Ryan Murphy

Ryan Patrick Murphy (born November 9, 1965) is an American television writer, director, and producer. He is best known for creating and producing a number of television series including Popular (1999–2001), Nip/Tuck (2003–2010), Glee (2009–2015), American Horror Story (2011–present), Scream Queens (2015–2016), American Crime Story (2016–present), Pose (2018–2021), 9-1-1 (2018–present), The Politician (2019–2020), 9-1-1: Lone Star (2020–present), Ratched (2020), American Horror Stories (2021–present), and Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022). Murphy also directed the 2006 film adaptation of Augusten Burroughs' memoir Running with Scissors, the 2010 film adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir Eat, Pray, Love, the 2014 film adaptation of Larry Kramer's play The Normal Heart, and the 2020 film adaptation of the musical The Prom. Murphy has received six Primetime Emmy Awards from 36 nominations, a Tony Award from two nominations, and two Grammy Award nominations. He has often been cited as "the most powerful man" in modern television, including having signed the largest development deal in television history with Netflix. Murphy is noted for having created a shift in inclusive storytelling that "brought marginalised characters to the masses".

Works

Mid-Century Modern

Three best friends — gay gentlemen of a certain age – who, after an unexpected death, decide to spend their golden years living together in Palm Springs where the wealthiest one lives with his mother. As a chosen family, they prove that no matter how hard things get, there’s always someone around to remind you it would be better if you got your neck done.

Release Date: 2025-03-28

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Episode Count: 10

Doctor Odyssey

Max is the new on-board doctor for a luxury cruise ship where the small but mighty medical team navigate unique medical crises and each other, miles from shore.

Release Date: 2024-09-26

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Episode Count: 9

Vote Count: 27

Grotesquerie

A series of heinous crimes have unsettled a small community, and Detective Lois Tryon feels they are eerily personal, as if someone—or something—is taunting her.

Release Date: 2024-09-25

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Episode Count: 10

Vote Count: 162

Monsters

The story of the Menéndez brothers, who were convicted in 1996 of murdering their parents José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menéndez.

Release Date: 2024-09-19

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Episode Count: 9

Vote Count: 334

American Sports Story

An anthology series focusing on prominent events involving a sports figure, re-examined through the prism of today’s world and telling the story from multiple perspectives.

Release Date: 2024-09-17

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Episode Count: 10

Vote Count: 8

The Watcher

A family moves into their suburban dream home, only to discover they've inherited a nightmare.

Release Date: 2022-10-13

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 6

Vote Count: 636

Mr. Harrigan's Phone

Craig, a young boy living in a small town befriends an older, reclusive billionaire, Mr. Harrigan. The two form a bond over books and an iPhone, but when the man passes away the boy discovers that not everything dead is gone.

Release Date: 2022-10-05

Department: Production

Job: Producer

Vote Count: 845

DAHMER - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

This series examines the gruesome and horrific true crimes of Jeffrey Dahmer and the systemic failures that enabled one of America’s most notorious serial killers to continue his murderous spree in plain sight for over a decade.

Release Date: 2022-09-21

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Character: Self - Co-Creator / Executive Producer

Episode Count: 10

Vote Count: 2616

The Kardashians

The family you know and love is here with a brand new series, giving an all-access pass into their lives. Kris, Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, Kendall, and Kylie bring the cameras back to reveal the truth behind the headlines. From the intense pressures of running billion-dollar businesses to the hilarious joys of playtime and school drop-offs, this series brings viewers into the fold with a rivetingly honest story of love & life in the spotlight.

Release Date: 2022-04-14

Character: Self

Episode Count: 1

Vote Count: 2086

The Andy Warhol Diaries

After he's shot in 1968, Andy Warhol begins documenting his life and feelings. Those diaries, and this series, reveal the secrets behind his persona.

Release Date: 2022-03-09

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Episode Count: 6

Vote Count: 19

American Horror Stories

An anthology series of stand alone episodes delving into horror myths, legends and lore.

