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Donald Bellisario (left) makes a cameo appearance on a photograph on the show he created, NCIS.

Donald Paul Bellisario (born August 8, 1935) is an American television producer and scriptwriter. His current television project is NCIS with writer Don McGill.

Bellisario was born in Cokeburg, Pennsylvania. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1955 to 1959, attaining the rank of sergeant and earning the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal.

Bellisario earned a bachelors degree in journalism at Pennsylvania State University in 1961. In 2001 he was named a Distinguished Alumnus—the highest honor bestowed on a graduate of the University. In 2006, Bellisario endowed a $1 million Trustee Matching Scholarship in the Penn State College of Communications. He recalled:

Bellisario worked in advertising for fifteen years as a copywriter and a creative director. He began working in Lancaster, Pennsylvania before moving to a major agency in Dallas, Texas. From there, he made what he has described as his "big gamble": moving to Hollywood to pursue screenwriting and production.

After working under such television producers as Glen A. Larson and Stephen J. Cannell, Bellisario adopted some of their production techniques, most notably utilizing a small “pool” of actors which he uses for his many productions.

He has created several successful TV series, including Magnum, P.I., Tales of the Gold Monkey, Airwolf, Quantum Leap, JAG, and NCIS. Less-known creations include Tequila & Bonetti and First Monday. He was also writer/producer on Black Sheep Squadron and the original Battlestar Galactica. He wrote and directed on the 1988 feature film Last Rites.

A trademark motif can be found throughout most of Bellisario's work: the tendency for the protagonist to be a current or former member of the United States Armed Forces.^{[citation needed]} This obviously stems from Bellisario's own service in the United States Marine Corps. Examples are Thomas W. "Tom" Selleck's character in Magnum, P.I., who is a Vietnam veteran, United States Navy Commander Harmon “Harm” Rabb, Jr., the main character of JAG, and NCIS's main character Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Another connection all his main characters have are August 8th birthdays. Notably, the last episode of Quantum Leap takes place on Aug. 8th, Sam Beckett's birthday.

Bellisario was married to actress and producer Deborah Pratt, who starred in several of his shows. He currently resides in Studio City, California with his fourth wife, Vivienne. He has a son, Michael Bellisario, who had a recurring role as Midshipman Michael Roberts on the US military drama JAG and who also played Charles 'Chip' Sterling on NCIS. He also has a daughter, Troian Bellisario, who played Sarah McGee on NCIS; Sean Murray who plays Timothy McGee on the same series is his step-son.

• In 2004 Bellisario received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which he showed off on an episode of JAG.

• In an interview with Sci-Fi Channel in the late 1990s, Bellisario said he was inspired to create Quantum Leap in 1988 after reading a novel about time travel.

• His service alongside John F. Kennedy's accused assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was the basis for a 2-part episode of Quantum Leap. He refused to believe those who claimed that Oswald either did not act alone or was not even involved in the assassination.

• Sean Murray, who plays one of the main characters in Bellisario's NCIS show, is also Bellisario's step-son via his mother, Vivianne, who is Bellisario's fourth and current wife.

1. ^ http://live.psu.edu/index.php?sec=vs&story=19848

• Donald P. Bellisario at the Internet Movie Database

• Donald P. Bellisario at TV.com
• Bellisario's $1 million gift endows scholarships in College of Communications, October 5, 2006.