Kyle Killen is an American

television writer A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. T ...

and producer. He is best known as the creator and showrunner of the critically acclaimed but short-lived television series '' Lone Star'' (2010), ''

Awake Wakefulness is a daily recurring brain state and state of consciousness in which an individual is conscious and engages in coherent cognitive and behavioral responses to the external world. Being awake is the opposite of being asleep, in which ...

'' (2012) and ''

Mind Games Playing mind games (also power games or head games) is the largely conscious struggle for psychological one-upmanship, often employing passive–aggressive behavior to specifically demoralize or dis-empower the thinking subject, making the a ...

'' (2014). He also wrote the screenplay of

Jodie Foster Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster (born November 19, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and the hono ...

's '' The Beaver'' (2011).

Early life and education

Killen was born in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

and moved with his family to Burleson, Texas when he was three.Dale Roe
"'Lone Star' creator Kyle Killen calls Austin home"
''Austin American-Statesman'', September 24, 2010. He is a graduate of the film school at the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

.Rob Owen
"Kyle Killen: Sought-after scribe feels like outsider. 10 TV Scribes to Watch"
''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'', Jun 14, 2011.

Career

Killen is the creator of the short-lived series '' Lone Star'' and ''

''. He recently created the drama series ''

'' for ABC. He also wrote the feature film '' The Beaver'', filmed in 2009 and released in 2011. It was directed by Jodie Foster and starred Jodie Foster and

Mel Gibson Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor, film director, and producer. He is best known for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role as Max Rockatansky in the first three films of the post-apoca ...

. A second film written by Killen, 2013's ''

Scenic Route A scenic route, tourist road, tourist route, tourist drive, holiday route, theme route, or scenic byway is a specially designated road or waterway that travels through an area of natural or cultural beauty. It often passes by scenic viewpoint ...

'', was directed by Kevin and Michael Goetz. His directorial debut is ''Mind Gamess season finale ''As God Is My Witness''. In June, 2016, Killen revised

Jeremy Slater Jeremy Slater is an American writer and producer of film and television, known for his work on films such as ''Fantastic Four'' and ''Death Note'', and on television series such as ''The Umbrella Academy'' and ''The Exorcist'', which Slater crea ...

's draft of

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...

's adaptation of '' Death Note''. On June 28, 2018, Killen was hired as showrunner and executive producer of the ''

Halo Halo, halos or haloes usually refer to: * Halo (optical phenomenon) * Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head HALO, halo, halos or haloes may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Video games * ''Halo'' (franch ...

'' series. On June 25, 2021, Killen left the role of showrunner and executive producer of the ''

'' series.

Personal life

Until starting work on ''

'', Killen had been based in

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

. After graduating from USC and leaving Los Angeles, he wrote short fiction and first-person journalism. While working at what he called "real jobs" (computer support, construction), Killen found it hard to give up screenplay-writing. In a last-ditch effort, he returned to L.A., dressed up as a courier and dropped copies of a script at every agency he could find. Six months later, one of those agents called. "That script probably wasn't deserving of getting produced," he told the trade publication ''

'' in a 2011 "10 TV Scribes to Watch" feature, "but it got me a teeny, tiny toe in the door." Killen told the ''Austin American-Statesman'' in 2010 that "I quit, but I never really quit. I took a lot of horrible, crazy jobs, but I always ended up writing about them or writing things that came out of them." Killen is married to an ER doctor;Philiana Ng
"'Awake' Creator Revisits Complexities of Dual Realities and 'Lone Star' Woes (Q&A)"
''

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 ...

'', February 28, 2012. the couple have three children.

References

External links

*
Q & A with Kyle Killen and Howard GordonKyle Killen at blogspot
{{DEFAULTSORT:Killen, Kyle American male screenwriters Television producers from Illinois American television writers Living people Writers from Chicago People from Burleson, Texas USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni Year of birth missing (living people) Awake (TV series) American male television writers Screenwriters from Illinois Screenwriters from Texas Television producers from Texas