Michael Slovis

Biography

Michael Slovis is an accomplished American cinematographer and television director, born in Plainfield, New Jersey. He has built a distinguished career working on numerous critically acclaimed and popular television series.   

Slovis began his professional journey in 1981, initially working for many years as a camera operator in the film industry. He transitioned to cinematography in 1995, lending his visual talents to films such as "Party Girl," "Half Past Dead," and "Halloweentown."   

In the realm of television, Slovis made his mark as a cinematographer on the series "Ed" starting in 2000. This led to collaborations on other notable shows including "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Fringe," "Royal Pains," and "Rubicon." He is particularly celebrated for his exceptional cinematography on the groundbreaking AMC series "Breaking Bad," for which he received multiple Emmy nominations.   

Expanding his role behind the camera, Slovis made his directorial debut with the 2001 television film "Spirit." He went on to direct episodes of various television series, including "Ed," "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Rubicon," "Breaking Bad," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Hell on Wheels," "Game of Thrones," "The Walking Dead," "Better Call Saul," "Preacher," "The Looming Tower," and "New Amsterdam."   

His contributions have been recognized with prestigious accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a One-Hour Series in 2006 for his work on "CSI." In 2010, Slovis became a member of the American Society of Cinematographers.   

More recently, Slovis served as a director and co-executive producer for "The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live" in 2024 and directed episodes of "The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon" in the same year, further solidifying his reputation as a versatile and highly respected figure in the television industry. 

He currently resides in Montclair, New Jersey, with his wife and three children. He is an alumnus of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and holds a BFA in Professional Photographic Illustration from the Rochester Institute of Technology.