George Meyer
George Meyer (born 1956) is an American television writer and producer best known for his work on The Simpsons. He served as a scriptwriter and gag writer and led the show’s rewrite room for much of its early years. He wrote episodes such as "Homer the Heretic" and "Bart’s Inner Child," and is credited with shaping the show’s sense of humor.
Meyer grew up in Tucson, Arizona, as the eldest of eight children in a Catholic family with German roots. He was born in Pennsylvania and his parents worked in real estate. He attended Harvard University, where he became president of the Harvard Lampoon and earned a biochemistry degree in 1978. Although he considered medical school, he decided to pursue comedy instead. He once moved to Denver to try dog racing but ran out of money after two weeks. He also held various jobs and even appeared on Jeopardy!, winning $2,000.
After college, Meyer moved to New York and, on the recommendation of Lampoon collaborators, joined David Letterman’s late-night show as a writer in 1981. He left Letterman after two seasons and wrote for The New Show, Not Necessarily the News, and Saturday Night Live. He later moved to Boulder, Colorado, where he drafted a screenplay and started a humor magazine called Army Man. The magazine gained a following and helped him get hired by The Simpsons in 1989, thanks to producer Sam Simon.
On The Simpsons, Meyer held several roles and became a key member of the writing staff and the rewrite room. He helped push the show’s comedic sensibility and was promoted to producer in the second season. He left The Simpsons briefly in 1995 to pursue other projects but returned the next season and continued to contribute. In 2001 his workload was reduced, and he left the show in 2005, with his final credits appearing in season 17. He co-wrote The Simpsons Movie in 2007.
Meyer has won and been nominated for multiple Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on The Simpsons, Late Night with David Letterman, and Saturday Night Live. He and writer Maria Semple, his partner, have a daughter named Poppy Valentina (born 2003). The family has lived in Seattle. Poppy’s name honored Valentina Tereshkova. Meyer is known for his sharp humor, interest in the environment, and eclectic hobbies like collecting space memorabilia and practicing yoga. He is a fan of the Grateful Dead and has a sister, Ann, who is married to fellow Simpsons writer Jon Vitti. A moss frog species discovered in 2005 was named Philautus poppiae in honor of his daughter.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 17:09 (CET).