Writers of the Breaking Bad Universe
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- Writer
- Director
George Vincent Gilligan Jr. (born February 10, 1967) is an American writer, producer, and director. He is known for his television work, specifically as creator, head writer, executive producer, and director of Breaking Bad and its spin-off Better Call Saul. He was a writer and producer for The X-Files and was the co-creator of its spin-off The Lone Gunmen.
Both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul have received widespread critical acclaim, with Gilligan winning two Primetime Emmy Awards, six Writers Guild of America Awards, two Critics' Choice Television Awards and Producers Guild of America Awards, one Directors Guild of America Award and a BAFTA. Outside of television, he co-wrote the screenplay for the 2008 film Hancock.
Gilligan was born in Richmond, Virginia, the son of Gail, a grade school teacher, and George Vincent Gilligan Sr., an insurance claims adjuster. His parents divorced in 1974 and he and his younger brother, Patrick, were raised in Farmville and Chesterfield County, and attended the laboratory school run by Longwood College. Growing up, Gilligan became best friends with future film editor and film title designer Angus Wall. His interest in film began when Wall's mother, Jackie, who also taught alongside Gilligan's mother, would lend her Super 8 film cameras to him. He used the camera to make science fiction films with Patrick. One of his first films was entitled Space Wreck, starring his brother in the lead role. One year later, he won first prize for his age group in a film competition at the University of Virginia.
Jackie would take Wall and Gilligan to Richmond and drop them off at Cloverleaf Mall to see films, and encourage both of them to pursue a career in the arts. "I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for Jackie. She was a wonderful lady and a real inspiration," he recalls. Gilligan was recognized for his talents and creativity at an early age. George Sr. described him as a "kind of a studious-type young man, and he liked to read, and he had a vivid imagination". He introduced Gilligan to film noir classics, as well as John Wayne and Clint Eastwood Westerns on late-night television. Gilligan won a scholarship to attend the prestigious Interlochen Center for the Arts. After eighth grade, he moved back to Chesterfield to attend high school.
After graduating from Lloyd C. Bird High School in 1985, Gilligan went on to attend NYU's Tisch School of the Arts on a scholarship, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in film production. While at NYU, he wrote the screenplay for Home Fries; Gilligan received the Virginia Governor's Screenwriting Award in 1989 for the screenplay, which was later turned into a film. One of the judges of the competition was Mark Johnson, a film producer. He was impressed by Gilligan, saying he "was the most imaginative writer I'd ever read".Breaking Bad: 1.1 Pilot (2008) 1.2 Cat's in the Bag... (2008) 1.3 ...And the Bag's in the River (2008) 1.4 Cancer Man (2008)
Minisode: Marie's Confession (2009)
2.6 Peekaboo (2009) (with J. Roberts) 2.13 ABQ (2009) 3.1 No Más (2010) 3.13 Full Measure (2010) 4.1 Box Cutter (2011) 4.13 Face Off (2011) 5.1 Live Free or Die (2012) 5.2 Madrigal (2012) 5.16 Felina (2013) Feature: El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)
Better Call Saul: 1.1 Uno (2015) (with Peter Gould) 2.10 Klick (2016) (with Marion Dayre) 3.1 Mabel (2017) (with Peter Gould) 6.12 Waterworks (2022)- Producer
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Writer/Director Peter Gould was born and raised in the Chelsea neighborhood of Lower Manhattan where he was expelled from a number of tony, non-conformist private schools. After graduating with a B.A. in English from Sarah Lawrence College, Peter became a fixture on the New York Indie scene, working in every conceivable job on films ranging from the retro punk angst of Scott and Beth B. to the joyous exploitation of Troma ("The Toxic Avenger"). Finally landing in the semi-respectable world of television commercials, Peter quickly decided that he wanted to make films of his own. Moving west to the USC Graduate Production program, Peter devoted himself to writing and directing. Peter's memories of unhappy prep school experiences, Luis Buñuel movies and an abiding interest in women's feet percolated through his unconscious: the result was the short film script DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS. DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS is the story of a self-hating foot-fetishist who works as a department store trainee. The hero is forced to confront his worst fears and his greatest desires when he's assigned to ladies' shoes. Clearly, this was a film that Peter was destined to make since one of his earliest memories is of spying on his first grade teacher's toes during reading circle. Needless to say, Peter was kicked out of second grade. Through blood, sweat and some clever political maneuvering, Peter managed to get the unusual film concept past a skeptical USC faculty committee and selected out of a pool of several hundred scripts to be one of the year's major graduate productions. Peter was also granted the then-rare privilege of directing his own script. The finished film garnered a shelf-full of awards including the Nissan Focus Award and the Cine Golden Eagle. Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times wrote that DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS "...displays a delicious sense of dark humor... painfully funny!" Peter and his film were selected to represent the university at the CILECT Film Festival in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, where the film won the Audience Award and was given the unique privilege of being both screened on Czech television and satirized in other student films. Additionally, Dirty Little Secrets won the Hiroshima International Film Festival and was featured on Entertainment Tonight. In the wake of all this attention, Peter was now officially "flavor of the month", complete with dueling talent agencies competing to represent him and an appearance in PREMIERE magazine. Peter was deluged with every low-budget low-concept T & A script in Hollywood. Dissatisfied with the quality of the material, Peter returned to screenwriting, turning out a series of highly-regarded, eccentric scripts. Peter's credits as a screenwriter include DOUBLE DRAGON, a $20 million action film that set off the video-game movie trend. He has also directed music videos and wrote and directed a best-selling home video for children. For the past five years, he has taught film production in the prestigious Peter Stark Producing Program at the U.S.C. School of Cinema-Television. He has also taught at the Art Center in Pasadena. Currently, Peter is preparing to direct his first feature film, a dark, quirky comedy that is scheduled to shoot in early 1997.Breaking Bad: 1.7 A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal (2008) 2.3 Bit by a Dead Bee (2009) 2.8 Better Call Saul (2009) 3.2 Caballo sin Nombre (2010) 3.9 Kafkaesque (2010) (with George Mastras) 3.12 Half Measures (2010) (with Sam Catlin) 4.7 Problem Dog (2011) 4.10 Salud (2011) (with Gennifer Hutchison) 5.3 Hazard Pay (2012) 5.9 Blood Money (2013) 5.15 Granite State (2013)
Better Call Saul: 1.1 Uno (2015) (with Vince Gilligan) 1.2 Mijo (2015) 1.10 Marco (2015) 2.9 Nailed (2016) 3.1 Mabel (2017) (with Vince Gilligan) 4.1 Smoke (2018) 4.10 Winner (2018) (with Thomas Schnauz) 5.1 Magic Man (2020) 5.10 Something Unforgivable (2020) (with Ariel Levine) 6.1 Wine and Roses (2022) 6.13 Saul Gone (2022)- Additional Crew
- Writer
- Producer
Patty Lin is a writer and producer known for Freaks and Geeks (1999), Friends (1994), Desperate Housewives (2004), and Breaking Bad (2008). She has also written pilots for Fox, CBS, and Nickelodeon. Her Breaking Bad episode, "Gray Matter," was nominated for a Writers Guild Award. She retired from TV writing in 2009 and is the author of End Credits: How I Broke Up with Hollywood (2023).Breaking Bad: 1.5 Gray Matter (2008)- Additional Crew
- Script and Continuity Department
- Writer
Breaking Bad:
Minisode: Wedding Day (2009)- Producer
- Writer
- Director
John Shiban began his career with The X Files as a staff writer in its third season. After receiving a B.A. in English Literature from the University of California, Los Angeles Mr. Shiban earned his M.F.A. in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute. While at AFI, Shiban was chosen as the institute's candidate for the Paramount Fellowship and was also honored with the Mary Pickford Scholarship for writing.Breaking Bad: 2.7 Negro y Azul (2009) 2.12 Phoenix (2009) 3.6 Sunset (2010) 3.11 Abiquiu (2010) (with Thomas Schnauz)- Producer
- Writer
- Actress
Better Call Saul: 4.7 Something Stupid (2018) 5.2 50% Off (2020) 5.7 JMM (2020) 6.5 Black and Blue (2022) 6.10 Nippy (2022)- Producer
- Writer
- Actress
Moira Walley-Beckett is known for Breaking Bad (2008), Anne with an E (2017) and Flesh and Bone (2015).Breaking Bad: 2.5 Breakage (2009) 2.10 Over (2009) 3.5 Más (2010) 3.10 Fly (2010) (with Sam Catlin) 4.4 Bullet Points (2011) 4.9 Bug (2011) (with Thomas Schnauz) 4.12 End Times (2011) (with Thomas Schnauz) 5.8 Gliding Over All (2012) 5.14 Ozymandias (2013)- Producer
