Kurt Sutter
Encyclopedia
Kurt Sutter is an America
n screenwriter
, director
, producer
and actor
. He worked as a producer, writer and director on The Shield
, also appearing on the show as hitman Margos Dezerian. Sutter is also the creator of Sons of Anarchy
on FX and writes, produces, directs and performs for the series, where he plays incarcerated club member "Big Otto" Delaney. Sutter spent time with members of an outlaw club in Northern California as research for Sons of Anarchy
. Sutter's wife, actress Katey Sagal
, is also one of the show's lead characters.
in 2002. He made his television writing debut with the episode "Blowback". He appeared in "Blowback" as Armenian mob hitman Margos Dezerian. He co-wrote the episodes "Dragonchasers" and "Two Days of Blood" with fellow staff writer Scott Rosenbaum
. He was promoted to story editor for the second season in 2003. He wrote the episodes "Scar Tissue" and "Dead Soldiers". In 2004 he joined the production team in the junior role of co-producer for the third season. He continued to write episodes and scripted "Playing Tight" and "Mum" with series creator and executive producer Shawn Ryan
, "Slipknot" solo and "Fire in the Hole" with consulting producer Charles H. Eglee
. He reprised his role as Dezerian in the seasons final episodes "All In" and "On Tilt".
He was promoted to supervising producer for the fourth season in 2005. He wrote the episode "Grave" solo. He co-wrote the story for the episode "Judas Priest" with Eglee and also co-wrote the teleplay with Rosenbaum. He co-wrote the story for the season finale "Ain't That a Shame" with Ryan; Ryan co-wrote the teleplay for the episode with co-executive producer Glen Mazzara
. Sutter became a co-executive producer for the fifth season in 2006. He wrote the episode "Extraction", co-wrote the episode "Trophy" with Renee Palya and Tony Soltis and co-wrote the season's penultimate episode "Fire in the Hole" with Eglee.
He became an executive producer for the sixth season in 2007. He directed a promotional mini-episode for the sixth season entitled "Wins and Losses". He wrote the sixth season premiere "On the Jones". He co-wrote the episode "Exiled" with Rosenbaum, also now an executive producer. Sutter returned as an executive producer and writer for the seventh and final season in 2008. He wrote the premiere "Coefficient of Drag" and co-wrote the episode "Parricide" with Gary Lennon. At the close of the season he was the series second most prolific writer (after Ryan) having written or co-written 18 episodes in total.
Also in autumn 2008 Sutter created and executive produced a new series for FX entitled Sons of Anarchy. The show centers on the titular motorcycle club in California. He was the series head writer and show runner. Along with the pilot episode he wrote the episodes "Seeds", "Funtown", "The Pull", "Capybara", "The Sleep of Babies" and the season finale "The Revelator". Sutter also directed "The Revelator". He also appeared in the show as incarcerated club member Otto Delaney. He cast his wife Katey Sagal in the starring role of the club's matriarch Gemma Teller. Sutter hired several crew members that he worked with on The Shield including unit production manager and producer Kevin G. Cremin, post production supervisor and producer Craig Yahata and directors Guy Ferland
, Stephen Kay
, Gwyneth Horder-Payton
, Paris Barclay
, Terence O'Hara and Billy Gierhart
. The first season also featured The Shield star Jay Karnes
as a recurring special guest star playing ATF Agent Kohn.
He remained show runner and executive producer for the series second season in 2009. He wrote the series premiere "Albification". He co-wrote the episode "Eureka" with Brett Conrad, co-wrote the episode "Gilead" with co-producer Chris Collins
, co-wrote the episode "Potlatch" with Misha Green, co-wrote the teleplay for the episode "Service" with co-executive producer Jack LoGiudice
from a story by Brady Dahl and Cory Udica, co-wrote the episode "The Culling" with consulting producer Dave Erickson and wrote and directed the season finale "Na Trioblóidí". The second season featured The Shield star Kenny Johnson
as a special guest star playing a club member named Kozik.
He returned as show runner and executive producer for the third season in 2010. He wrote the season premiere "SO". He co-wrote the episode "Oiled" with Erickson, now a co-executive producer. He co-wrote the episode "Home" with Liz Sagal
, the sister of his wife and the series star Katey Sagal. He co-wrote the episode "Widening Gyre" with co-producer Regina Corrado
. He co-wrote the episode "Lochan Mor" with Erickson and Liz Sagal. He wrote the story for the episode "Turas" the teleplay was co-written by Collins (now a producer) and Dahl. He co-wrote the episode "Firinne" with Vaunn Wilmott. He co-wrote the episode "Bainne" with Corrado and Erickson. He wrote the story for the episode "June Wedding"; Collins wrote the teleplay. He once again wrote and directed the season finale, this time entitled "NS" and co-written with Erickson. Sutter also reprised the role of Otto in the finale. Johnson returned as Kozik in the third season.
