By the age of 19, Guy Shalem had established himself as an award-winning commercial and music video director in Haifa, Israel, where he was born and raised. With aspirations to take on Hollywood, he moved to Los Angeles and spent the next eight years working as an editor. His first break in America came when he was hired to direct a reality pilot presentation for Buena Vista called “Aphrodite Jones Investigates” leading to a first-look deal with Disney.

Inspired by the work of Christopher Guest, Larry David, Woody Allen and even Reno 911, Guy developed a trademark semi-scripted directing style creating his niche in the new world of "improvised" comedies. This daring sensibility served him well during his two-year deal with FOXLAB, creating original pilots for Fox and other networks. Shalem then moved to Fox Television Studios for another two-year deal.

By 2006, he had written and directed several half-hour comedy pilots and presentations: With a Bullet for VH-1, Life of Leisure for ABC, and The Roxy for NBC. That same year, Guy produced and directed the feature film “Cook-Off!” co-written and starring Wendi Mclendon-Covey (“Bridesmaids”), which premiered at the Aspen Comedy Film Festival and created the cult comedy hit “Lovespring International” for Lifetime, starring Jane Lynch in her first TV leading role.

No stranger to reality television, Guy directed several reality pilots and served as Supervising Producer on the shows “God or the Girl” and “Instant Beauty Pageant” nominated for a Daytime Emmy. In 2009, Guy created REX, a spec pilot that became a viral video sensation, starring Simon Rex, Paris Hilton, Jamie Presley, Victor Garber, Geoffrey Arend, Brian Huskey and Lance Bass.

In 2010, “Callbacks”, a pilot about stage parents starring Michael McDonald, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Eric McCormack and Jane Lynch. As a gift to long time friend and mentor Jane Lynch, Guy presented his short film at Outfest in 2010 entitled “Gay Shark Tank.”

In 2012, Shalem had the honor of directing Betty White in her new NBC show “Off Their Rockers” and developed two pilots with Be True Productions and Prospect Park. His recently completed comedy pilot “Family Style” featuring the all-star cast: Mary Lynn Rajskub, Jonathan Silverman, Jaime Ray Newman, Jenny O'Hara and Michael Gross.

Guy is currently working on a new pilot, a feature film about the Wright brothers which has been optioned by Anonymous Content, and a short produced by Bryan Singer and Jane Lynch.

“After forming my production company, the first person we got into business with, literally, was Guy Shalem. I haven't met many people with his balance of drive and skill. He's as collaborative as he is creative, and equally adept with cameras and actors (and that's rare). He's a brilliant comedy director (see our Lovespring International) yet always insisted that it wasn't funny if it wasn't real. And as an editor, he often created funny where there was none (and saved our asses!). I recommend Guy Shalem at the top of my lungs… unless I need him, then you can't have him.”

— Eric McCormack, Will & Grace

“Guy Shalem is a creative force of nature. A director with a writer's instincts. An editor with a keen understanding of directing. In short, a triple threat. Add to that his incredible sense of timing and amazing kinship for working with on-screen talent, and he is quite simply the most valuable player on any film or TV project.”

— Kevin Beggs, President, Production and Programming, Lions Gate Television

“Guy wears so many hats so well, it's kind of hard to decide which one looks best on him. Whether as producer, director or writer — and I've worked with him as all three — he brings such an easygoing and upbeat attitude to the job at hand that you almost don't notice how much good work he's getting done. He's got very clear ideas on what makes good comedy, and more than the necessary tools to bring those ideas home. He is a really talented Guy; hell, he'd even make a good Richard.”

— Richard Day, Writer/Showrunner, Arrested Development

“Guy and I had the pleasure of co-creating Lovespring International, a half-hour comedy shot in the Larry David Curb Your Enthusiasm vein. His story sense and ability to work with actors were nothing short of amazing. His direction of those episodes showed both a dramatic and comedic intuitive flair that went well beyond his years of experience. Had he been available for some of the scripted shows I worked on (Roseanne, The Larry Sanders Show, NewsRadio) we would've hired him without hesitation. I'm blowing no smoke when I tell you that he's truly one of the most talented and innovative directors in this town.”

— Brad Isaacs, Writer/Showrunner, Roseanne, Larry Sanders

“Guy Shalem, writer / director / editor, captures all of life's unseen moments in whatever he shoots. Whether it is the awkwardness between characters, or the subtle sexuality that oozes beneath, his camera is always finding the essence. Guy is an incredible filmmaker who creates hilarious characters in his imaginative comedies. His stories are familiar, relatable but funny and fresh, and his direction finds the most comedic moments that make you laugh and blush. Guy has an innate sense of drama, and his characters are complex and deep, and both his writing and his ability to find the actors' best performances is so obvious in his work. Guy is wonderfully talented and a true auteur.”

— Nina Lederman, Senior Vice President, Series Programming and Development Lifetime Networks.

“From the first moment that I saw Guy's reel, I was amazed and impressed by his ability to create a reality where none existed. Working with him on a pilot presentation was a pleasure. The actors loved him and when it came time to edit the footage, Guy's speed and his ability to capture the rhythm of the piece in the first cut was astonishing. There wasn't anything to correct or change — I only wish I had him on everything I write and produce.”

— Sally Robinson, Writer/Showrunner, Dirt

"In a business where 'no' and 'can't do' are everyday hurdles, Guy is that most important positive force to keep your project moving forward. It isn't simply that he's a good collaborator; he draws out the best from his actors, the writers, the producers and execs -- hell, from his entire crew. In the writers' room, in editing and on the set, Guy creates an atmosphere where there are no bad ideas, only pitches that lead to a consensus that we're all doing the absolute best work we can do. I've spent 20 years getting to a place where I only want to do projects I love, with people I can't wait to get up and work with. I'd say 'yes' and 'can do' to Guy Shalem again in a heartbeat."

— Don Woodard, Writer/Showrunner, Just Shoot Me