Stephen Semel


Stephen Semel is an American film and television editor, film producer, production manager, and actor. He has worked as an editor for mainstream movies, such as Airheads, The Count of Monte Cristo, Fandango, Kuffs, License to Drive, Miracle Mile, My Giant, One Eight Seven, Only the Strong, Three to Tango, The Truth About Cats & Dogs, The Way of the Gun, and You So Crazy. Semel has also edited episodes of several television series, including episodes of Century City, Dragnet, Kyle XY, House, Melrose Place, and Tales from the Crypt.
Semel has edited forty-one episodes of Lost, appearing as Adam, one of "The Others", in the season 3 premiere, "A Tale of Two Cities". From 2006 to 2010, Semel was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series for his work on the series, for the episodes "Live Together, Die Alone", "Through the Looking Glass", "There's No Place Like Home", "The Incident", and "The End", winning in 2010. In addition, Semel directed two episodes, "Ji Yeon" and "The Last Recruit", in 2008 and 2010, respectively.
As well as editing eight episodes, Semel was an associate producer for Tales from the Crypt, for eighteen episodes, and was an associate producer for Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories. He was a producer for the VHS releases – Books 1–5, along with being post-production supervisor for two episodes of the series.
Semel was also an assistant film editor for Apocalypse Now and an associate film editor for Galaxina. He was also an assistant editor for Back to the Future and an additional film editor for I'm Gonna Git You Sucka.

Selected filmography

YearFilmDirectorRole
1979Apocalypse NowFrancis Ford CoppolaAssistant film editor
1980GalaxinaWilliam SachsAssociate film editor
1982The Escape ArtistCaleb DeschanelAssistant editor
1984The Buddy SystemGlenn JordanAssistant editor
1988I'm Gonna Git You SuckaKeenen Ivory WayansAdditional film editor

YearFilmDirectorRole
1985Back to the FutureRobert ZemeckisSpecial thanks

;Documentaries
YearFilmDirectorNotes
1994You So CrazyThomas SchlammeStand-up film

;TV movies
YearFilmDirectorNotes
1991Blood TiesJim McBride
1994Cosmic SlopReginald Hudlin"Space Traders" segment
1997Before Women Had WingsLloyd Kramer

;TV series
YearTitleNotes
1992Melrose Place1 episode
1989−92Tales from the Crypt8 episodes
2003Dragnet4 episodes
2004Century City9 episodes
2006Kyle XY1 episode
2009House1 episode
2004−10Lost42 episodes
2019Jack Ryan2 episodes
2016−20Westworld2 episodes

YearTitleRoleNotes
2006LostAdam1 episode

YearTitleNotes
2008−10Lost2 episodes
2012−15Person of Interest2 episodes

YearTitleCreditNotes
1985−87Amazing StoriesAssociate producer29 episodes
1990Tales from the CryptAssociate producer18 episodes
2010−12UndercoversAssociate producer11 episodes
2012AlcatrazCo-producer13 episodes
2011−15Person of Interest90 episodes
2016−20Westworld28 episodes
2024FalloutCo-executive producer8 episodes

YearTitleRoleNotes
1992Tales from the CryptPost-production supervisor2 episodes