Todd A. Kessler

{{about-otherpeople|the American screenwriter|Todd Kessler|Todd Kessler (disambiguation)}}

Todd A. Kessler (born 1972) is an American screenwriter, playwright, television producer and director.

Career

Kessler wrote and produced the second and third seasons of HBO's The Sopranos, 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. Kessler is credited with co-writing (with David Chase) the Sopranos season 2 finale Funhouse -- widely lauded as one of the best episodes of the series.{{Cite web |last=Lima |first=Leo Noboru |date=2021-11-22 |title=Fired Sopranos Writer Confirms What We Suspected All Along About James Gandolfini's Demeanor - Looper |url=https://www.looper.com/668240/fired-sopranos-writer-confirms-what-we-suspected-all-along-about-james-gandolfinis-demeanor/ |access-date=2022-04-21 |website=Looper.com |language=en-US}}

Despite his success on The Sopranos, HBO did not retain Kessler beyond season 3, an experience Kessler described as "painful and formative." Kessler and Sopranos actor James Gandolfini became close friends during Kessler's time writing for the show.

He is the co-creator and head writer of the Golden Globe award-winning FX drama series Damages along with his older brother, Glenn Kessler, and Daniel Zelman.[http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/33083/celebrity-jews/ Jewish Weekly: "Celebrity Jews"] by Nate Bloom. August 7, 2007 He also has a small role in Damages as Perry the Doorman.

In 2015, his Kyle Chandler-led Netflix series Bloodline premiered. In 2016 it was cancelled, and ended its run after its third season in 2017.{{cite web|last1=Prudom|first1=Laura|title='Bloodline' Ending After Season 3 on Netflix|date=14 September 2016 |url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/bloodline-cancelled-season-3-netflix-1201860480/|accessdate=14 September 2016}}

Education

After graduating from Cranbrook Kingswood School, Kessler graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University 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 Kessler 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.

Filmography

class="wikitable" ! rowspan="2" \| Year ! rowspan="2" \| Title ! colspan="4" \| Credited as ! rowspan="2" \| Notes
Writer ! Producer ! Director !Creator
1997 \| The Visitor \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \|Co-wrote "Going Home"
1999 \| Providence \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \|3 episodes, also executive story editor
2000–01 \|The Sopranos \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \|Wrote 5 episodes, also co-producer
2002–03 \|Robbery Homicide Division \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \|Supervising producer, wrote 5 episodes
2007–12 \|Damages \| {{yes}} \| {{yes\|Executive}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes\|Co-creator}} \|Wrote 25 episodes and directed 7 episodes
2015–17 \|Bloodline \| {{yes}} \| {{yes\|Executive}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes\|Co-creator}} \|Wrote 8 episodes and directed 4 episodes
2024–present \|The New Look \| {{yes}} \| {{yes\|Executive}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \|Wrote 8 episodes and directed 2 episodes

class="wikitable"

! rowspan="2" | Year

! rowspan="2" | Title

! colspan="4" | Credited as

! rowspan="2" | Notes

Writer

! Producer

! Director

!Creator

1997

| The Visitor

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

|Co-wrote "Going Home"

1999

| Providence

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

|3 episodes, also executive story editor

2000–01

|The Sopranos

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

|Wrote 5 episodes, also co-producer

2002–03

|Robbery Homicide Division

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

|Supervising producer, wrote 5 episodes

2007–12

|Damages

| {{yes}}

| {{yes|Executive}}

| {{yes}}

| {{yes|Co-creator}}

|Wrote 25 episodes and directed 7 episodes

2015–17

|Bloodline

| {{yes}}

| {{yes|Executive}}

| {{yes}}

| {{yes|Co-creator}}

|Wrote 8 episodes and directed 4 episodes

2024–present

|The New Look

| {{yes}}

| {{yes|Executive}}

| {{yes}}

|Wrote 8 episodes and directed 2 episodes

References

External links

{{IMDb name|id=0450393|name=Todd A. Kessler}}
[http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/damages/ Damages official website containing Todd A. Kessler biography]
[http://www.tvguide.com/news/damages-finale-answers/071026-05 Interview with Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler, and Daniel Zelman at TV Guide]

Category:American television directors

Category:American television writers

Category:American male television writers

Category:Damages (TV series)

Category:Living people

Category:Place of birth missing (living people)

Category:1972 births

Category:American showrunners

Category:Harvard University alumni

Category:Cranbrook Educational Community alumni

Category:Television producers from Michigan