Larry Carpenter was born in Brockport, New York and developed an immediate affinity for entertainment, working as a stagehand and acting in plays put on by SUNY Brockport. While at Boston University College of Fine Arts, Carpenter honed his theatrical skills as an undergraduate director, set designer and actor. After spending several years as a director and actor at various theater festivals and repertory houses around the country, Carpenter moved to New York City and began directing on Broadway, most notably Lend Me a Tenor, and Starmites, which earned him a Tony Award nomination.
Wanting to expand his directorial reach, Carpenter transitioned into television with the help of an actor friend on the daytime serial, As the World Turns, where he began as an on-set observer before taking the reins of many episodes. This began a long career in the genre and he subsequently directed episodes of the soap operas Guiding Light and All My Children. Known for his work both in the studio and on location, Carpenter was hired on to ABC’s One Life to Live and General Hospital as a permanent fixture of the directing rotation. He has also directed several episodes of the television drama Hollywood Heights.
For his directorial efforts, Carpenter has been nominated for nine DGA Awards, winning four times for episodes of One Life to Live in 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2011. Carpenter has also been nominated for 11 Daytime Emmy Awards, winning three times, twice for One Life to Live in 2008 and 2009, and once for As the World Turns in 1993. Carpenter is a member and strong advocate of the DGA’s Political Action Committee, as well as the Executive Vice President of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.