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Thomas Schnauz

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Thomas Schnauz
Born1966 or 1967 (age 57–58)
Alma materTisch School of Arts
Occupation(s)Television producer, television writer
Years active2001–present

Thomas Schnauz (born 1966 or 1967)[1] is an American television producer and television writer. His credits include The X-Files, The Lone Gunmen, Night Stalker, Reaper, Breaking Bad, and Better Call Saul.

Personal life

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Schnauz was born in Kearny, New Jersey.[2] He attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he first met fellow student Vince Gilligan.[3] Schnauz graduated from Tisch in 1988.[4][failed verification]

Career

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Schnauz started his career in various production jobs. His first screenplay was called Spirits in Passing. He eventually joined Vince Gilligan on the writing staff of The X-Files and its spinoff show, The Lone Gunmen.[3] He also co-wrote the screenplays for the 2008 film Otis and the 2008 television film Infected. In 2010, he re-teamed with Gilligan on Breaking Bad, where he remained through the show's 2013 conclusion.

Schnauz signed a two-year overall deal with Sony Pictures Television in November 2014.[5]

Schnauz served as co-executive producer on AMC's Breaking Bad spinoff series Better Call Saul.[6] He has written and/or directed a number of its episodes including "Pimento", the penultimate episode of the show's first season, which received critical acclaim, as well as "Plan and Execution", the finale of the sixth season's first half that also received praise for Schnauz's writing.[7][8]

In April 2015, it was reported that he had been tapped to write the screenplay for "a revisionist take" on "Jack and the Beanstalk", also to be produced by Vince Gilligan.[9]

In 2019, Schnauz joined other WGA writers in firing their agents as part of the WGA's stand against the ATA and the practice of packaging.[10]

Filmography

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Writer

Year Show Season Episode title Episode Notes
2001 The Lone Gunmen 1 "Madam, I'm Adam" 6
"Tango de los Pistoleros" 10
The X-Files 9 "Lord of the Flies" 5
2002 "Scary Monsters" 14
2005 Night Stalker 1 "The Five People You Meet in Hell" 2
2007 Reaper 1 "What About Blob" 5
"Ashes to Ashes" 9
2008 "Coming to Grips" 15
2009 2 "I Want My Baby Back" 5
2010 Breaking Bad 3 "One Minute" 7
"Abiquiu" 11 Co-written with John Shiban
2011 4 "Shotgun" 5
"Bug" 9 Co-written with Moira Walley-Beckett
"End Times" 12 Co-written with Moira Walley-Beckett
2012 5 "Say My Name" 7 Also directed
2013 "Buried" 10
2014 Resurrection 1 "Unearth" 2
2015 The Man in the High Castle 1 "The Illustrated Woman" 3
"Revelations" 4
Better Call Saul 1 "Nacho" 3
"Pimento" 9 Also directed
2016 2 "Switch" 1 Also directed
"Fifi" 8
2017 3 "Witness" 2
"Sabrosito" 4 Director only
"Expenses" 7 Also directed
2018 4 "Breathe" 2
"Winner" 10 Co-written with Peter Gould
2020 5 "Wexler v. Goodman" 6
"Bad Choice Road" 9 Also directed
2022 6 "Carrot and Stick" 2 Co-written with Ariel Levine
"Plan and Execution" 7 Also directed
"Breaking Bad" 11 Also directed

Production staff

Year Show Role Notes
2001 The X-Files Story Editor Season 9
2002
2005 Night Stalker Executive Story Editor Season 1
2006
2007 Reaper Co-producer Season 1
2008
2009 Producer Season 2
2010 Breaking Bad Season 3
2011 Supervising producer Season 4
2012 Co-executive producer Season 5
2013
2014 Resurrection Season 1
2015 Better Call Saul Season 1
2016 Executive producer Season 2
2017 Season 3
2018 Season 4
2020 Season 5
2022 Season 6

Screenplays

Year Title Credit Notes
2008 Infected Writer TV movie. Story by Tom Schnauz
2008 Otis Writer Co-wrote with Erik Jendresen

Awards and nominations

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Schnauz has been nominated for Writers Guild of America Awards on six occasions, winning three times, for his work on the writing staffs of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Schnauz shared in the show's 2010 Dramatic Series nomination, and subsequent category wins in 2011, 2012[11] and 2013,[12] for his work on Breaking Bad. He was nominated again in 2015 and 2016 in the Dramatic Series category for Better Call Saul.

He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series for the 2012 Breaking Bad episode "Say My Name".[13]

Year Award Category Show Result
2010 Writers Guild of America Award Best Dramatic Series Breaking Bad Nominated
2010 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Drama Series Nominated
2010 Producers Guild of America Award Best Episodic Drama Nominated
2011 Writers Guild of America Award Best Dramatic Series Won
2012 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Drama Series Nominated
2012 Writers Guild of America Award Best Dramatic Series Won
2012 Producers Guild of America Award Best Episodic Drama Nominated
2013 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Nominated
2013 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Drama Series Won
2013 Writers Guild of America Award Best Dramatic Series Won
2013 Producers Guild of America Award Best Episodic Drama Won
2014 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Drama Series Won
2014 Producers Guild of America Award Best Episodic Drama Won
2015 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Drama Series Better Call Saul Nominated
2015 Writers Guild of America Award Best Dramatic Series Nominated
2015 Producers Guild of America Award Best Episodic Drama Nominated
2016 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Drama Series Nominated
2016 Writers Guild of America Award Best Dramatic Series Nominated
2016 Producers Guild of America Award Best Episodic Drama Nominated
2017 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Drama Series Nominated
2019 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Drama Series Nominated
2019 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Nominated
2020 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Drama Series Nominated
2020 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Nominated
2022 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Drama Series Nominated
2022 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "'X-Files' Episode Set in Stafford". The Asbury Park Press. October 14, 2001. p. AA3. One of the show's writers, Thomas Schnauz, 34, spent his adolescence in southern Ocean County and is a 1984 graduate of Southern Regional High School.
  2. ^ Canessa Jr., Kevin (May 28, 2014). "From Kearny to Hollywood: How Thomas Schnauz made it big on the small screen". The Observer. Retrieved August 13, 2022. I spent a lot of time in Kearny when I was younger. I was born there...
  3. ^ a b "The Writers Room cast members". Sundance TV. Retrieved April 3, 2015.[dead link]
  4. ^ "In This Issue". Alumni Magazine. No. 37. New York University. Spring 2021.
  5. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 9, 2014). "'Breaking Bad's Tom Schnauz Inks Overall Deal With Sony TV, Joins 'Better Call Saul'". Deadline. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  6. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (December 20, 2013). "'Breaking Bad' Writers Join 'Better Call Saul' Staff". Variety. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  7. ^ Bowman, Donna (March 30, 2015). "Better Call Saul: 'Pimento'". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  8. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (March 30, 2015). "'Better Call Saul' - 'Pimento': Shut the door, have a seat". HitFix. Retrieved April 26, 2015.[dead link]
  9. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (April 22, 2015). "Disney, ' Breaking Bad' Creator Vince Gilligan Taking Another Whack At Jack And The Beanstalk". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  10. ^ "Patton Oswalt, David Simon, Danny Zuker, More WGA Members Post Termination Letters". Variety. April 13, 2019.
  11. ^ 2012 Nominees & Winners, Writers Guild Awards - Writers Guild of America, West Archived 2015-05-12 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ 2013 Nominees & Winners, Writers Guild Awards - Writers Guild of America, West Archived 2015-09-01 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ "65th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
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