Release Date: 2021-07-15

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Episode Count: 7

Vote Count: 873

Pray Away

In the 1970s, five men struggling with being gay in their Evangelical church started a bible study to help each other leave the "homosexual lifestyle." They quickly received over 25,000 letters from people asking for help and formalized as Exodus International, the largest and most controversial conversion therapy organization in the world. But leaders struggled with a secret: their own “same-sex attractions” never went away. After years as Christian superstars in the religious right, many of these men and women have come out as LGBTQ, disavowing the very movement they helped start. Focusing on the dramatic journeys of former conversion therapy leaders, current members, and a survivor, PRAY AWAY chronicles the “ex gay" movement’s rise to power, persistent influence, and the profound harm it causes.

Release Date: 2021-06-16

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Vote Count: 95

Halston

His name built an empire. His style defined an era. American fashion designer Halston skyrockets to fame before his life starts to spin out of control.

Release Date: 2021-05-14

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Episode Count: 5

Vote Count: 120

The Prom

After the PTA of a conservative high school in Indiana bans same-sex couples from attending the annual prom, a gang of flamboyant Broadway stars try to boost their image by showing up to support two lesbian students.

Release Date: 2020-12-02

Department: Production

Job: Producer

Vote Count: 681

The Boys in the Band

At a birthday party in 1968 New York, a surprise guest and a drunken game leave seven gay friends reckoning with unspoken feelings and buried truths.

Release Date: 2020-09-30

Department: Production

Job: Producer

Vote Count: 429

Ratched

An origins story, beginning in 1947, which follows Ratched's journey and evolution from nurse to full-fledged monster tracking her murderous progression through the mental health care system.

Release Date: 2020-09-18

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Episode Count: 8

Vote Count: 1146

Pose-a-Thon for Pride

Bringing together the voices of "Pose" for stories, songs, and support of LGBTQ education, social change for sexual and gender minority people of color, and transgender equality through legal services and policy efforts.

Release Date: 2020-06-26

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Vote Count: 1

Ben Platt: Live from Radio City Music Hall

Backed by a full band and a ready wit, actor Ben Platt opens up a very personal songbook onstage -- numbers from his debut LP, "Sing to Me Instead."

Release Date: 2020-05-20

Character: Self

Vote Count: 23

Hollywood

In post-World War II Hollywood, an ambitious group of aspiring actors and filmmakers will do almost anything to make their showbiz dreams come true.

Release Date: 2020-05-01

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 7

Vote Count: 307

A Secret Love

Amid shifting times, two women kept their decades-long love a secret. But coming out later in life comes with its own set of challenges.

Release Date: 2020-04-29

Department: Production

Job: Producer

Vote Count: 120

9-1-1: Lone Star

Nearly 20 years ago, Owen Strand was the lone survivor of his Manhattan firehouse on 9/11. In the wake of the attack, Owen had the unenviable task of rebuilding his station. After a similar tragedy happens to a firehouse in Austin, Owen, along with his troubled firefighter son, T.K., takes his progressive philosophies of life and firefighting down to Texas, where he helps them start anew. On the surface, Owen is all about big-city style and swagger, but underneath he struggles with a secret he hides from the world - one that could very well end his life.

Release Date: 2020-01-19

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 1

Vote Count: 1124

The Politician

Payton has known since childhood that he's going to be president. First he'll have to navigate the most treacherous political landscape: high school.

Release Date: 2019-09-27

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Episode Count: 8

Vote Count: 205

Circus of Books

For decades, a nice Jewish couple ran Circus of Books, a porn shop and epicenter for gay LA. Their director daughter documents their life and times.

Release Date: 2019-04-26

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Vote Count: 95

POSE

A dance musical that explores the juxtaposition of several segments of 1980s life and society in New York: the ball culture world, the rise of the luxury Trump-era universe and the downtown social and literary scene.