His future writing projects include Inland Saints, a film slated for director Joel Schumacher
at Paramount Pictures
. He also is set to make his feature film directing debut with Awaken the Dragon, a noir-style
remake of Enter the Dragon
.
On December 13, 2010, Deadline announced his involvement with a drama
boxing film, Southpaw. Kurt Sutter will begin writing the script immediately, and he will complete a draft by February 2011, before Sutter and his Sons of Anarchy writers begin to plot the fourth season of his series.
in a private ceremony on October 2, 2004, at their home in Los Feliz, California. They welcomed their first child together, daughter Esme Louise, on January 10, 2007. Esme was carried by a surrogate mother.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He worked as a producer, writer and director on The Shield
The Shield
The Shield is an American television drama series starring Michael Chiklis which premiered on March 12, 2002 on FX in the United States and concluded on November 25, 2008 after seven seasons...
, also appearing on the show as hitman Margos Dezerian. Sutter is also the creator of Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy is an American television drama series created by Kurt Sutter about the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in Northern California...
on FX and writes, produces, directs and performs for the series, where he plays incarcerated club member "Big Otto" Delaney. Sutter spent time with members of an outlaw club in Northern California as research for Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy is an American television drama series created by Kurt Sutter about the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in Northern California...
. Sutter's wife, actress Katey Sagal
Katey Sagal
Catherine Louise "Katey" Sagal is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She first achieved widespread fame as Peggy Bundy on the long-running Fox comedy series Married.....
, is also one of the show's lead characters.
Career
Sutter was hired as a staff writer for the first season of Fox crime drama The ShieldThe Shield
The Shield is an American television drama series starring Michael Chiklis which premiered on March 12, 2002 on FX in the United States and concluded on November 25, 2008 after seven seasons...
in 2002. He made his television writing debut with the episode "Blowback". He appeared in "Blowback" as Armenian mob hitman Margos Dezerian. He co-wrote the episodes "Dragonchasers" and "Two Days of Blood" with fellow staff writer Scott Rosenbaum
Scott Rosenbaum
Scott Rosenbaum is a writer and producer for television. He first worked on the 1999 television series Grown Ups as a writer. He joined the writing staff of The Shield in 2002, writing 16 episodes until he left the series in 2007...
. He was promoted to story editor for the second season in 2003. He wrote the episodes "Scar Tissue" and "Dead Soldiers". In 2004 he joined the production team in the junior role of co-producer for the third season. He continued to write episodes and scripted "Playing Tight" and "Mum" with series creator and executive producer Shawn Ryan
Shawn Ryan
Shawn Ryan is a writer, and the creator of the FX Networks series The Shield and the Fox TV series The Chicago Code.-Education/Personal life:...
, "Slipknot" solo and "Fire in the Hole" with consulting producer Charles H. Eglee
Charles H. Eglee
Charles H. Eglee is an Emmy Award winning American film and television writer and producer. He worked extensively for Steven Bochco productions throughout the 1990s. For Bochco productions he co-created Byrds of Paradise with frequent collaborator Channing Gibson and co-created Murder One with...
. He reprised his role as Dezerian in the seasons final episodes "All In" and "On Tilt".
He was promoted to supervising producer for the fourth season in 2005. He wrote the episode "Grave" solo. He co-wrote the story for the episode "Judas Priest" with Eglee and also co-wrote the teleplay with Rosenbaum. He co-wrote the story for the season finale "Ain't That a Shame" with Ryan; Ryan co-wrote the teleplay for the episode with co-executive producer Glen Mazzara
Glen Mazzara
Glen Mazzara is an American television producer and writer.-Biography:Mazzara was born in Manhattan and grew up in Queens, New York. He attended NYU and earned a masters in English...
. Sutter became a co-executive producer for the fifth season in 2006. He wrote the episode "Extraction", co-wrote the episode "Trophy" with Renee Palya and Tony Soltis and co-wrote the season's penultimate episode "Fire in the Hole" with Eglee.
