Pivotal ‘MSCL’ Director Mark Piznarski Has Died

A scene from the "messier" MSCL episode, "Betrayal," directed by Mark Piznarski.

I had only just finished proofing the chapter of So Beautiful It Hurts: The Making of My So-Called Life on Mark Piznarski’s episode, “Betrayal,” when I came across news of his passing. 

Actually, I only came across this news this morning, and I finished working on the “Betrayal” chapter two days ago, but my first version would’ve made a better, more poignant story. And this is really what I remember most from my only discussion with Mark: the smoother a story seems, the less interesting it is. Life…and ‘Life’… are rarely that smooth. 

As someone who got his break shooting jeans commercials, he knew the grainier something is, the more rough edges it has, the better. 

After shooting the episode “Pressure” he came away feeling like it was a fine episode, but he wanted to do something “messier.” 

That messier episode was “Betrayal.”

If this sounds like meaningless babbling on my part it’s probably because it is – Mark’s passing has left me upset, and I’m not sure why. 

From a strictly MSCL point of view, he was, alongside Scott Winant, the director most responsible for the show’s unique vibe. He directed four fan favorites, including “Why Jordan Can’t Read” and “Halloween” (in addition to the aforementioned “Betrayal” and “Pressure”). 

When we spoke, he also seemed to fluctuate between addressing his career with a kind of Hollywood swagger on one hand, but also a readiness to admit that a lot of his time in the beginning was spent hoping that everything would somehow work out in the end. It did. 

Perhaps what really bothers me now is something very selfish. 

Last August, I sent him a rough draft of the book to review, and reached out again last September. 

Mark: “Quickly read it last night and I have some thoughts that are kind of general. I’ll take another read and maybe we can have a quick talk over the phone.”

I suggested some days/times to talk. 

Mark: “Sorry it’s taken a bit for me to get back to you. It’s a little last minute but do you have any time tomorrow 9/15?”

Me: “Thanks for getting back to me. I’m afraid tomorrow is a bit tight – the only availability I have is 12-1 PT. Tuesday and Wednesday (9/16-17), I’m fairly wide open: 6 am PT - 1pm PT. If another day/time looks better for you, please feel free to let me know.”

I never heard back from him, and I see no evidence that I reminded him later on.

My guess is that I got sidetracked by life and allowed this to slip off my radar, thinking if he really wanted to talk, he’d reply. 

Mark Pizarski died on April 4th of this year; his passing only came to light in the last few days in the “In Memoriam” section of the latest DGA Monthly magazine, according The Hollywood Reporter.

He is the second MSCL director to pass away; Victor Du Bois (”The Zit”) died last July. 

I do not know what to do with any of this. 

Maybe I should just leave you with the voice of the man, talking about his work on “Why Jordan Can’t Read”. (The following comes from that chapter of the book.)

“People just loved my lighting [on commercials], and they said, ‘This is so gutsy. No one does this.’ Well, the reason is I just put them by a window because I didn’t know how to light stuff, really. I’d say, ‘We’ve got to shoot this in a loft.’ Every TV commercial I got: ‘You know what? This would be good in a loft.’” 

Since he came from commercials, Piznarski “didn’t get any lessons in ‘this is what we do’” when shooting for television, he says. “I did watch Scott Winant work before me. But I went in there and just kind of did my thing. 

“After the second or third day of dailies, [executive producer Ed Zwick] called me into his office, and he said, ‘Mark, you’re kinda scaring the shit out of me, but I’m loving what you’re doing, so keep it up.’ 

“That sort of epitomizes Ed. There he is; it’s his ass on the line. Then here’s a guy who’s never ever directed a television show before doing it completely unconventionally, and Ed says, ‘Go with my blessing.’ That takes a lot of guts and a lot of faith. He knows what it’s like to spread your wings and fly. He gave us all the opportunity to do that.” 

So Beautiful it Hurts: The Making of My So-Called Life’ is neither endorsed by nor affiliated with ABC, The Bedford Falls Co., nor anyone involved with the making or distribution of “My So-Called Life.”