Garry Marshall has a plan for the next reality television show, which he shared with a packed audience in Fisk Hall on Monday afternoon: Celebrity Survivor.

“You put them in a room and take away their publicists, trainers and staff and see who doesn’t die,” joked Marshall, Medill ’56, during his address as part of the Crain Lecture Series.

More than 200 people laughed as Marshall, Medill ’56, walked around the stage telling jokes, waving his hands and pausing to pick on people who came in late or laughed too loudly.

Marshall, best known for directing television shows such as “Happy Days” and movies such as “Pretty Woman,” used the speech to promote his autobiography, “Wake Me When It’s Funny.”

He focused on the future of entertainment journalism, which he said has fallen prey in this country to meaningless celebrity gossip.

“I just feel maybe it’s a field no one cares about,” Marshall said.

Marshall balanced serious issues with light-hearted discussion. His anecdotes ranged from a story about freshman year at the Medill School of Journalism to an animated rendition of fighting with Donald Duck at Walt Disney World. He talked about giving a young Jennifer Lopez the advice he always tells actors who feel nervous in front of the camera: “You belong there.”

Marshall took a roundabout road to film and television.

“I was a sports editor for The Daily Northwestern – that’s when I went into comedy,” he said.

Joking aside, Marshall said his language skills have paid off in his job.

“Basically I’m a writer,” he said. “Everything I ever achieved was because I could write.”

Marshall said he takes scenes for his movies from his own life and the lives of his actors. But the most important part of the job is the desire he brings to his work, he said.

“Passion – whoever has the most passion wins,” he said.

During his career Marshall worked with many of his family members, who also were actors or directors. His sister, Penny Marshall, acted in his series “Laverne and Shirley.” Later, she directed him in “A League Of Their Own,” in which Marshall played the owner of a women’s baseball team.

As someone with experience both behind and in front of the camera, Marshall has a rounded perspective of the acting and film industry. He told a student interested in acting to build a career “toolbox” of accents and bit characters.

“(Directors) don’t care how scared you are – we just need you between ‘action’ and ‘cut,'” he said.

Marshall said bravery is a skill that everyone needs.

“You can die of drugs, you can die of alcohol and you can die of guns,” he said. “But no matter how much you hear, you can’t die of embarrassment.”

Charles Urban, who graduated from NU in 1957, said the man on stage was just like the man he knew in college.

“His humor was always available from the time that we were in school,” the 67-year-old said. “He hasn’t changed a minute.”

Urban’s son Karl, Kellogg ’92, said he enjoyed Marshall’s friendly tone and use of humor in his stories.

“He was a dynamic speaker,” said Karl Urban, a 36-year-old Chicago resident. “He injected a lot of knowledge about the industry peppered with a lot of anecdotes and humor to keep the audience interested.”

Speech senior Melissa Center said Marshall’s insight was helpful and his speech was enjoyable.

“He was very entertaining and had an interesting perspective on the media,” Center said.