Dan Erickson
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Daniel Earling Erickson (born January 26, 1984) is an American television screenwriter, showrunner, and producer. He is best known for creating the psychological thriller television series Severance, which premiered on the Apple TV+ streaming service in February 2022.
Life and career
Erickson is from Olympia, Washington. His parents are Mark and Lynn Erickson, a lawyer and a teacher, respectively. He is a middle child, with an older brother named Matt and a younger sister named Hayley. Erickson has stated that he is very close with both siblings, and that they inspired characters on Severance.
Erickson attended Western Washington University, where he received a bachelor's degree in English, and subsequently graduated from New York University Tisch School of the Arts with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Dramatic Writing for Television.
He wrote for Spike TV's Lip Sync Battle Pre-Show and worked in series development for the now-defunct entertainment company Super Deluxe.
In 2016, Erickson's pilot script for Severance was recognized by the Blood List. He later submitted the script as a writing sample to Ben Stiller’s Red Hour Productions, and Stiller produced the project. In 2019, Apple TV+ picked up Severance for a straight-to-series order with Endeavor Content serving as co-financer and producer. Season 1 of Severance premiered on February 18, 2022, on Apple's streaming service to acclaim. Season 2 premiered on January 17, 2025. It also received acclaim, with an initial score of 100% on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes based on 43 critic reviews.
In September 2022, Erickson was included in the Time 100 Next list, which features "100 emerging leaders from around the world who are shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership". He and the writers of Severance won twice at the 2023 Writers Guild of America Awards, winning Best New Series and Best Drama Series.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | League of Wonder | Yes | No | Short film |
| 2016–2018 | Lip Sync Battle Preshow | Yes | No | |
| 2022–present | Severance | Yes | Yes | Creator, wrote 7 episodes, executive producer |
Awards and honors
The Astra Awards
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Best Writing in a Streaming Series | Severance (for "The We We Are") | Won |
Primetime Emmy Awards
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Outstanding Drama Series | Severance | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series | Severance (for "The We We Are") | Nominated | ||
| 2025 | Outstanding Drama Series | Severance | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series | Severance (for "Cold Harbor") | Nominated |
Peabody Awards
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Entertainment | Severance | Won |
Writers Guild of America Awards
Seoul International Drama Awards
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Best Screenwriter | Severance | Won |