Michelle MacLaren


Michelle Maxwell MacLaren is a Canadian television director and producer. She has directed episodes of The X-Files, Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, The [Walking Dead (TV series)|The Walking Dead], Game of Thrones, and Westworld.
MacLaren won two back-to-back Primetime Emmy Awards for producing Breaking Bad in 2013 and 2014.

Early life

MacLaren grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia. She graduated from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. MacLaren is a cousin of television anchor Ashleigh Banfield.

Career

MacLaren made her directorial debut on the season nine episode of The X-Files, "John Doe", which was written by her future Breaking Bad collaborator Vince Gilligan. She approaches shooting action sequences as mathematical deconstruction and likes using multiple cameras and wide lenses.
She was nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards, all for Breaking Bad: one for directing the episode "One Minute" in 2010, one for directing the episode "Gliding Over All" in 2013, and the other four in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014 for Outstanding Drama Series, on which she served as an executive producer, winning in 2013 and 2014. She was also nominated for three Producers Guild of America Award for Best Episodic Drama for Breaking Bad, winning in 2014 and 2015. On the tenth anniversary of the premiere of Breaking Bad, io9 singled out MacLaren among the breakout directors on the series as the MVP, noting she directed 11 episodes, more than any other director.
In June 2014, it was announced MacLaren had signed a two-year first-look deal with HBO.
In November 2014, it was announced that MacLaren would develop the script and direct Wonder Woman, the iconic character's first solo cinematic appearance and the fourth installment of the DC Extended Universe. However, in April 2015 MacLaren left the project due to "creative differences".
She was the executive producer of and directed the pilot for David Simon's HBO drama The Deuce. She was the first director hired and established the overall 1970s tone and style of the show.
In August 2016, it was announced that MacLaren would direct the film adaptation of Kristin Hannah's novel The Nightingale. She was attracted to the prospect of directing The Nightingale because it is a "muscular" project and the female characters are unsuspecting heroes.
The same year she also directed the ninth episode of the HBO series Westworld. When the directors of the final season of Game of Thrones were announced, several prominent news sites, including Polygon and Nerdist, expressed disappointment that MacLaren, the only woman to direct on the series, was not included.
In December 2017, MacLaren visited the Dubai International Film Festival as a guest of OSN.
On January 31, 2018, MacLaren was confirmed as director for the film Cowboy Ninja Viking.
She is developing a miniseries for HBO with Breaking Bad co-producer Vince Gilligan called Raven, based on the Jonestown massacre.

Filmography

Film
TV series
YearTitleDirectorExecutive
Producer		Episode
2000–2002The X-Files"John Doe"
2002Without a Trace"Midnight Sun"
2003John Doe"John D.O.A."
2005Night Stalker"Pilot"
2006Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"Infected"
2006Kyle XY"Blame it on the Rain"
2009–2013Breaking Badrowspan=11 rowspan=11 "To'hajiilee"
2009–2013Breaking Bad"Buried"--
2009–2013Breaking Bad"Gliding Over All"--
2009–2013Breaking Bad"Madrigal"--
2009–2013Breaking Bad"Salud"--
2009–2013Breaking Bad"Shotgun"--
2009–2013Breaking Bad"Thirty-Eight Snub"--
2009–2013Breaking Bad"Abiquiu"--
2009–2013Breaking Bad"One Minute"--
2009–2013Breaking Bad"I.F.T."--
2009–2013Breaking Bad"4 Days Out"--
2010Memphis Beat"Suspicious Minds"
2010Lie to Me"Dirty Loyal"
2010The Event"Your World to Take"
2010–2014The Walking Deadrowspan=3 rowspan=3 "A"
2010–2014The Walking Dead"Pretty Much Dead Already"--
2010–2014The Walking Dead"Guts"--
2011Camelot"Igraine"
2011Hell on Wheels"Revelations"
2012NCIS"Need to Know"
2012The River"Doctor Emmet Cole"
2013Chicks 'n' GunsBreaking Bad bonus scene
2013–2014Game of Thronesrowspan=4 rowspan=4 "First of His Name"
2013–2014Game of Thrones"Oathkeeper"--
2013–2014Game of Thrones"Second Sons"--
2013–2014Game of Thrones"The Bear and the Maiden Fair"--
2014The Leftovers"Cairo"
2015–2022Better Call Saulrowspan=3 rowspan=3 "Nippy"
2015–2022Better Call Saul"Breathe"--
2015–2022Better Call Saul"Mijo"--
2016Westworld"The Well-Tempered Clavier"
2017Modern Family"All Things Being Equal"
2017–2019The Deucerowspan=2 rowspan=2 "My Name Is Ruby"
2017–2019The Deuce"Pilot"--
2019The [Morning Show (American TV series)|The Morning Show]"Lonely at the Top"
2021Coyoterowspan=2 rowspan=2 "Silver or Lead"
2021Coyote"Call of the Void"--
2024Constellationrowspan=2 rowspan=2 "Live and Let Die"
2024Constellation"The Wounded Angel"--

TV movies
YearTitleWriterProducer
1992Shame
1993For the Love of My Child: The Anissa Ayala Story
1993Moment of Truth: A Child Too Many
1994Moment of Truth: To Walk Again
1994Moment of Truth: Broken Pledges
1994Heart of a Child
1994Moment of Truth: A Mother's Deception
1995The Other Mother: A Moment of Truth Movie
1997A Child's Wish
1998Beauty
1999A Song from the Heart

Awards and nominations

Primetime Emmy Awards
YearCategoryTitleEpisodeResult
2010Outstanding Drama SeriesBreaking BadNomitated
2012Outstanding Drama SeriesBreaking BadNomitated
2013Outstanding Drama SeriesBreaking BadWon
2014Outstanding Drama SeriesBreaking BadWon
2010Outstanding Directing for a Drama SeriesBreaking Bad"One Minute"Nomitated
2013Outstanding Directing for a Drama SeriesBreaking Bad"Gliding Over All"Nomitated

Producers Guild of America
YearCategoryTitleResult
2011Best Episodic DramaBreaking BadNomitated
2013Best Episodic DramaBreaking BadNomitated
2014Best Episodic DramaBreaking BadWon
2015Best Episodic DramaBreaking BadWon