Arab Americans

Sam Esmail

Sam Esmail (born September 17, 1977) is an American screenwriter, film and television director, and television producer. He is best known as the creator of the television series Mr. Robot (2015–present).

Early life

Esmail was born in Hoboken, New Jersey. He is of Egyptian descent. His family is Muslim.

While attending New York University, he worked in its computer lab before being put on academic probation for an incident there. After graduating from that college’s Tisch School of the Arts, he went on to a Master of Fine Arts degree from the AFI Conservatory.

Career

In 2008, Esmail’s first feature film screenplay, Sequels, Remakes & Adaptations, landed on the Black List, a yearly survey of over 600 production companies and film executives of the “most liked” motion picture screenplays not yet produced. In 2014, his feature length directorial debut, Comet was released by IFC.

He is the creator, executive producer and head writer of the technological thriller television series Mr. Robot, which premiered on USA Network on June 24, 2015. Esmail originally envisioned the project as a feature film.

In a BBC interview, Esmail explained the influence of his heritage on his work, “I tend to write about alienated figures who can’t connect with others and who are kind of distant from American culture. It’s not something I am consciously doing but it’s something that happens to be infused inside me because of my experience growing up in America.”

Personal life

In August 2015, Esmail became engaged to actress Emmy Rossum after dating for two years. He directed her in his directorial debut, Comet.

His younger brother, Samer Esmail, works with him as a post production assistant.

Filmography

2014: Comet Directorial debut

2014: Mockingbird Story by, with Bryan Bertino

Television

2015–present: Mr. Robot Creator; writer (10 episodes), director (15 episodes)

Accolades