Raised in the shadow of Rahway prison, Kurt Sutter spent most of his New Jersey childhood indoors, away from people, three feet from a TV screen. That’s where he learned the essentials of storytelling and the comic significance of anvils.
After graduating from Rutgers University with a BA in Film, Kurt spent several years as an actor in NYC, performing in off off-Broadway theatres, lofts and holding cells. His theatre training led to teaching and directing and in the mid- nineties he joined the faculty of The Gately-Poole Acting Studio on Theatre Row, teaching the Sanford Meisner Technique and directing productions at The Nat Horne Theatre.
In 1997, Kurt was awarded an MFA Fellowship to attend Northern Illinois University. In Chicago, Kurt's exposure to the dramatic masters - Strindberg, O'Neill, Genet - inspired him, and he began writing plays and cultivating ideas for the screen. After graduating with a Master of Fine Arts, Sutter moved to Los Angeles where he began writing. In 2001, he landed a gig on FX's The Shield. Starting as a staff writer, he stayed on The Shield ride until the screaming stopped; finishing up the last two seasons of the show as Executive Producer.
Kurt continues his relationship with FX, with his new series, Sons of Anarchy. He is grateful to FX and Fox 21 for their faith and collaborative spirit, and for giving him the opportunity to let the screaming continue…
Along with his TV work, Sutter has feature projects in development at Warner Bros., Paramount and Lionsgate Films. He is slated to write and make his feature directorial debut with a Noir reinvention of the martial arts classic, Enter the Dragon, for Warners and John Wells Productions.
Sutter and wife, actor/singer, Katey Sagal, recently expanded their family with the birth of Esmé Louise. Esmé is joined by her sister, Sarah and brother, Jackson. And their two Frenchies, Lola and Lumpy.
