Thomas Schnauz (born ) is an American television producer and television writer. His credits include The X-Files, The Lone Gunmen, Night Stalker, Reaper, Breaking Bad, and Better Call Saul.
Personal life Schnauz was born in Kearny, New Jersey. He graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 1988, where he first met fellow student Vince Gilligan, who graduated the following year.
Career Schnauz started his career in various production jobs. His first screenplay was called Spirits in Passing. He eventually joined Vince Gilligan on the writing staff of The X-Files and its spinoff show, The Lone Gunmen. He also co-wrote the screenplays for the 2008 film Otis and the 2008 television film Infected. In 2010, he re-teamed with Gilligan on Breaking Bad, where he remained through the show's 2013 conclusion.
Schnauz signed a two-year overall deal with Sony Pictures Television in November 2014.
Schnauz served as co-executive producer on AMC's Breaking Bad spinoff series Better Call Saul. He has written and/or directed a number of its episodes including "Pimento", the penultimate episode of the show's first season, which received critical acclaim, as well as "Plan and Execution", the finale of the sixth season's first half that also received praise for Schnauz's writing.
In April 2015, it was reported that he had been tapped to write the screenplay for "a revisionist take" on "Jack and the Beanstalk", also to be produced by Vince Gilligan.
In 2019, Schnauz joined other WGA writers in firing their agents as part of the WGA's stand against the ATA and the practice of packaging.
Filmography Writer YearShowSeasonEpisode titleEpisodeNotes2001The Lone Gunmen1"Madam, I'm Adam"6"Tango de los Pistoleros"10The X-Files9"Lord of the Flies"52002"Scary Monsters"142005Night Stalker1"The Five People You Meet in Hell"22007Reaper1"What About Blob"5"Ashes to Ashes"92008"Coming to Grips"1520092"I Want My Baby Back"52010Breaking Bad3"One Minute"7"Abiquiu"11Co-written with John Shiban20114"Shotgun"5"Bug"9Co-written with Moira Walley-Beckett"End Times"1220125"Say My Name"7Also directed2013"Buried"102014Resurrection1"Unearth"22015The Man in the High Castle1"The Illustrated Woman"3"Revelations"4Better Call Saul1"Nacho"3"Pimento"9Also directed20162"Switch"1"Fifi"820173"Witness"2"Sabrosito"4Director only"Expenses"7Also directed20184"Breathe"2"Winner"10Co-written with Peter Gould20205"Wexler v. Goodman"6"Bad Choice Road"9Also directed20226"Carrot and Stick"2 Co-written with Ariel Levine"Plan and Execution"7Also directed"Breaking Bad"112025Gen V2"Hell Week"7 Production staff YearShowRoleNotes2001The X-FilesStory EditorSeason 920022005Night StalkerExecutive Story EditorSeason 12006 2007ReaperCo-producerSeason 120082009ProducerSeason 22010Breaking Bad Season 32011Supervising producerSeason 42012Co-executive producerSeason 520132014ResurrectionSeason 12015Better Call SaulSeason 12016Executive producerSeason 22017Season 32018Season 42020Season 52022Season 62025Gen VExecutive producerSeason 2 Screenplays YearTitleCreditNotes2008InfectedWriterTV movie. Story by Tom Schnauz2008OtisWriterCo-wrote with Erik Jendresen
Awards and nominations Schnauz has been nominated for Writers Guild of America Awards on six occasions, winning four times, for his work on the writing staffs of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. His Better Call Saul episode Plan and Execution won Best Episodic Drama in 2023 at the WGA Awards. Schnauz shared in the show's 2010 Dramatic Series nomination, and subsequent category wins in 2011, 20122012 Nominees & Winners, Writers Guild Awards - Writers Guild of America, West and 2013,2013 Nominees & Winners, Writers Guild Awards - Writers Guild of America, West for his work on Breaking Bad. He was nominated again in 2015 and 2016 in the Dramatic Series category for Better Call Saul.
He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series for the 2012 Breaking Bad episode "Say My Name" and in 2022 for the Better Call Saul episode Plan and Execution https://www.televisionacademy.com/awards/nominees-winners/2022/outstanding-writing-for-a-drama-series +YearAwardCategoryShowResult2010Writers Guild of America AwardBest Dramatic SeriesBreaking Bad2010Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Drama Series2010Producers Guild of America AwardBest Episodic Drama2011Writers Guild of America AwardBest Dramatic Series2012Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Drama Series2012Writers Guild of America AwardBest Dramatic Series2012Producers Guild of America AwardBest Episodic Drama2013Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Writing for a Drama Series2013Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Drama Series2013Writers Guild of America AwardBest Dramatic Series2013Producers Guild of America AwardBest Episodic Drama2014Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Drama Series2014Producers Guild of America AwardBest Episodic Drama2015Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Drama SeriesBetter Call Saul2015Writers Guild of America AwardBest Dramatic Series2015Producers Guild of America AwardBest Episodic Drama2016Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Drama Series2016Writers Guild of America AwardBest Dramatic Series2016Producers Guild of America AwardBest Episodic Drama2017Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Drama Series2019Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Drama Series2019Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Writing for a Drama Series2020Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Drama Series2020Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Writing for a Drama Series2022Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Drama Series2022Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Writing for a Drama Series
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