Damon Lindelof

Damon Lindelof
Lindelof at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con
Born Damon Laurence Lindelof
(1973-04-24) April 24, 1973
Teaneck, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation Screenwriter, producer
Spouse(s)
Heidi Mary Fugeman (m. 2005)
Children 1

Damon Laurence Lindelof (born April 24, 1973) is an American screenwriter, comic book writer, and producer. He was the co-creator and showrunner of the television series Lost (2004–10). He has written for and produced Crossing Jordan (2001–04) and wrote for Nash Bridges (2000–01). Lindelof also co-wrote the science fiction films Cowboys & Aliens (2011), Prometheus (2012), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), and Tomorrowland (2015). He co-created the TV series The Leftovers for HBO, adapted from the novel by Tom Perrotta.

Early life and education

Lindelof was born in Teaneck, New Jersey, the son of Susan Klausner, a teacher, and David Lindelof, a bank manager.[1][2] He attended Teaneck High School, a school whose diverse student body he credits with expanding his horizons as a writer.[3] Lindelof's mother is Jewish, whereas his father was of Scandinavian descent.[4][5][6]

Lindelof celebrated his Bar Mitzvah in Teaneck, where he attended synagogue for the Sabbath; he has stated, "I was a Jewish white kid growing up in Teaneck, but at the same time, I had African and Filipino and Asian friends and to have that experience all through high school while getting an awesome education was wonderful."[7] Lindelof attended film school at New York University, performing briefly in the band Petting Zoo, and moved to Los Angeles after graduating.

Career

Collaborators

Lindelof frequently collaborates with a tightly knit group of film professionals which include J.J. Abrams, Adam Horowitz, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Edward Kitsis, Andre Nemec, Josh Appelbaum, Jeff Pinkner, and Bryan Burk.[5]

Early career

An early boost to his writing career came in 1999, when he was selected as a semifinalist for a Nicholl Fellowship for his screenplay Perfectionists.[8] Before this, he had worked on reviewing scripts at Paramount, Fox, and Alan Ladd studios.

Lost

He was an executive producer and joint showrunner (alongside Carlton Cuse) on Lost. Lindelof and the Lost writing staff won the Writers Guild of America (WGA) Award for Best Dramatic Series at the February 2006 ceremony for their work on the first and second seasons.[9] He was nominated for the WGA Award for Best Dramatic Series a further three times. At the February 2007 ceremony for his work on the second and third seasons,[10] at the February 2009 ceremony for his work on the fourth season[11] and at the February 2010 ceremony for his work on the fifth season.[12] Lindelof and his co-writer Drew Goddard were also nominated for the WGA Award for Best Episodic Drama at the February 2008 ceremony for writing the episode "Flashes Before Your Eyes."[13]

At WonderCon, 2012

Lost was praised for its unique brand of storytelling and strong characters. The first two seasons of the show were ratings juggernauts and the show never fell out of the top 30 throughout its six seasons on the air. Lindelof and co-show-runner Carlton Cuse have been heralded as two of the first to truly embrace the changing times with things such as their daily podcast and being active in the fan community. A majority of the six seasons were met with critical praise, however, both Lindelof and Cuse were not afraid to address critiques on the show, be it through the podcast or other forms of media. However, Lindelof said in late 2013 that he would no longer be addressing those displeased with the way the show ended stating, "And what do I do? I jump at the opportunity to acknowledge how many people were dissatisfied with how it ended. I try to be self-deprecating and witty when I do this, but that's an elaborate (or obvious?) defense mechanism to let people know I'm fully aware of the elephant in the room and I'm perfectly fine with it sitting down on my face and shitting all over me... And here's my part: I will finally stop talking about it. I'm not doing this because I feel entitled or above it — I'm doing it because I accept that I will not change hearts nor minds. I will not convince you they weren't dead the whole time, nor resent you for believing they were despite my infinite declarations otherwise." [14]

Other projects

Comics

Lindelof is the writer of the six issue comic book miniseries Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk for Marvel Comics, which takes place in the Ultimate Marvel universe. It began publication in January 2006. Production was suspended after the second issue in February 2006 due to Lindelof's heavy workload elsewhere. The last of the scripts was submitted to Marvel in 2008 and the series resumed publication in March 2009.

Lindelof wrote a Rip Hunter story for Time Warp No. 1 (May 2013) which was drawn by Jeff Lemire and published by Vertigo.[15][16]

Film

Following the end of Lost, it was rumored that Lindelof and J. J. Abrams would write and direct a film adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. Lindelof dismissed in a Q&A with USA Today in late 2009. He commented, "After working six years on Lost, the last thing I want to do is spend the next seven years adapting one of my favorite books of all time. I'm such a massive Stephen King fan that I'm terrified of screwing it up. I'd do anything to see those movies written by someone else. My guess is they will get made because they're so incredible. But not by me."[17]

At the Peabody Awards, 2016

He served as co-producer on the 2009 film, Star Trek. He produced its sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness and cowrote its screenplay with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. Kurtzman and Orci, with Lindelof, and several other writers contributed to the screenplay of the film version of the comic book series Cowboys & Aliens.

He cowrote Ridley Scott's Prometheus, released in June 2012.

In 2012, he co-wrote the screenplay for Tomorrowland with director Brad Bird, based on a story by Lindelof, Bird and Jeff Jensen.[18][19]

Television

Lindelof was featured on a December 2008 episode of The Write Environment, a public television series featuring in-depth, candid one-on-one interviews with some of TV's most prolific and well-known series creator and writers.The interview is also available on DVD.

In 2011, Lindelof aided in development of Once Upon a Time, which was created by former Lost writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. He was not officially credited in the pilot.[20]

In 2013, Lindelof co-created the HBO series The Leftovers with Tom Perrotta, based on Perrotta's eponymous novel.[21][22] He also served as showrunner and executive producer throughout the show's three seasons.[23]

Lost episodes (as writer)

Personal life

Lindelof is a self-professed Stephen King fan and has placed many references to King's work into Lost, as well as mentioning within the Official Lost Podcast that The Stand serves as a huge influence. Lindelof has been quoted as saying that the graphic novel Watchmen, written by Alan Moore, is the greatest piece of popular fiction ever produced, and its effect on Lost is evident many times in the show. He has also mentioned David Lynch's Twin Peaks as a big influence for Lost.[24] J.J. Abrams has often cited Patrick McGoohan's similarly allegorical sci-fi/spy series The Prisoner as another major influence on Lost. Lindelof lists his favorite six films, in no particular order, as Touch of Evil, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Pulp Fiction, The Shining, Bambi, and The Godfather Part II.[25] Lindelof is also a fan of the television series The Wire, Breaking Bad, and Battlestar Galactica.

Lindelof married Heidi Mary Fugeman in 2005; the couple have one child.

Twitter

Lindelof has been the subject of controversy over his various tweets on his Twitter account for being outspoken on his reactions to various movies like The Dark Knight Rises[26] and defending the mixed response to the ending of the show Lost. Lindelof deleted his Twitter account on October 14, 2013 the date of "the departure" on his then-upcoming HBO show, The Leftovers. Lindelof stopped his final tweet in mid-sentence leaving his followers to wonder in regards to the significance. Lindelof's final tweet read, "After much thought and deliberation, I've decided t." Lindelof later said that he felt as though his time on Twitter was consuming him in a negative fashion and that he has no intentions of returning to the site.[27]

Production credits

Year Title Writer Producer Notes
1999 Wasteland Yes No Episodes:
"Defining Moments"
"Death Becomes Her"
1999 Undressed Yes No N/A
2000–2001 Nash Bridges Yes No Episodes:
"Rock and a Hard Place"
"End Game"
"Bear Trap"
"Slam Dunk"
"Cat Fight"
2001–2004 Crossing Jordan Yes Yes 9 episodes as writer
22 episodes as Co-producer
13 episodes as Supervising Producer
2004–2010 Lost Yes Yes Co-creator and showrunner
45 episodes as writer
116 episodes as Executive Producer
2007–2008 Lost: Missing Pieces Yes Yes Episodes written:
"Arzt & Crafts"
"Jack, Meet Ethan. Ethan? Jack."
"The Envelope"
13 episodes as Executive Producer
2008 Lost: Via Domus Yes No Video game
2009 Star Trek No Yes
2010 Ollie Klublershturf vs. the Nazis Yes Yes Short film
Executive Producer
2011 Cowboys & Aliens Yes Yes
2012 Prometheus Yes Yes Executive Producer
2013 Open Heart No Yes Documentary
Executive Producer
2013 Star Trek Into Darkness Yes Yes
2013 World War Z Yes No
2014–2017 The Leftovers Yes Yes Co-creator and showrunner
26 episodes as writer
28 episodes as Executive Producer
Cameo as Man in Koala Suit
2014 Phineas and Ferb Yes No Episode:
"Lost in Danville" (story)[28]
2015 Tomorrowland Yes Yes
2019 Watchmen Yes Yes Showrunner