Release Date: 2018-06-03

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Episode Count: 26

Vote Count: 546

9-1-1

Explore the high-pressure experiences of police officers, paramedics and firefighters who are thrust into the most frightening, shocking and heart-stopping situations. These emergency responders must try to balance saving those who are at their most vulnerable with solving the problems in their own lives.

Release Date: 2018-01-03

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 4

Vote Count: 2563

FEUD

Anthology series of famous feuds with the first season based on the legendary rivalry between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford which began early on their careers, climaxed on the set of "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" and evolved into an Oscar vendetta.

Release Date: 2017-03-05

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Episode Count: 16

Vote Count: 219

American Crime Story

An anthology series centered around some of history's most famous criminal investigations.

Release Date: 2016-02-02

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Episode Count: 7

Vote Count: 963

Scream Queens

The super-charged comedy-horror series is a modern take on the classic whodunit with a killer cast.

Release Date: 2015-09-22

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Character: Self - Creator

Episode Count: 1

Vote Count: 1726

Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter

Some of this year's most talked about talent open up about the challenges and triumphs of creating critically acclaimed series and performances.

Release Date: 2015-08-02

Character: Self

Episode Count: 1

Vote Count: 17

The Town that Dreaded Sundown

A masked maniac terrorizes the same small community where a murderer known as the Phantom Killer struck decades earlier.

Release Date: 2014-10-16

Department: Production

Job: Producer

Vote Count: 464

The Normal Heart

The story of the onset of the HIV-AIDS crisis in New York City in the early 1980s, taking an unflinching look at the nation's sexual politics as gay activists and their allies in the medical community fight to expose the truth about the burgeoning epidemic to a city and nation in denial.

Release Date: 2014-05-25

Department: Production

Job: Producer

Vote Count: 877

Open

Modern, provocative exploration of human sexuality and relationships.

Release Date: 2014-01-01

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Vote Count: 4

The New Normal

Los Angeles couple Bryan and David have successful careers and a loving relationship and are ready for a baby. Just as they start to worry that they will never be blessed with parenthood, they meet Goldie, a waitress who has just moved to California with her precocious eight-year-old daughter to escape from her closed-minded grandmother and a life without a future. The guys quickly work out a deal with Goldie to become their surrogate, and in the process, the little group forms a unique family unit of its own.

Release Date: 2012-09-10

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 1

Vote Count: 62

Glee: Keep on Believin'

A Biography documentary going behind the scenes of the hit show 'Glee,' featuring interviews with creators and a handful of cast members as well as never-before-told stories from its conceptual beginning through the casting process.

Release Date: 2012-04-10

Character: Self

Vote Count: 2

Glee: The Concert Movie

A concert documentary shot during the Glee Live! In Concert! summer 2011 tour, featuring song performances and Glee fans' life stories and how the show influenced them.

Release Date: 2011-08-11

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Character: Backstage Interviewer (voice) (uncredited)

Vote Count: 268

Eat Pray Love

Liz Gilbert had everything a modern woman is supposed to dream of having – a husband, a house and a successful career – yet like so many others, she found herself lost, confused and searching for what she really wanted in life. Newly divorced and at a crossroads, Gilbert steps out of her comfort zone, risking everything to change her life, embarking on a journey around the world that becomes a quest for self-discovery. In her travels, she discovers the true pleasure of nourishment by eating in Italy, the power of prayer in India and, finally and unexpectedly, the inner peace and balance of true love in Bali.

Release Date: 2010-08-12

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Vote Count: 2450

Factory Girl

In the mid-1960s, wealthy debutant Edie Sedgwick meets artist Andy Warhol. She joins Warhol's famous Factory and becomes his muse. Although she seems to have it all, Edie cannot have the love she craves from Andy, and she has an affair with a charismatic musician, who pushes her to seek independence from the artist and the milieu.