He became an executive producer for the sixth season in 2007. He directed a promotional mini-episode for the sixth season entitled "Wins and Losses". He wrote the sixth season premiere "On the Jones". He co-wrote the episode "Exiled" with Rosenbaum, also now an executive producer. Sutter returned as an executive producer and writer for the seventh and final season in 2008. He wrote the premiere "Coefficient of Drag" and co-wrote the episode "Parricide" with Gary Lennon. At the close of the season he was the series second most prolific writer (after Ryan) having written or co-written 18 episodes in total.
Also in autumn 2008 Sutter created and executive produced a new series for FX entitled Sons of Anarchy. The show centers on the titular motorcycle club in California. He was the series head writer and show runner. Along with the pilot episode he wrote the episodes "Seeds", "Funtown", "The Pull", "Capybara", "The Sleep of Babies" and the season finale "The Revelator". Sutter also directed "The Revelator". He also appeared in the show as incarcerated club member Otto Delaney. He cast his wife Katey Sagal in the starring role of the club's matriarch Gemma Teller. Sutter hired several crew members that he worked with on The Shield including unit production manager and producer Kevin G. Cremin, post production supervisor and producer Craig Yahata and directors Guy Ferland
Guy Ferland
Guy Ferland is an American film and television director.-Career:After Alfred Hitchcock's 1946 film Notorious inspired him to become a filmmaker, Ferland went on to study cinema production at the University of Southern California's School of Cinema and Television, graduating in 1988, and received...
, Stephen Kay
Stephen Kay
-Career:He has directed the films Get Carter and Boogeyman. As well as directing episodes of Saved, The Shield, Friday Night Lights and Sons of Anarchy. Beginning his career as actor, his acting credits include Quantum Leap, Murder, She Wrote, Party of Five and regular roles in Deadly Games and...
, Gwyneth Horder-Payton
Gwyneth Horder-Payton
Gwyneth Horder-Payton is an American film and television director.Since the late 1980s, she worked as an assistant director on a number of notable films namely Pacific Heights, The Doors, Raising Cain, I Love Trouble, Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco and number of other films.She made her...
, Paris Barclay
Paris Barclay
Paris K.C. Barclay is an American television director and producer. He has directed over 100 episodes of television to date, for series including NYPD Blue, ER, The West Wing, CSI, Lost, The Shield, House M.D., Law & Order, Monk, Numb3rs, City of Angels, Cold Case, and more recently The Mentalist,...
, Terence O'Hara and Billy Gierhart
Billy Gierhart
Bill "Billy" Gierhart is an American television director and former steadicam operator.For many years he worked a steadicam operator on the television series Pacific Blue, Huff, Swingtown and The Shield, making his directorial debut on the latter series penultimate episode "Possible Kill Screen" in...
. The first season also featured The Shield star Jay Karnes
Jay Karnes
Jay Karnes is an American actor, born in Omaha, Nebraska. He attended the University of Kansas . He is well known for his role as L.A.P.D. Det...
as a recurring special guest star playing ATF Agent Kohn.
He remained show runner and executive producer for the series second season in 2009. He wrote the series premiere "Albification". He co-wrote the episode "Eureka" with Brett Conrad, co-wrote the episode "Gilead" with co-producer Chris Collins
Chris Collins (writer)
Chris Collins is an American television writer and producer. He has worked on the HBO dramas The Sopranos and The Wire. He was an executive story editor for the Starz drama series Crash. He is a producer and writer for the FX series Sons of Anarchy.-Biography:Collins joined the crew of The Wire in...
, co-wrote the episode "Potlatch" with Misha Green, co-wrote the teleplay for the episode "Service" with co-executive producer Jack LoGiudice
Jack LoGiudice
Jack LoGiudice is an American television writer and producer, best known for his work on the FX series Sons of Anarchy and most recently worked as a co-executive producer and writer on the critically acclaimed The Walking Dead on AMC.- Biography :...
from a story by Brady Dahl and Cory Udica, co-wrote the episode "The Culling" with consulting producer Dave Erickson and wrote and directed the season finale "Na Trioblóidí". The second season featured The Shield star Kenny Johnson
Kenny Johnson
Kenneth "Kenny" Johnson is an American actor well known for his portrayal of Detective Curtis Lemansky on the American drama The Shield and Detective "Ham" Dewey on Saving Grace.- Early career :...
as a special guest star playing a club member named Kozik.
