Craig Mazin Bio
Craig Mazin is an American filmmaker born in 1971. He is best known for creating, writing, and producing the HBO historical disaster drama miniseries Chernobyl released in 2019 and co-creating, co-writing, and executive producing the HBO post-apocalyptic drama series The Last of Us, which debuted in 2023. For his work on Chernobyl, Mazin won Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing and Outstanding Limited Series. Prior to his dramatic work, Mazin was primarily known for his work on comedy films.
Early Life and Background
Craig Mazin was born in 1971 to Ashkenazi Jewish parents in New York City. He grew up in the city’s Staten Island borough before moving as a teenager to Marlboro Township, New Jersey. He attended Freehold High School in nearby Freehold Borough, which later inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2010.
Mazin graduated magna cum laude with a degree in psychology from Princeton University in 1992. His roommate during his freshman year was future Republican politician Ted Cruz. His academic background provided him with a foundation that would later inform his approach to storytelling and character development in his screenwriting career.
Path to Screenwriting
Craig Mazin began his entertainment career as a marketing executive with Walt Disney Pictures in the mid-1990s. In this role, he was responsible for writing and producing campaigns for studio films. This early exposure to the film industry gave him valuable insight into how stories are marketed and received by audiences.
He made his screenwriting debut with 1997’s sci-fi comedy RocketMan, which he co-wrote with his then-writing partner Greg Erb. This project marked his transition from marketing to creative work in the entertainment industry. His early screenwriting work established him as a writer capable of crafting commercial comedy content.
In 2004, Mazin was elected to the board of directors of the Writers Guild of America, West. His term expired in September 2006 after he chose not to seek re-election. During this time, he also ran a website called The Artful Writer with fellow former WGA board member Ted Elliott, which focused on issues relevant to working screenwriters until it closed in 2011.
Craig Mazin Career
Early Career (1997-2008)
After his debut with RocketMan in 1997, Craig Mazin wrote several comedy films including Senseless, Scary Movie 3, and Scary Movie 4. These projects established his reputation as a writer of popular comedy films. His work during this period demonstrated his ability to craft commercially successful entertainment that resonated with broad audiences.
Mazin also ventured into directing during this period. He directed and produced 2000’s low-budget superhero film The Specials. In 2008, he directed and wrote the superhero spoof Superhero Movie, in which he also made a cameo appearance as a janitor. These projects showcased his versatility as both a writer and director in the comedy genre.
Breakthrough (2006-2019)
Since 2006, Mazin has collaborated with director Todd Phillips on several occasions. He co-wrote both Hangover sequels, The Hangover Part II released in 2011 and The Hangover Part III, and executive produced School for Scoundrels. These collaborations positioned him as a prominent writer in major studio comedy productions.
In 2011, Mazin and fellow screenwriter John August began Scriptnotes, a weekly podcast on the craft of screenwriting and the United States film industry. This podcast became an influential resource for aspiring and professional screenwriters, further establishing Mazin’s reputation in the industry beyond his creative work.
In 2017, HBO and Sky Television announced Chernobyl, a five-part drama miniseries created by Mazin about the Chernobyl disaster. The series aired in 2019 and was filmed in Lithuania and Ukraine. Mazin explained that the lesson of Chernobyl is that lying, arrogance, and suppression of criticism are dangerous rather than that modern nuclear power is inherently dangerous.
Notable Works and Milestones
Craig Mazin’s career reached new heights with the success of Chernobyl in 2019, which earned him Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing and Outstanding Limited Series. This marked a significant shift from his comedy roots to dramatic storytelling. In 2020, he was announced as co-writer and co-executive producer for the television series adaptation of the video game The Last of Us for HBO alongside the game’s co-director and writer Neil Druckmann.
The Last of Us adaptation was greenlit by HBO in November 2020 and was released in January 2023. The series became a critical and commercial success. In January 2021, Mazin signed an overall deal with HBO. In July 2025, it was announced that Mazin would have creative control of the third season as Druckmann and Halley Gross exited the series to pursue other commitments. In August 2025, Mazin was tapped by HBO to executive produce Blackout Room, a high-concept mystery thriller drama.
Craig Mazin Award Nominations
Craig Mazin has received significant recognition for his work in television, particularly for Chernobyl. The miniseries garnered numerous award nominations from prestigious industry organizations. His work on the series established him as a writer capable of delivering compelling dramatic content for television.
Craig Mazin Awards Won
Craig Mazin won Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing and Outstanding Limited Series for his work on Chernobyl. These awards recognized both his individual contribution as a writer and the overall success of the series as a limited series production. These Emmy wins represent the highest recognition in American television and marked a major milestone in his career.
| Award | Wins | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series | 1 | 2019 |
| Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series | 1 | 2019 |
Craig Mazin Family
Craig Mazin is married to Melissa Mazin. The couple has two children, a son and a daughter. Mazin maintains his family life while pursuing his career in the entertainment industry. His personal life has remained relatively private despite his public professional success.
Personal Life
Craig Mazin supported Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. He has a tattoo of a switchblade belonging to The Last of Us character Ellie on his arm, demonstrating his connection to the projects he creates. Throughout his career, Mazin has balanced his creative work with industry advocacy through his involvement with the Writers Guild of America and his educational podcast Scriptnotes.
