Sam Esmail

Biography

Sam Esmail is an American screenwriter, director, and producer, born on September 17, 1977, in Hoboken, New Jersey. He studied film at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and later earned an MFA from the American Film Institute.

Esmail gained international recognition as the creator, writer, executive producer, and director of the acclaimed psychological thriller series Mr. Robot (2015–2019), starring Rami Malek. The series earned numerous awards, including Golden Globes, Primetime Emmys, and a Peabody Award.

His feature-film debut was Comet (2014), which he wrote and directed. He later wrote, directed, and produced the psychological thriller Leave the World Behind (2023), starring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, and Ethan Hawke.

Esmail also played a major creative role in Amazon's Homecoming (2018–2020). He directed all 10 episodes of the first season and served as an executive producer on the series. The psychological thriller, starring Julia Roberts in its first season, follows a mysterious facility designed to help soldiers transition back to civilian life.

His other television producing credits include Briarpatch, Gaslit, Angelyne, and The Resort. Through his production company, Esmail Corp, he has continued developing film and television projects with an emphasis on psychological tension, technology, identity, paranoia, and social isolation.

With his distinctive visual style and interest in complex psychological stories, Sam Esmail has become one of the prominent contemporary creators in American television and film, particularly known for Mr. Robot, Homecoming, Comet, and Leave the World Behind.