Born in Montreal, in the same hospital and two weeks after his lifelong writing partner Glenn Davis, William Laurin was educated at Loyola College High School, Loyola College, and, briefly, at Queen's University. He spent more than ten years as a sketch comedian in the Canadian group The Maroons (which also included Davis and fellow television producers Phil Bedard and Larry Lalonde). He also worked in radio and politics, and was a professional musician for a number of years. Together with Glenn Davis he has sold more than thirty television pilots to clients such as NBC, CBS, Fox, USA, UPN, Lifetime, FX, A&E, WB, CTV, and Global, and has written or produced more than two hundred episodes of television, many of them with multiple awards and nominations. He is married to the actress and singer Lori Alter.