Although bitten by the theater bug at 13 when he saw Mary Martin on Broadway in The Sound Of Music, it wasn’t until Don Roy King immersed himself in theater at Pennsylvania State University that he majored in broadcast. During his senior year he took a TV production course and discovered his innate ability to direct. His interest in television production was further cemented during a 10-week summer internship at KDKA-TV. After graduating, King spent a few years working at independently owned and operated stations throughout the country, including KGSC-TV, WNEW-TV, WCBS-TV, and KYW-TV. Deciding to move back to New York City, he found work at ABC’s Good Morning America, directing the morning news program for 7 years.
King has a diverse body of work, including talk shows (The David Susskind Show, The Mike Douglas Show, The View, The Howard Stern Show); news (CBS This Morning, CBS The Early Show, CBS News); variety (Comedy Tonight, Christmas in Rockefeller Center, Criss Angel Mindfreak); musicals and stage plays for broadcast in theaters (Jekyll & Hyde (2001), Smokey Joe’s Café (2002), Memphis (2011)); and reality programing (Survivor, Judge Lopez).
In 2006, King was hired by Lorne Michaels to direct Saturday Night Live, making him one of only four directors to have directed the show since 1975. For his work on SNL, he has received 10 Emmy Award nominations, with six wins; and 10 DGA Award nominations, with two wins. He has also received Emmy nominations for The Mike Douglas Show, Kids Are People, Too, and America Alive!, with one win for The Mike Douglas Show: Mike in Hollywood with Ray Charles and Michel Legrand. King has been a member of the Guild since 1972.