Glen Mazzara Quotes

Powerful Glen Mazzara for Daily Growth

About Glen Mazzara

Glen Mazzara, an American writer and television producer, is best known for his work on AMC's "The Walking Dead" and FX's "Damien." Born in 1963 in New York City, Mazzara developed a passion for storytelling at a young age. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Syracuse University and went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute (AFI). Mazzara's professional journey began in 1995 as a writer for the NBC series "Law & Order" and its spin-off, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." His work on these shows garnered him recognition and provided a solid foundation for his future endeavors. In 2006, Mazzara joined the writing team of FX's hit series, "The Shield," where he honed his skills as a storyteller and producer. In 2010, Mazzara was appointed showrunner for "The Walking Dead" following the departure of creator Frank Darabont. He served in this role until 2012, during which time the show experienced significant growth in popularity, becoming one of AMC's most successful series. After leaving "The Walking Dead," Mazzara co-created and executive produced the FX series "Damien" in 2015. The show was a spin-off of the classic film "The Omen." Despite strong performances and a loyal fanbase, the series was cancelled after one season due to low ratings. Mazzara's work is characterized by a focus on complex characters, intense action, and emotional depth. His quotes often reflect his philosophy on storytelling: "Story is king," he once said. "Characters are the heart of story. It's about making choices for your character that further your story."

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Every character has a story, and it's my job to make sure that story is told."

This quote underscores the creative responsibility of writers in storytelling. Glen Mazzara emphasizes that every character in a narrative possesses a unique backstory, emotions, motivations, and development, which should be brought to life by the writer. The job of a writer is not just to present characters but to ensure their stories are effectively communicated, thereby making them relatable, compelling, or intriguing for readers or audience members. In essence, Mazzara highlights that character-driven storytelling requires empathy, understanding, and skillful craftsmanship to bring the human experience alive on the page or screen.


"Writers have to be fearless in telling their stories, whether they’re popular or not."

This quote emphasizes that writers should have courage in expressing their stories without fear of popularity or lack thereof. It encourages the artistic community to stay true to their narratives, regardless of societal acceptance or commercial success. The idea is to value authenticity and creativity over external validation, thereby ensuring a genuine and impactful storytelling experience for readers.


"As a writer, you want to create something that people will talk about. You want to create a buzz."

This quote highlights the desire of a writer to produce work that sparks conversation among readers, thereby generating interest or excitement – a "buzz". Essentially, it's about creating content that resonates with audiences enough for them to engage in discussions and share their thoughts, enhancing its impact and reach.


"I think the best writing comes from vulnerability and truth."

This quote emphasizes that authenticity and emotional honesty are crucial elements in effective storytelling or writing. When writers tap into their personal feelings, experiences, and truths, their work often resonates more deeply with readers due to its relatability and raw emotion. It's the underlying vulnerability that makes a piece of writing impactful and memorable by connecting us to universal human emotions and experiences.


"I believe that every character has the potential for greatness."

Glen Mazzara's quote emphasizes the inherent potential for growth and development in each character, whether they are already considered great or not. It suggests that every person, fictional or real, possesses within them the capacity to reach their highest potential and achieve greatness. This idea underscores the importance of nurturing and exploring individual strengths, as well as fostering an environment that supports personal growth and self-realization.


The key things I learned as a hospital administrator are to be organized, communicate, and be flexible.

- Glen Mazzara

Communicate, Administrator, Flexible

I went to NYU undergraduate, then for a Master's in English, and got a summer job at St. Vincent's. I was a ward clerk handling everything in an intensive care unit.

- Glen Mazzara

NYU, Then, Ward, Clerk

That's the holy grail as a TV writer, to work on a story that you care about and to put it out there and for it to find the audience and connect with fans and connect with critics.

- Glen Mazzara

Audience, Holy, TV, Grail

It's better to grow your employees, steer them into a place that they can learn and succeed, and want to work hard and be loyal, than to have a revolving door of employees. That's demoralizing.

- Glen Mazzara

Work Hard, Door, Grow, Demoralizing

When you're managing an emergency department, you're trying to keep everybody calm, so when an emergency comes in the door, everyone can do their best work.

- Glen Mazzara

Door, Everyone, Everybody, Department

I think horror films always have to be as simple as possible.

- Glen Mazzara

Think, Always, Films, Horror Films

Sharing information with employees makes them feel invested.

- Glen Mazzara

Information, Feel, Makes, Invested

Don't forget, I've been fired by studios; I'm not the studio's guy. I'm a guy who can work with studios, but if you ask any studio, I stand up to these people.

- Glen Mazzara

Fired, Been, Studio, Stand Up

I created a show called 'Crash' for Starz, which was their first original drama, and that was not a good experience. I had a great time working with the cast and crew, but it was a young network and an intrusive studio, and to be honest I didn't really enjoy the movie 'Crash.'

- Glen Mazzara

Great Time, Movie, Studio, To Be Honest

One of the things I've learned by working on the 'Walking Dead' and other TV shows is to be more tolerant of other people's process.

- Glen Mazzara

Other, TV, Tolerant, TV Shows

A lot of what I do as a showrunner is anxiety control. People get nervous when they don't know what's going on, so a big part of my job is making sure everyone has all of the information all of the time.

- Glen Mazzara

Big, Part, Big Part, Nervous

If you're going to run a small business, you need to know what everyone is doing, be the first one in and the last one out, and work weekends.

- Glen Mazzara

Small, Doing, Weekends, First One

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