He returned as show runner and executive producer for the third season in 2010. He wrote the season premiere "SO". He co-wrote the episode "Oiled" with Erickson, now a co-executive producer. He co-wrote the episode "Home" with Liz Sagal
Liz Sagal
Elizabeth "Liz" Sagal is an American television professional, active as an actress, screenwriter and film editor.In the 1980s, she co-starred with her twin-sister Jean Sagal in the 23-episode television series Double Trouble that ran from 1984–85, as well as the 1982 movie Grease 2, a loose sequel...
, the sister of his wife and the series star Katey Sagal. He co-wrote the episode "Widening Gyre" with co-producer Regina Corrado
Regina Corrado
Regina Corrado is an American television writer. She has been nominated for two Writers Guild of America Awards for her work on Deadwood.-Biography:...
. He co-wrote the episode "Lochan Mor" with Erickson and Liz Sagal. He wrote the story for the episode "Turas" the teleplay was co-written by Collins (now a producer) and Dahl. He co-wrote the episode "Firinne" with Vaunn Wilmott. He co-wrote the episode "Bainne" with Corrado and Erickson. He wrote the story for the episode "June Wedding"; Collins wrote the teleplay. He once again wrote and directed the season finale, this time entitled "NS" and co-written with Erickson. Sutter also reprised the role of Otto in the finale. Johnson returned as Kozik in the third season.
His future writing projects include Inland Saints, a film slated for director Joel Schumacher
Joel Schumacher
Joel T. Schumacher is an American film director, screenwriter and producer.-Early life:Schumacher was born in New York City, the son of Marian and Francis Schumacher. His mother was a Swedish Jew, and his father was a Baptist from Knoxville, Tennessee, who died when Joel was four years old...
at Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
. He also is set to make his feature film directing debut with Awaken the Dragon, a noir-style
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
remake of Enter the Dragon
Enter the Dragon
Enter the Dragon is a 1973 Hong Kong martial arts co-production with Golden Harvest and Warner Bros. studios, directed by Robert Clouse; starring Bruce Lee, Jim Kelly and John Saxon. This is Bruce Lee's final film appearance before his death on July 20, 1973...
.
On December 13, 2010, Deadline announced his involvement with a drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
boxing film, Southpaw. Kurt Sutter will begin writing the script immediately, and he will complete a draft by February 2011, before Sutter and his Sons of Anarchy writers begin to plot the fourth season of his series.
Personal life
Sutter married actress Katey SagalKatey Sagal
Catherine Louise "Katey" Sagal is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She first achieved widespread fame as Peggy Bundy on the long-running Fox comedy series Married.....
in a private ceremony on October 2, 2004, at their home in Los Feliz, California. They welcomed their first child together, daughter Esme Louise, on January 10, 2007. Esme was carried by a surrogate mother.
Producer
| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Sons of Anarchy | Executive producer | Season 3 |
| 2009 | Season 2 | ||
| 2008 | Season 1 | ||
| The Shield | Executive producer | Season 7 | |
| 2007 | Season 6 | ||
| 2006 | Co-executive producer | Season 5 | |
| 2005 | Supervising producer | Season 4 | |
| 2004 | Co-producer | Season 3 | |
| 2003 | Story editor | Season 2 | |
| 2002 | Staff writer | Season 1 |
Writer
| Year | Show | Season | Episode title | Episode | Original airdate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Sons of Anarchy | 3 | "NS" | 13 | 30 November 2010 | Co-written with Dave Erickson |
| "June Wedding" | 12 | 23 November 2010 | Story by Sutter, teleplay by Chris Collins | |||
| "Bainne" | 11 | 16 November 2010 | Co-written with Dave Erickson and Regina Corrado | |||
| "Fírinne" | 10 | 9 November 2010 | Co-written with Vaun Wilmott | |||