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Sam Catlin is known for Breaking Bad (2008), Preacher (2016) and Sugar (2024). He is married to Julie Dretzin.Breaking Bad: 2.4 Down (2009) 2.9 4 Days Out (2009) 3.4 Green Light (2010) 3.10 Fly (2010) (with Moira Walley-Beckett) 3.12 Half Measures (2010) (with Peter Gould) 4.3 Open House (2011) 4.8 Hermanos (2011) (with George Mastras) 4.11 Crawl Space (2011) (with George Mastras) 5.4 Fifty-One (2012) 5.12 Rabid Dog (2013)- Producer
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Thomas Schnauz was born on 2 December 1966 in Kearny, New Jersey, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for Breaking Bad (2008), Better Call Saul (2015) and Reaper (2007).Breaking Bad: 3.7 One Minute (2010) 3.11 Abiquiu (2010) (with John Shiban) 4.5 Shotgun (2011) 4.9 Bug (2011) (with Moira Walley-Beckett) 4.12 End Times (2011) (with Moira Walley-Beckett) 5.7 Say My Name (2012) 5.10 Buried (2013)
Better Call Saul: 1.3 Nacho (2015) 1.9 Pimento (2015) 2.1 Switch (2016) 2.8 Fifi (2016) 3.2 Witness (2017) 3.7 Expenses (2017) 4.2 Breathe (2018) 4.10 Winner (2018) (with Peter Gould) 5.6 Wexler v. Goodman (2020) 5.9 Bad Choice Road (2020) 6.2 Carrot and Stick (2022) (with Ariel Levine) 6.7 Plan and Execution (2022) 6.11 Breaking Bad (2022)- Additional Crew
- Producer
- Script and Continuity Department
Gennifer Hutchison was born on 19 July 1977 in Concord, Massachusetts, USA. She is a producer, known for Breaking Bad (2008), Better Call Saul (2015) and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022).Breaking Bad:
Minisodes: TwaüghtHammër (2009), The Break In (2009) 3.8 I See You (2010) 4.6 Cornered (2011) 4.10 Salud (2011) (with Peter Gould) 5.6 Buyout (2012) 5.11 Confessions (2013)
Better Call Saul: 1.4 Hero (2015) 1.7 Bingo (2015) 2.2 Cobbler (2016) 2.6 Bali Ha'i (2016) 3.3 Sunk Costs (2017) 3.10 Lantern (2017) 4.6 Piñata (2018) 4.9 Wiedersehen (2018)- Producer
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Glatzer is a writer/producer for such shows as Succession (HBO), Better Call Saul (AMC), Bloodline (Netflix) and Bliss (Sky TV). Along with his fellow writers, he has received various awards, including a Primetime Emmy, the Peabody, Golden Globe, AFI and WGA Award. In film, he co-wrote and directed Steve Coogan in What Goes Up (Sony). In theater, he directed productions at Ensemble Studio Theater, Oxford Playhouse and The Shakespeare Theater. He's a graduate of Colgate University and attended Columbia University Film School.Better Call Saul: 2.3 Amarillo (2016) 3.4 Sabrosito (2017)- Producer
- Writer
Ann Cherkis is known for Better Call Saul (2015), The Mosquito Coast (2021) and Home Before Dark (2020).Better Call Saul: 2.5 Rebecca (2016) 3.6 Off Brand (2017) 4.5 Quite a Ride (2018) 5.3 The Guy for This (2020) 6.4 Hit and Run (2022) 6.9 Fun and Games (2022)- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Breaking Bad: 1.6 Crazy Handful of Nothin' (2008) 2.2 Grilled (2009) 2.11 Mandala (2009) 3.3 I.F.T. (2010) 3.9 Kafkaesque (2010) (with Peter Gould) 4.2 Thirty-Eight Snub (2011) 4.8 Hermanos (2011) (with Sam Catlin) 4.11 Crawl Space (2011) (with Sam Catlin) 5.5 Dead Freight (2012) 5.13 To'hajiilee (2013)- Additional Crew
- Producer
- Editorial Department
Jenn Carroll is known for El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019), Better Call Saul (2015) and Bay State (1991).Breaking Bad:
Video Extra: Chicks 'N' Guns: Behind the Scenes (2013) (with Gordon Smith)- Additional Crew
- Writer
Suzanne Potts is known for Breaking Bad (2008), Breaking Bad: Original Minisodes (2009) and In Plain Sight (2008).Breaking Bad:
Minisode: Good Cop, Bad Cop (2009)- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Writer
Breaking Bad:
Video Extra: Chicks 'N' Guns: Behind the Scenes (2013) (with Jenn Carroll)
Better Call Saul: 1.6 Five-O (2015) 1.8 RICO (2015) 2.4 Gloves Off (2016) 2.7 Inflatable (2016) 3.5 Chicanery (2017) 3.9 Fall (2017) 4.3 Something Beautiful (2018) 4.8 Coushatta (2018) 5.4 Namaste (2020) 5.8 Bagman (2020) 6.3 Rock and Hard Place (2022) 6.8 Point and Shoot (2022)- Additional Crew
- Producer
- Writer
Better Call Saul:
Video Extra: Better Call Saul: No Picnic (2017) 5.10 Something Unforgivable (2020) (with Peter Gould) 6.2 Carrot and Stick (2022) (with Thomas Schnauz) 6.6 Axe and Grind (2022)- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Composer
Breaking Bad: 2.1 Seven Thirty-Seven (2009) 2.6 Peekaboo (2009) (with Vince Gilligan)- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Better Call Saul: 2.10 Klick (2016) (with Vince Gilligan) 3.8 Slip (2017) 4.4 Talk (2018) 5.5 Dedicado a Max (2020)- Additional Crew
- Actress
- Writer
Melissa Ng is known for Star Trek Beyond (2016), El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019) and Snapchat Jesus (2013).Breaking Bad:
Video Extra: Snow Globe: A Breaking Bad Short (2020)