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IMDbPro

John McNamara(II)

  • Producer
  • Writer
  • Additional Crew
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
John McNamara
John McNamara is a writer, producer, show-runner and television creator. He wrote and co-produced the feature film "Trumbo," for which Bryan Cranston was nominated for an Oscar, as Dalton Trumbo, one of The Hollywood Ten blacklisted screenwriters. The film was nominated by the WGA for Best Adapted Screenplay and McNamara was awarded the WGAW's Paul Selvin Award which honors writers whose work "embodies the spirit of the constitutional and civil right liberties that are indispensable to the survival of free writers everywhere."

In addition, McNamara created the NBC series, "Aquarius," starring David Duchovny and is the co-creator of the Syfy series "The Magicians" based on Lev Grossman's bestselling book series.

McNamara is a principal founder, along with Alexandra Cunningham and Sera Gamble, of Fabrication, a TV production company behind the Apple TV+ series "Physical."

Born and raised in Michigan, McNamara attended the University of Michigan and New York University. While attending NYU, McNamara authored two children's books, both published by Delacorte Press as well as the original teleplay for the CBS Afternoon Playhouse. In 1982, his play, "Present Tense," won the first annual Young Playwrights' competition and was produced off-Broadway at the Circle Rep Theatre. With its companion piece, "Personal Effects," it was later produced at the Manhattan Punchline Theatre and has been performed internationally ever since.

He moved to Los Angeles in 1984 and began a career as a screenwriter, eventually working for Disney, Warner Bros. and Paramount. In 1992, he became a staff writer on the Fox TV series "The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr." and in 1993 joined ABC's "Lois and Clark" as a writer and producer for three years.

In 1996, he co-created and Executive Produced the critically-acclaimed thriller "Profit," followed by "Vengeance Unlimited," "The Fugitive," "Fastlane," "Eyes" and "In Plain Sight."

McNamara lives in Los Angeles, where his personal interests include reading slowly, running quickly and scuba diving deeply.
  • More at IMDbPro
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    • Agent info
    • Resume
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    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination total

    Photos3

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    Known for

    Bryan Cranston in Trumbo (2015)
    Trumbo
    7.4
    • Producer
    • 2015
    Stella Maeve, Summer Bishil, Hale Appleman, Olivia Taylor Dudley, and Arjun Gupta in The Magicians (2015)
    The Magicians
    7.6
    TV Series
    • Producer(showrunner)
    Bruce Campbell in The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (1993)
    The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
    8.3
    TV Series
    • Producer
    • 1993
    Teri Hatcher and Dean Cain in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993)
    Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
    6.7
    TV Series
    • Producer

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Producer



    • NCIS: Tony & Ziva
      • executive producer
      • showrunner
      • In Production
      • TV Series
      • 2025



    • Rose Byrne in Physical (2021)
      Physical
      7.3
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2021–2023
    • Stella Maeve, Summer Bishil, Hale Appleman, Olivia Taylor Dudley, and Arjun Gupta in The Magicians (2015)
      The Magicians
      7.6
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • producer (showrunner)
      • 2015–2020
    • David Duchovny in Aquarius (2015)
      Aquarius
      7.0
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2015–2016
    • Bryan Cranston in Trumbo (2015)
      Trumbo
      7.4
      • producer
      • 2015
    • Common Law (2012)
      Common Law
      7.8
      TV Series
      • consulting producer
      • 2012
    • Maria Bello in Prime Suspect (2011)
      Prime Suspect
      7.3
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2011–2012
    • Mary McCormack in In Plain Sight (2008)
      In Plain Sight
      7.4
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2010
    • The Philanthropist (2009)
      The Philanthropist
      7.3
      TV Series
      • consulting producer
      • 2009
    • Skeet Ulrich in Jericho (2006)
      Jericho
      7.9
      TV Series
      • consulting producer
      • 2008
    • Them
      5.8
      TV Movie
      • executive producer
      • 2007
    • Garcelle Beauvais, Tim Daly, A.J. Langer, Laura Leighton, Eric Mabius, Rick Worthy, and Natalie Zea in Eyes (2005)
      Eyes
      7.5
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2005–2007
    • Orpheus
      5.0
      TV Movie
      • executive producer
      • 2006
    • Bill Bellamy, Peter Facinelli, and Tiffani Thiessen in Fastlane (2002)
      Fastlane
      7.4
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2002–2003
    • Tim Daly and Mykelti Williamson in The Fugitive (2000)
      The Fugitive
      6.9
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2000–2001
    • Vengeance Unlimited (1998)
      Vengeance Unlimited
      8.6
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 1998–1999

    Writer



    • NCIS: Tony & Ziva
      • written by
      • In Production
      • TV Series
      • 2025



    • Stella Maeve, Summer Bishil, Hale Appleman, Olivia Taylor Dudley, and Arjun Gupta in The Magicians (2015)
      The Magicians
      7.6
      TV Series
      • created for television by
      • written for television by
      • teleplay by
      • 2015–2020
    • David Duchovny in Aquarius (2015)
      Aquarius
      7.0
      TV Series
      • created by
      • written by
      • story by (creator)
      • 2015–2016
    • Bryan Cranston in Trumbo (2015)
      Trumbo
      7.4
      • written by
      • 2015
    • Common Law (2012)
      Common Law
      7.8
      TV Series
      • written by
      • 2012
    • Maria Bello in Prime Suspect (2011)
      Prime Suspect
      7.3
      TV Series
      • written by
      • 2011
    • Mary McCormack in In Plain Sight (2008)
      In Plain Sight
      7.4
      TV Series
      • written by
      • 2010
    • The Philanthropist (2009)
      The Philanthropist
      7.3
      TV Series
      • written by
      • 2009
    • Them
      5.8
      TV Movie
      • written by
      • 2007
    • Garcelle Beauvais, Tim Daly, A.J. Langer, Laura Leighton, Eric Mabius, Rick Worthy, and Natalie Zea in Eyes (2005)
      Eyes
      7.5
      TV Series
      • created by
      • written by
      • teleplay by (creator)
      • 2005–2007
    • Bill Bellamy, Peter Facinelli, and Tiffani Thiessen in Fastlane (2002)
      Fastlane
      7.4
      TV Series
      • creator
      • written by
      • story ...
      • 2002–2003
    • Tim Daly and Mykelti Williamson in The Fugitive (2000)
      The Fugitive
      6.9
      TV Series
      • written by
      • 2000–2001
    • Vengeance Unlimited (1998)
      Vengeance Unlimited
      8.6
      TV Series
      • co-creator
      • written by
      • created by ...
      • 1998–1999
    • Linden Ashby and Allison Smith in Spy Game (1997)
      Spy Game
      7.5
      TV Series
      • created by
      • teleplay by
      • written by (creator)
      • 1997–1998
    • Adrian Pasdar in Profit (1996)
      Profit
      8.6
      TV Series
      • created by
      • writer (creator)
      • 1996–1997
    • Teri Hatcher and Dean Cain in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993)
      Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
      6.7
      TV Series
      • written by
      • teleplay by
      • 1994–1997

    Additional Crew



    • Script to Screen: Get Out (2018)
      Script to Screen
      5.6
      TV Series
      • self
      • 2015
    • Bruce Campbell in The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (1993)
      The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
      8.3
      TV Series
      • story editor
      • 1993–1994

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Height
      • 5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
    • Spouse
      • Julie McNamara2002 - present (1 child)
    • Publicity listings
      • 1 Article

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In 1984, while attending NYU Film School, he audited an NYU graduate screenwriting class taught by Waldo Salt, Ian McLellan Hunter and Ring Lardner Jr.

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