Born and raised in Melrose Park, Illinois, Gail Mancuso had a lot of creative exposure growing up, but never considered working in the industry until her college years. For her undergraduate education, she moved to Los Angeles to study economics at California State University, Northridge at Courtney B. Conte’s encouragement. But her entry into the entertainment industry came by chance, where when waiting in line to see an acquaintance’s appearance on The Dating Game, she managed to secure a position as a Page. From there, she graduated to a Production Assistant role, where she worked on such shows as Square Pegs and The Toni Tennille Show. Later she would work as a PA in commercial productions for Dick Darley, and under his mentorship received invaluable hands-on experience throughout the process of production. Through fortunate timing, she successfully sought out a position as a Script Supervisor on Showtime’s Brothers, where she would observe how the many Directors worked. On Brothers, Mancuso met Director John Pasquin, a mentor who would offer her an Associate Director position on Raising Miranda. Once John moved on to directing Roseanne, Mancuso would join him, and it was there where she was given her first opportunity to Direct, jumpstarting a career directing episodic television.
Gail Mancuso has directed over four hundred television episodes, including Modern Family, 30 Rock, Friends, Gilmore Girls, The Nanny, Ellen, Dharma & Greg, Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place, Reba, Scrubs, Rules of Engagement, Fresh Off the Boat, Black-ish, The Conners, and most recently, Not Dead Yet. As a Producer-Director, she has helmed Ground Floor, The Big Leap and That ‘90s Show. In 2019, Mancuso made her feature directorial debut with A Dog’s Journey.
For her directorial efforts, Mancuso has received three DGA Awards nominations for her work on Modern Family, along with four Primetime Emmy Awards nominations, with two wins.
Mancuso has served on the Guild’s Western Directors Council and Negotiating Committee. She has been a member since 1988.