Berlanti was born in Rye, New York. He described his early life in an August 2004 interview with Entertainment Weekly: "We were Italians in a town of WASPs" and his family was not "doing as well as 90% of the community."
Berlanti is openly gay.
Berlanti studied writing at Northwestern University and participated in many activities including Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He was a writer and producer on Dawson's Creek and its short-lived spin-off Young Americans. He is best known as being the creator, executive producer, and showrunner of Everwood. He also co-created the short-lived series Jack & Bobby.
Berlanti also wrote and directed the film Broken Hearts Club, about young gay friends in West Hollywood which he based on his own circle of friends at the time.
In August 2006, Berlanti announced a new deal with Touchstone Television and ABC to create new pilots. In conjunction with the announcement, Berlanti announced a parting of the ways with longtime creative partner Mickey Liddell. At the same time, news surfaced that Berlanti was acting as a consultant for the new ABC series Brothers & Sisters. The previous executive producer, Marti Noxon, had left the show after conflict with creator Jon Robin Baitz. Berlanti now serves as an executive producer for the series.
Berlanti is also executive producer of Dirty Sexy Money which debuted on ABC on September 26, 2007.
With Marc Guggenheim, Berlanti is the co-writer of Eli Stone, a television pilot for ABC which debuted as a mid-season replacement in 2008. Berlanti also serves as executive producer. Berlanti was instrumental in the pilot's promotion of the theory that a mercury-based vaccine preservative causes autism. This theory is not supported by scientific evidence, but has contributed to decreased vaccination rates that endanger children. Berlanti expressed no qualms about the pilot and defended it before it aired.
Berlanti will be a writer/director for the upcoming 2010 film, Green Lantern.
