Todd A. Kessler
Encyclopedia
Todd A. Kessler is an American
screenwriter
, playwright
, television producer
and director
. He is the co-creator and head writer
of the FX drama series Damages
. He also has a small role in Damages as Perry the Doorman.
, Michael Mann's Robbery Homicide Division
and the first season of NBC's Providence
. Kessler began his career as a playwright working with David Rabe, moving into film and television when Spike Lee
hired him as a screenwriter.
with a degree in dramatic literature and playwriting, and has twice been a visiting artist at Harvard, teaching screenwriting seminars.
and Daniel Zelman
were nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
for their work on the Damages pilot episode "Get Me A Lawyer".
Kessler has been nominated for five Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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:...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, television 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 director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
. He is the co-creator and head writer
Head writer
A head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera genre, as well as with sketch comedies and talk shows that feature monologues and comedy skits, but in prime time series this function is generally performed by an...
of the FX drama series Damages
Damages (TV series)
Damages is an American television drama series created by the writing and production trio of Daniel Zelman and brothers Glenn and Todd A. Kessler . It is broadcast in the United States on the DirecTV channel Audience Network after originally airing on FX and is produced by the creators' own...
. He also has a small role in Damages as Perry the Doorman.
Career
Kessler wrote and produced the second and third seasons of HBO's The SopranosThe Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
, Michael Mann's Robbery Homicide Division
Robbery Homicide Division
Robbery Homicide Division was an American police procedural television series on CBS, created by Barry Schindel with executive producer Michael Mann.-Premise:...
and the first season of NBC's Providence
Providence (TV series)
Providence is an American drama series that aired on NBC starring Melina Kanakaredes. The show ran for five seasons from January 8, 1999 until December 20, 2002.-Synopsis:The show revolves around Dr...
. Kessler began his career as a playwright working with David Rabe, moving into film and television when Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
hired him as a screenwriter.
Education
After graduating from Cranbrook Kingswood School, Kessler graduated magna cum laude from Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
with a degree in dramatic literature and playwriting, and has twice been a visiting artist at Harvard, teaching screenwriting seminars.
Awards and nominations
Kessler has been nominated for several Primetime Emmy Awards. Todd A. Kessler, Glenn KesslerGlenn Kessler (screenwriter)
Glenn Kessler is an American screenwriter and television producer. Kessler grew up in suburban Detroit suburb and graduated from the Cranbrook Kingswood School in Bloomfield Hills in 1988. He is the co-creator and executive producer of the Golden Globe award-winning FX drama series Damages along...
and Daniel Zelman
Daniel Zelman
Daniel Zelman is an American actor, screenwriter and television producer. Zelman is the husband of former Will & Grace and The Starter Wife star Debra Messing. The couple have a son, Roman Walker Zelman, born in 2004. Zelman is an executive producer on the FX drama series Damages, which he...
were nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
The Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series is awarded to one television episode each year at the Primetime Emmy Awards. Often regarded as the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an individual episode of television, the nominees and winners often reflect outstanding achievement in...
for their work on the Damages pilot episode "Get Me A Lawyer".
Kessler has been nominated for five Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards.