Jud Taylor began his career as an actor in the 1956 feature film, Attack, directed by Robert Aldrich. He later performed in the television series Gunsmoke, Dr. Kildare, and The Fugitive before transitioning into directing with two episodes of Dr. Kildare. He continued to work in episodic series like The Fugitive, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Star Trek, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Taylor directed over 40 made for television movies, including Tail Gunner Joe (1977), The Last Tenant (1978), Flesh & Blood (1979), A Question of Honor (1982), Out of the Darkness (1985), Foxfire (1987), The Old Man and the Sea (1990), and Clover (1997). For his work on Tail Gunner Joe, Taylor received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Directing in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy. 1987’s Foxfire earned Taylor a Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Specials.
Jud Taylor served as President of the Directors Guild of America from 1981-1983. He was first elected to the National Board in 1975, also serving as Vice President from 1979-1981. Between 1974 and 1994, he served on the Western Directors Council as an Alternate for four terms and as a Council Member for two terms. He was a member of four Negotiating Committees, serving as Chair in 1981 and 1990, and was a longtime Trustee of the Directors Guild Foundation. In 2003, Jud Taylor received the Robert B. Aldrich Award for his extraordinary service to the Guild, an award named after the director who cast him in his first movie role.
Taylor passed away in August 2008.