warm-up comic who kept studio audiences loose before tapings.
The collaboration extended to film. Nadler punched up jokes on nine Marshall movies, including “Pretty Woman” and “Runaway Bride,” both starring Julia Roberts, and “Mother’s Day,” the director’s final credit. Marshall considered him a good-luck charm and rewarded him with small on-screen cameos in each one.
Nadler’s comedy carried into his family life. His son Charlie followed him into stand-up, and the two recently taped a joint act at the Garry Marshall Theatre in Los Angeles, titled “A Boomer & a Millennial Walk Into a Special.” Comedy Dynamics plans to release it in early 2027; it turned out to be the pair’s last performance together.
He is survived by his ex-wife, Mascott, with whom he remained close after their divorce, his son Charlie, and daughter-in-law Cary Kandel. Celebrations of his life are planned in multiple cities, details to be announced. His family has asked that donations be directed to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation in his memory.
