Twins Lawrence and Allan Rich Discuss 'After Forever' Emmy Nomination

Twins Allan Rich and Sag Harborite Lawrence Rich share a bond that most siblings wish they had—they talk on the phone daily, consult with each other for advice on big decisions and even get nominated for a 2020 Daytime Emmy Award together.

In 2018, Allan—an Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe–nominated songwriter—was invited to a screening of Amazon Prime series After Forever by his friend Kevin Spirtas, the show’s executive producer, writer and star. In roughly 10-minute episodes, the show tells the story of Brian (Spirtas) and Jason (Mitchell Anderson), a 50-ish New York City couple whose “forever” is cut short when Jason unexpectedly dies, leaving Brian to negotiate his grief and find his place as a single gay man of a certain age. Allan was so blown away by the first season that he was eager to invest in the second and wanted to do it with his brother, Lawrence—a New York City real estate broker. “I loved [After Forever] so much that I wanted to get involved! Plus, I love my brother that much,” Allan says. “My brother’s really ‘showbizzy’ too—he can write songs, he can sing, he can do a lot of different things—so I wanted to do something with him to share the experience.” They joined season two as co-executive producers and are already onboard for season three. Lawrence also appeared as an extra in season two, episode five.

After Forever’s first season received eight Emmy nominations, claiming five of them. Season two has been nominated for six awards, including Outstanding Digital Drama Series, which the Rich twins and their fellow producers will receive trophies for if they win. “Would I love for us to win?” Allan asks. “I’m more excited for my brother than for myself. I would love for my brother to have a trophy on the mantle and know that I had something to do with us making it happen.” Lawrence adds, “The thrill of it is really doing it together. I have no aspirations. Of course, it would be a dream, but, for me, to be nominated is quite something.” The winners will be announced during the 47th Daytime Emmy Awards airing Friday, June 26 at 8 p.m. on CBS, with recipients and special guests appearing from home due to the pandemic. Season two also received 10 Indie Series Award nominations, and the winners will be announced at a virtual ceremony tonight, June 18.

Growing up on the border of Queens and Nassau County, the Rich twins were almost inseparable for most of their adolescence. “Allan and I have been very very close, from inception to now,” Lawrence says. They fondly remember their parents dressing them up and sending them from classroom to classroom performing song and dance routines in grade school. Their first taste of setting off on their own came in high school, when Allan began attending an exclusive NY Television and Theatre workshop at Lincoln Center, while Lawrence went to art school at the Brooklyn Museum.

Continuing on their separate journeys, Lawrence went to the Pratt Institute and eventually opened his own fashion company, Rich and Levy, which clothed the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Nancy Reagan, Joan Collins, Michelle Lee and other high-profile women. After running the company for over 20 years, he built two East Hampton homes, keeping one and selling the other. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, and friends began asking him to take a look at their prospective homes before purchasing. He resolved to get his real estate license and joined Douglas Elliman in 2004, working there for 11 years before moving to Compass and, finally, to the Corcoran Group, where he works now. “My proudest moment came [in 2009] when I had a buyer who…started out wanting to buy a $3 million apartment, and I ended up selling him a $14 million apartment,” Lawrence recalls. “And this was at a time when if you bought a $3 million apartment, that was a lot!” While not in the music industry like his brother, Lawrence continues to hone his voice, recently performing at the closing ceremony of the Turtle Bay Music School in January. “Whenever there’s something that has a little bit to do with show business, I try to squeeze myself in,” he adds, chuckling.

While Lawrence sought success on the East Coast, Allan hoped to find it on the West Coast. With years of voice, dance and acting lessons under his belt—as well as theater tours, concerts and a published song, “I’ll Be Glad to Grow Old with You”—he moved to Los Angeles in 1990. Starting out waiting tables and selling shoes, he was discovered by producer Howie Rice, who opened the door for him to write songs for Patti LaBelle, Gladys Night and Barry Manilow. Allan, often alongside writing partner Jud Friedman, has since written songs for Barbra Streisand, Tina Turner, NSYNC, James Ingram, Dolly Parton and Natalie Cole. Together, they wrote multi–award nominated movie soundtrack hits including “Run to You,” performed by Whitney Houston for The Bodyguard and “For the First Time,” sung by Kenny Loggins for One Fine Day. When reflecting on his impressive career and numerous award nominations Allan notes his proudest moment of all was being admitted into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Lawrence and Allan have both achieved great success in their individual lives, and now, with After Forever, they’ve helped produce a powerful series that has already proven its success and may result in their first Emmy Award, which will stand as a tangible testament to their inspiring brotherly love.