Darin Morgan
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Darin Morgan (born 1966) is an American screenwriter best known for several offbeat, darkly humorous episodes of the television series ''
The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction drama television series created by Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), who ...
'' and ''
Millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting point (ini ...
''. His teleplay for the ''X-Files'' episode "
Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" is the fourth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series ''The X-Files''. Directed by David Nutter and written by Darin Morgan, the installment serves as a "Monster-of-the-Week" ...
" won a 1996 Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series.Darin Morgan – Awards
/ref> In 2015, Morgan wrote and directed one episode for ''The X-Files'' season ten, and returned again in 2017 to write and direct another episode for season eleven. He is the younger brother of writer and director
Glen Morgan Glen Morgan (born July 12, 1961) is an American television producer, writer and director. He is best known for co-writing episodes of the Fox science fiction supernatural drama series ''The X-Files'' with his partner, James Wong. He served a ...
.


Writing career

Morgan was born in Syracuse, New York and studied in the film program at
Loyola Marymount University Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is a private Jesuit and Marymount research university in Los Angeles, California. It is located on the west side of the city near Playa Vista. LMU is the parent school to Loyola Law School, which is located ...
, where he co-wrote a six-minute short film that led to a three-picture deal with
TriStar Pictures TriStar Pictures, Inc. (spelled as Tri-Star until 1991) is an American film studio and production company that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, part of the multinational conglomerate Sony. It is a corporate sibling of Sony ...
. Morgan subsequently wrote a number of unproduced screenplays and appeared in two small guest roles on ''
The Commish ''The Commish'' is an American comedy-drama television series that aired on ABC in the United States from September 28, 1991, to January 11, 1996. The series focuses on the work and home life of a suburban police commissioner in Eastbridge, New ...
'' and ''
21 Jump Street ''21 Jump Street'' is an American police procedural television series that aired on the Fox network and in first run syndication from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103 episodes. The series focuses on a squad of youthful-loo ...
'', where his brother Glen was a writer.


''The X-Files''

In 1994, Morgan was cast as the
Flukeman "The Host" is the second episode of the second season of the science fiction television series ''The X-Files'', premiering on the Fox network on September 23, 1994. It was written by Chris Carter, directed by Daniel Sackheim, and featured guest ...
, a mutated flukeworm the size of a human being, in " The Host", a second-season episode of ''The X-Files'', where his brother, Glen, worked as a writer and producer. The episode originally aired on September 23, 1994. The role required Morgan to wear a cumbersome rubber suit for twenty hours at a stretch, an experience he described as "terrible, just horrible." Subsequently, he worked with his brother in developing the story for the next episode, "
Blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in the cir ...
" (aired September 30, 1994), for which he received story credit. At the suggestion of producer
Howard Gordon Howard Gordon (born March 31, 1961) is an American television writer and producer. He is well known for his work on the Fox action series '' 24'' alongside the Showtime thriller ''Homeland'', which he co-developed with Alex Gansa and Gideon ...
shortly thereafter, Morgan became a full-time staff writer for ''The X-Files'', where he wrote his first episode, "
Humbug A humbug is a person or object that behaves in a deceptive or dishonest way, often as a hoax or in jest. The term was first described in 1751 as student slang, and recorded in 1840 as a "nautical phrase". It is now also often used as an exclama ...
" (originally aired on March 31, 1995). A quirky, funny, sometimes gruesome story about a series of murders in a colony of circus freaks, "Humbug" is considered a landmark episode in the history of ''The X-Files'' for broadening the dark tone and style of the series and taking it into funnier, less predictable directions. It was nominated for a 1996 Edgar Award. Morgan's next episode, "
Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" is the fourth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series ''The X-Files''. Directed by David Nutter and written by Darin Morgan, the installment serves as a "Monster-of-the-Week" ...
", originally aired on October 13, 1995. "Clyde Bruckman" remains a favorite of fans and critics alike, and was acclaimed for retaining the humorous spirit of "Humbug" while extending its story into darker, more poignant territory. Both Morgan and actor Peter Boyle, who played the titular depressed psychic Clyde Bruckman, won Emmy Awards for this episode. Morgan wrote two additional episodes of ''The X-Files'' in the 1990s: the absurdist cockroach invasion story " War of the Coprophages" (originally aired on January 5, 1996) and " Jose Chung's ''From Outer Space''" (April 12, 1996). He also contributed to a rewrite of the episode " Quagmire" (May 3, 1996), although he was uncredited for his contributions at the time. He left the show after its third season, but joined the writing staff of ''Millennium'', writing and directing two episodes with layered plots and humorous dialogue: " Jose Chung's ''Doomsday Defense''" (originally aired on November 21, 1997) and "
Somehow, Satan Got Behind Me "'Somehow, Satan Got Behind Me" is the twenty-first episode of the second season of the American crime- thriller television series ''Millennium''. It premiered on the Fox network on May 1, 1998. The episode was written and directed by Darin Mor ...
" (May 1, 1998). In a March 2015 interview, Chris Carter revealed that Morgan would write an episode for the show's then-announced tenth season. The episode, entitled "
Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster "Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster" is the third episode of the tenth season of ''The X-Files,'' written and directed by Darin Morgan, it aired on February 1, 2016, on Fox and guest stars Rhys Darby as Guy Mann, Kumail Nanjiani as Pasha, ...
" aired on February 1, 2016. Morgan worked on the show's eleventh season, contributing the script for the episode "
The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat "The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat" is the fourth episode of the The X-Files (season 11), eleventh season of the American Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''The X-Files''. The episode was written and directed by Darin ...
" (aired on January 24, 2018 ). In addition to his work as a writer, Morgan appeared in ''The X-Files'' episode " Small Potatoes" (April 20, 1997), playing Eddie Van Blundht, a self-described "loser" with the ability to shape-shift. As well as being hired by
Joel Silver Joel Silver (born July 14, 1952) is an American film producer. Life and career Silver was born and raised in South Orange, New Jersey, the son of a writer and a public relations executive. His family is Jewish. He attended Columbia High School i ...
to write the second intended ''
Tales From The Crypt Tales from the Crypt may refer to: * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (album), by American rapper C-Bo * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (comics), published by EC Comics during the 1950s ** ''Tales from the Crypt'' (film), a 1972 Amicus film starring Ralph Ric ...
'' film after ''
Demon Knight ''Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight'' is a 1995 American horror comedy film directed by Ernest Dickerson, starring Billy Zane, William Sadler, and Jada Pinkett. Brenda Bakke, C. C. H. Pounder, Dick Miller and Thomas Haden Church c ...
'' called ''Dead Easy'' (aka Fat Tuesday) a New Orleans zombie romp. However his script was rejected by producers Gilbert Adler and A. L. Katz.