| "Turas" | 9 | 2 November 2010 | Story by Sutter, teleplay co-written by Chris Collins and Brady Dahl | |||
| "Lochan Mor" | 8 | 26 October 2010 | Co-written with Dave Erickson and Liz Sagal | |||
| "Widening Gyre" | 7 | 19 October 2010 | Co-written with Regina Corrado | |||
| "Home" | 4 | 28 September 2010 | Co-written with Liz Sagal | |||
| "Oiled" | 2 | 14 September 2010 | Co-written with Dave Erickson | |||
| "So" | 1 | 7 September 2010 | ||||
| 2009 | 2 | "Na Triobloidi" | 13 | 1 December 2009 | ||
| "The Culling" | 12 | 24 November 2009 | Co-written with Dave Erickson | |||
| "Service" | 11 | 17 November 2009 | Teleplay co-written with Jack LoGiudice from a story by Brady Dahl and Cori Udica | |||
| "Potlatch" | 8 | 27 October 2009 | Co-written with Misha Green | |||
| "Gilead" | 7 | 20 October 2009 | Co-written with Chris Collins | |||
| "Eureka" | 4 | 29 September 2009 | Co-written with Brett Conrad | |||
| "Albification" | 1 | 8 September 2009 | ||||
| 2008 | 1 | "The Revelator" | 13 | 26 November 2008 | ||
| "The Sleep of Babies" | 12 | 19 November 2008 | ||||
| "Capybara" | 11 | 12 November 2008 | Co-written with Dave Erickson | |||
| "The Pull" | 8 | 22 October 2008 | Co-written with Jack LoGiudice | |||
| "Fun Town" | 3 | 17 September 2008 | ||||
| "Seeds" | 2 | 10 September 2008 | ||||
| "Pilot" | 1 | 3 September 2008 | ||||
| The Shield | 7 | "Parricide" | 8 | 21 October 2008 | Co-written with Gary Lennon | |
| "Coefficient of Drag" | 1 | 2 September 2008 | ||||
| 2007 | 6 | "Exiled" | 7 | 15 May 2007 | Co-written with Scott Rosenbaum | |
| "On The Jones" | 1 | 3 April 2007 | ||||
| 2006 | 5 | "Of Mice and Lem" | 10 | 14 March 2006 | Co-written with Charles H. Eglee | |
| "Trophy" | 5 | 7 February 2006 | Co-written with Renee Palya and Tony Soltis | |||
| "Extraction" | 1 | 10 January 2006 | ||||
| 2005 | 4 | "Ain't That a Shame" | 13 | 14 June 2005 | Story co-written with Shawn Ryan, teleplay by Ryan and Glen Mazzara | |
| "Judas Priest" | 12 | 7 June 2005 | Story co-written with Charles H. Eglee, teleplay co-written with Scott Rosenbaum | |||
| "Grave" | 2 | 22 March 2005 | ||||
| 2004 | 3 | "Fire in the Hole" | 13 | 1 June 2004 | Co-written with Charles H. Eglee | |
| "Slipknot" | 9 | 4 May 2004 | ||||
| "Mum" | 5 | 6 April 2004 | Co-written with Shawn Ryan | |||
| "Playing Tight" | 1 | 9 March 2004 | Co-written with Shawn Ryan | |||
| 2003 | 2 | "Scar Tissue" | 8 | 25 February 2003 | ||
| "Dead Soldiers" | 2 | 14 January 2003 | ||||
| 2002 | 1 | "Two Days of Blood" | 12 | 28 May 2002 | Co-written with Scott Rosenbaum | |
| "Dragonchasers" | 10 | 14 May 2002 | Co-written with Scott Rosenbaum | |||
| "Blowback" | 5 | 9 April 2002 |
Director
| Year | Show | Season | Episode title | Episode | Original airdate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Sons of Anarchy | 3 | "NS" | 13 | 30 November 2010 | Season finale |
| 2009 | 2 | "Na Triobloidi" | 13 | 1 December 2009 | Season finale | |
| 2008 | 1 | "The Revelator" | 13 | 26 November 2008 | Season finale | |
| 2007 | The Shield | 6 | "Wins and Losses" | 0 | 15 February 2007 | Promotional short for season 6 |
Actor
| Year | Show | Role | Season | Episode title | Episode | Original airdate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Sons of Anarchy | Otto | 3 | "NS" | 13 | 30 November 2010 | Uncredited appearance |
| 2009 | 2 | "Na Triobloidi" | 13 | 1 December 2009 | Uncredited appearance | ||
| "Fa Guan" | 9 | 3 November 2009 | Uncredited appearance | ||||
| "Smite" | 5 | 6 October 2009 | Uncredited appearance | ||||
| "Small Tears" | 2 | 15 September 2009 | Uncredited appearance | ||||
| 2008 | 1 | "Better Half" | 10 | 5 November 2008 | Uncredited appearance | ||
| "Giving Back" | 5 | 1 October 2008 | Uncredited appearance | ||||
| 2004 | The Shield | Margos Dezerian | 3 | "On Tilt" | 15 | 15 June 2004 | Uncredited appearance |
| "All In" | 14 | 8 June 2004 | Uncredited appearance | ||||
| 2002 | 1 | "Blowback" | 5 | 9 April 2002 | Uncredited appearance |