Release Date: 2006-12-29

Department: Editing

Job: Assistant Editor

Vote Count: 248

Running with Scissors

Young Augusten Burroughs absorbs experiences that could make for a shocking memoir: the son of an alcoholic father and an unstable mother, he's handed off to his mother's therapist, Dr. Finch, and spends his adolescent years as a member of Finch's bizarre extended family.

Release Date: 2006-10-27

Department: Writing

Job: Screenplay

Vote Count: 242

One Hit Wonders

Three fallen pop stars from the '90s form a super group to re-ignite their careers.

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Janet

The true and complicated story of Washington Post journalist Janet Cooke who famously won a Pulitzer Prize in 1981 for her investigative piece “Jimmy’s World” only to have it taken away when it was revealed she made the entire story up.

Department: Production

Job: Producer

Pose

Pose (stylized as POSE) is an American drama television series about New York City's ball culture, an LGBTQ subculture in the African-American and Latino communities, throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

Department: Crew

Job: Creator

American Horror Story

An anthology horror drama series centering on different characters and locations, including a house with a murderous past, an asylum, a witch coven, a freak show, a hotel, a farmhouse in Roanoke, a cult, the apocalypse and a summer camp.

Release Date: 2011-10-05

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 27

Vote Count: 5687

Glee

In this musical comedy, optimistic high school teacher Will Schuester tries to refuel his own passion while reinventing the high school's glee club and challenging a group of outcasts to realize their star potential as they strive to outshine their singing competition while navigating the cruel halls of McKinley High.

Release Date: 2009-05-19

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Episode Count: 13

Vote Count: 839

Nip/Tuck

Hotshot plastic surgeons Dr. Sean McNamara and Dr. Christian Troy experience full-blown midlife crises as they confront career, family and romance problems.

Release Date: 2003-07-22

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Episode Count: 17

Vote Count: 480

Pretty/Handsome

A married gynecologist, father of two sons, slowly comes to terms with the fact that he wants to undergo sexual reassignment surgery.

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Episode Count: 1

Vote Count: 3

American Love Story

An anthology of sweeping true love stories that captured the world’s attention.

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

All's Fair

A high-end, glossy and sexy adult procedural focusing on an all-female law firm in Los Angeles. Plot TBA

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Episode Count: 1

The Beauty

TV series adaption based on the comic book of the same name about an STD that makes those affected beautiful. But the disease, dubbed "the Beauty," eventually kills its hosts as part of a suspected sinister government plot.

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Episode Count: 1

9-1-1: Nashville

Follow the first responders of Nashville, Tennessee.

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Episode Count: 1

Queen B

Department: Creator

Job: Creator

Trailblazer Honors

One-hour annual event that celebrates leaders at the forefront of LGBTQ equality.

Release Date: 2014-06-27

Character: Self - Honoree

Episode Count: 1

Vote Count: 2

Mentiras Perfectas

Cristóbal is a handsome, ambitious and challenging surgeon who never follows the rules, and is just the exact opposite of his partner and friend Santiago, who is a rigid man caught in a routine marriage. For her part, Julia is a woman who after the birth of her son, abandoned her dreams of becoming a doctor, and without realizing it ended up saddened, living under the shadow of Santiago and his professional achievements.

Release Date: 2013-10-28

Department: Creator

Job: Creator

Vote Count: 17

The Glee Project

Performers compete for a multi-episode guest-starring role on season three of hit series Glee. Over the course of the competition, the winner will be determined from eliminations of twelve finalists and be awarded a role in a seven episode arc as part of the cast of Fox Network's musical drama series Glee.

Release Date: 2011-06-12

Department: Creator

Job: Creator

Character: Self

Episode Count: [ 1 ]

Vote Count: 24

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Bravo network executive Andy Cohen discusses pop culture topics with celebrities and reality show personalities.

Release Date: 2009-07-16

Character: Self - Guest

Episode Count: 3

Vote Count: 60