Michelle MacLaren

Canadian director and producer who won back-to-back Emmys for producing Breaking Bad in 2013 and 2014.

Michelle MacLaren is a Canadian television director and producer who served as an executive producer and key director on Breaking Bad. She directed eleven episodes of the series, more than any other director, a feat recognized by io9 on the show's tenth anniversary as making her the MVP of its breakout directors. Her tenure included directing pivotal episodes such as "One Minute" and "Gliding Over All." MacLaren won two back-to-back Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama Series in 2013 and 2014, and she was nominated for six Emmys total for her work on the show: one for directing "One Minute," one for "Gliding Over All," and four for producing.

Quick Facts

Occupation

Director, producer

Notable works

Game of Thrones
The Walking Dead
Breaking Bad
Harsh Realm
The X-Files
Westworld
Booker
Better Call Saul

Years active

1989–present

Relatives

Ashleigh Banfield (cousin)

Lore & Background

MacLaren approaches shooting action sequences through mathematical deconstruction, favoring the use of multiple cameras and wide lenses to capture complex moments. Her directorial debut on The X-Files was the season nine episode "John Doe," written by her future Breaking Bad collaborator Vince Gilligan. She was nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards all tied to Breaking Bad: directing "One Minute" (season 3, episode 7) in 2010 and "Gliding Over All" (season 5, episode 8) in 2013, plus four Outstanding Drama Series nominations as executive producer in 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014. She won the latter two years for producing. Additionally, she received three Producers Guild of America Award nominations for Best Episodic Drama for the series, winning in 2014 and 2015.

Reader's Guide

Fans can trace MacLaren's impact through her specific directorial choices, such as her mathematical deconstruction of action scenes. Her Emmy-winning directing work includes "One Minute" (2010) and "Gliding Over All" (2013). As an executive producer, she secured wins in 2013 and 2014 after receiving nominations across four years. Her collaboration with Vince Gilligan began on The X-Files with the episode "John Doe" and continued through Breaking Bad, where they developed a miniseries called Raven based on the Jonestown massacre. She also directed episodes of The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones early in their runs. In December 2017, she visited the Dubai International Film Festival as a guest of OSN. On January 31, 2018, she was confirmed to direct the film Cowboy Ninja Viking.

Did You Know?

Michelle MacLaren directed 11 episodes of Breaking Bad, more than any other director on the series.
MacLaren left the Wonder Woman project in April 2015 due to "creative differences" after being announced to direct it in November 2014.
She was the only woman to direct episodes of Game of Thrones, a fact that drew criticism when she was excluded from directing the final season.