Edith Becker (born June 28, 1934) is an American film director, producer, and television director. She is best known for her work on the classic television shows All in the Family, Maude, and The Jeffersons, as well as for directing the feature film Private School.
Becker was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in the Bronx. She graduated from Hunter College in 1955, and in 1962 earned a MA in Television and Theater from New York University.
In the early 1960s, Becker worked as an assistant director for the soap operas As The World Turns and Love of Life. She then moved to Los Angeles, where she worked as a production assistant for The Red Skelton Show. Becker continued to work in television, directing episodes of such iconic shows as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, The Love Boat, and The Golden Girls.
In 1983, Becker wrote and directed the feature film Private School, a teen-oriented comedy starring Phoebe Cates, Matthew Modine, and Betsy Russell. The film was a box office success and has since become a cult classic.
In the 1990s, Becker directed episodes of the hit sitcoms The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Living Single, and Seinfeld. She also wrote and directed the 1997 television movie The Perfect Mother, starring JoBeth Williams.
Becker has won several awards in her career, including an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for her work on the All in the Family episode “Mike and Gloria's Wedding”. She is a member of the Directors Guild of America and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Throughout her career, Becker has been a strong advocate for women behind the camera. She has served on the board of directors of Women in Film, and has been a mentor to many female directors, writers, and producers.
Becker is currently retired and lives in Los Angeles. She is the mother of two sons, one of whom is a Hollywood film and television director.