Later work

On August 11, 2004, it was announced that Morgan and screenwriter
Sam Hamm Sam Hamm (born November 19, 1955) is an American screenwriter and comic book writer. Hamm is known for co-writing the screenplay for Tim Burton's ''Batman''. He also received a story credit for ''Batman Returns'' (though the final version of the ...
were writing an untitled screenplay under development by
DreamWorks SKG DreamWorks may refer to: * DreamWorks Pictures, an American film production company of Amblin ** DreamWorks Television, an American television production company and division of the film studio ** DreamWorks Records, an American record label and ...
. According to ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
'', the story "concerns a marriage counselor, whose daughter is about to get married, who discovers that his future son-in-law is suffering from the delusion that he's a superhero." Morgan worked on the second episode of former ''X-Files'' producer
Frank Spotnitz Frank Charles Spotnitz is an American television screenwriter and executive producer, best known for his work on ''The X-Files'' and ''The Man in the High Castle''. Spotnitz is also the chief executive officer and founder of Big Light Production ...
's '' Kolchak: The Night Stalker'' remake, as consulting producer, though the show was canceled before any of Morgan's scripts were produced. The only script that Morgan wrote before the show was canceled was called "The M Word". It concerned a serial killer and a were-lizard, who may or may not be one and the same. It is available as a PDF on the second disc of the show's DVD set. The script was later rewritten for the tenth season of ''The X-Files'' as "Mulder And Scully Meet The Were-Monster." Morgan worked as a consulting producer on the short-lived TV reboot of '' Bionic Woman'' (2008) and ''
Fringe Fringe may refer to: Arts * Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world's largest arts festival, known as "the Fringe" * Adelaide Fringe, the world's second-largest annual arts festival * Fringe theatre, a name for alternative theatre * The Fringe, the ...
'' (2008). He subsequently joined his brother Glen's productions of ''
Tower Prep ''Tower Prep'' is an American-Canadian 13-episode live-action teen science-fiction television series created by Paul Dini for Cartoon Network. It aired between October 12 to December 28, 2010. Prior to ''Tower Prep'', Dini was a producer and wri ...
'' (2010) and '' Intruders'' (2014) as a supervising producer, writing multiple episodes of each show. In 2015, Morgan wrote and directed one episode for ''The X-Files'' season ten titled "
Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster "Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster" is the third episode of the tenth season of ''The X-Files,'' written and directed by Darin Morgan, it aired on February 1, 2016, on Fox and guest stars Rhys Darby as Guy Mann, Kumail Nanjiani as Pasha, ...
", and then returned again in 2017 to write and direct "
The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat "The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat" is the fourth episode of the The X-Files (season 11), eleventh season of the American Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''The X-Files''. The episode was written and directed by Darin ...
" for season eleven.


Filmography


Producer


Writer


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Darin Living people Place of birth missing (living people) American male television actors American television directors American television producers American television writers American male television writers Loyola Marymount University alumni Emmy Award winners 1966 births