References

  1. ↑ Rohan, Virginia (May 24, 2010). "In Hackensack, Damon Lindelof's mother considers the 'Lost' finale". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  2. ↑ Bernardin, Marc (May 13, 2013). "Star Trek's' Damon Lindelof on Brad Pitt, Having Power as a Writer and His Agony Over 'Lost". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  3. ↑ Rohan, Virginia (February 5, 2007). "North Jersey simply not 'Lost'". The Record. Lindelof got into the production end of television while at Teaneck High School, where he worked on a start-up TV news program.... What was cool about growing up in New Jersey, especially Bergen County, is it was very diverse. ... I literally went to high school with people of all different races and ethnicities and backgrounds. That broadened my horizons as a writer. It made me interested in other people's stories
  4. ↑ Eng, Dinah (September 11, 2006). "Diversity Not Lost on Hit ABC Drama". TVWeek. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  5. 1 2 Variety Magazine: "Abrams keeps it all in the fan family - J.J. and his collaborators conquer Hollywood" By Cynthia Littleton October 16, 2009 |"We’re all self-deprecating short Jews, with the exception of Bob Orci”
  6. ↑ Jewish Journal: "Jews Get Geek on at Comic-Con" by Adam Wills July 22, 2009
  7. ↑ Siegler, Bonnie (February 21, 2008). "'Lost' and found". American Jewish Life magazine. Archived from the original on January 2, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2016. He and his family attended the local synagogue on weekends and a 13-year-old Damon had his bar mitzvah in Teaneck.... But he does say his childhood and Jewish background have added to who he is today. "The area was culturally diverse and that is one of the reasons I loved it. I didn't have the experience of some other people I've met who say they were 15 before they saw someone who wasn't white or that they hadn't met a Jewish person yet. The idea was that I was a Jewish white kid growing up in Teaneck, but at the same time, I had black and Filipino and Asian friends and to have that experience all through high school while getting an awesome education was wonderful...."
  8. ↑ "1999 Nicholl Semifinalists". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Awards Winners". Writers Guild of America. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  10. ↑ "2007 Writers Guild Awards Television & Radio Nominees Announced". Writers Guild of America. December 13, 2006. Archived from the original on December 24, 2010. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  11. ↑ "2009 Writers Guild Awards Television, Radio, News, Promotional Writing, and Graphic Animation Nominees Announced". Writers Guild of America. December 8, 2008. Archived from the original on December 12, 2008. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  12. ↑ "2010 Writers Guild Awards Television, Radio, News, Promotional Writing, and Graphic Animation Nominees Announced". Writers Guild of America. December 14, 2009. Archived from the original on January 29, 2010. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  13. ↑ "2008 Writers Guild Awards Television & Radio Nominees Announced". Writers Guild of America. December 12, 2007. Archived from the original on December 19, 2007. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  14. ↑ Lindelof, Damon (October 2, 2013). "Damon Lindelof on Why 'Breaking Bad's' Finale Let Him Say Goodbye to 'Lost'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Vertigo Showcases Time Warp Anthology Art". Comic Book Resources. February 22, 2013. Archived from the original on July 14, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  16. ↑ Khouri, Andy (April 2, 2013). "Vertigo's Time Warp Anthology Returns Rip Hunter and Trolls with Super-Science". ComicsAlliance. Archived from the original on July 14, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  17. ↑ Matheson, Whitney (October 27, 2009). "A 'Lost' Q&A: Damon Lindelof answers (most of) your questions!". USA Today. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  18. ↑ Weintraub, Steve "Frosty" (December 21, 2012). "Damon Lindelof Reveals How He Enlisted Brad Bird to Direct 1952; Says Bird Is Co-Writing the Script and They Hope to Begin Production Mid-2013". Collider.com. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  19. ↑ McNary, Dave (July 18, 2013). "Britt Robertson Joins Disney's 'Tomorrowland' Opposite George Clooney". Variety. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  20. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (August 7, 2011). "'Once Upon a Time': 'Lost' Helped the Creators See the Fairy Tale Story Differently". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  21. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (February 8, 2013). "Damon Lindelof's 'The Leftovers' Scores Pilot Order at HBO". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  22. ↑ Rohan, Virginia (June 29, 2014). "Teaneck's Damon Lindelof is back with a new TV series". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  23. ↑ Bryn Elise, Sandberg (December 10, 2015). "'The Leftovers' Renewed for Third and Final Season at HBO". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  24. ↑ Faraci, Devin (December 2, 2008). "THUD: Live blog of the Lost Season 4 DVD cyber roundtable". Chud.com. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  25. ↑ "Top 6 Flix Featuring Damon Lindelof". YouTube. November 5, 2010. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  26. ↑ Magary, Drew (July 20, 2012). "Lost Co-Creator Damon Lindelof Declares 'Cynics Win' After Deleting Aurora Tribute Tweet". Gawker. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  27. ↑ Hibberd, James (January 9, 2014). "Damon Lindelof's secret timing behind quitting Twitter". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Dan Povenmire on Twitter: "@jasonbres @mmonogram @DamonLindeIof It's just a rumor...that happens to be true."". June 11, 2014. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
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