Born in Brookline, MA, Gerald Berns grew up in Newton, MA. He is a graduate of Newton South High School and the University of Rhode Island where he was a starting catcher on the varsity baseball squad.

Earning a graduate J.D. from Boston University, soon after Mr. Berns became a resident actor with The Boston Repertory Theatre and for 6 years appeared in over 20 stage productions, starring in the world premieres of Harry Nilsson's musical, "The Point" - creating the role of "The Rockman" - and Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s "Player Piano" - creating the role of "Kroner".

As a theatre producer in Boston, Mr. Berns produced at the revered 500-seat Charles Playhouse a multi-week, sold-out performance of Viveca Lindfors in her acclaimed production of "I Am A Woman".

Mr. Berns has appeared in many television shows, commercials, and feature films. His character in "Beverly Hills Cop" was satirized in MAD Magazine. On stage in Los Angeles, Mr. Berns was seen in "Outward Bound", a production at the Hudson Backstage, and at Ojai's Theatre 150 in "True West" by Pulitzer-Prize-winning playwright Sam Shepard. Attending the play himself, Mr. Shepard commented that the production "was one of the best" he had seen of his play, and Mr. Berns' portrayal of the character SAUL, a Hollywood producers was "good, really good".

A screenwriter, Mr. Berns has had over 20 options of his screenplays and has been represented by the William Morris Agency, Paradigm, and the Irv Schechter Company. In 2015 and 2016, entering USA Film Festivals, four of his screenplays, two co-written, won over a dozen Film Festival Awards, including two years in a row Silver Awards at the Oregon International Film Awards. Most recently Mr. Berns has published his first novel "Thank You, Mr. Emerson" on Amazon.

Hollywood actor named Berns
Took a break to pursue deep concerns
In a book about Em-
Erson's take on them
But it does take some humorous turns.
- A Limerick from Garrison Keillor on Garrison Keillor and Friends

“An overly chatty but memorable and nuanced tale of transcendentalism.”
– Kirkus Reviews