Thomas Schnauz

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.

Thomas Schnauz
Born	1966 or 1967 (age 57–58) Kearny, New Jersey, U.S.
Alma mater	Tisch School of Arts
Occupation(s)	Television producer, television writer
Years active	2001–present

Personal life

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

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

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

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

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. "The Writers Room cast members". Sundance TV. Archived from the original on April 7, 2015. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
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. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
9. Fleming, Mike Jr. (April 22, 2015). "Disney, ' Breaking Bad' Creator Vince Gilligan Taking Another Whack At Jack And The Beanstalk". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. 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.

External links

• Thomas Schnauz at IMDb