Vince Gilligan, an acclaimed American writer, producer, and director, is best known as the creator of the critically acclaimed television series Breaking Bad. This captivating story about a terminally ill science teacher turned meth lab owner garnered worldwide attention and is considered one of the greatest television shows ever. Gilligan’s talent as a writer and director earned him multiple Emmy awards and led to the creation of another successful series, Better Call Saul.
Quick Facts
- Also Known As: George Vincent Gilligan Jr.
- Age: 56 Years, 56 Year Old Males
- Family:
- Spouse/Ex-: Holly Rice
- Father: George Vincent Gilligan
- Mother: Gail Gilligan
- Siblings: Patrick Gilligan
- Born Country: United States
- Directors
- Screenwriters
- Height: 6’0″ (183 cm), 6’0″ Males
- U.S. State: Virginia
- City: Richmond, Virginia
- More Facts
- Education: Lloyd C Bird High School, Tisch School Of The Arts, Interlochen Center for the Arts
- Awards: Writers Guild of America Award, Primetime Emmy Award, Directors Guild of America Award
Childhood & Early Life
Vince Gilligan was born in Richmond, Virginia, on February 10, 1967. His father was an insurance claims adjuster and his mother was a school teacher in Richmond, Virginia. His parents divorced in 1974, after which he and his younger brother moved to Farmville and Chesterfield County with their mother. He attended the JP Wynne Campus School.
During his growing up days he dabbled in making amateurish fiction films, with one of his first being Space Wreck. He also won the first prize for his age group in a film competition at the University of Virginia.
He attended the prominent Interlochen Center for the Arts after winning a scholarship and later moved back to Chesterfield after eighth grade to attend high school. He graduated from Lloyd Bird High School in 1985 and then attended Tisch School of the Arts in New York on a scholarship and was awarded the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in film production.
While studying at the university, he was given the Virginia Governor’s Screenwriting Award in 1989 for writing the screenplay for Home Fries. This was later turned into a film by the same name and released in 1998. It starred Drew Barrymore, Luke Wilson and Jake Busey and was directed by Dean Parisot.
Career
Vince Gilligan’s career in show business began when he wrote the screenplay of the 1993 romantic comedy film Wilder Napalm. Later, he was hired to be the consulting producer of the television series Harsh Realm and wrote three episodes of the short-lived TV series Robbery Homicide Division. He also wrote an episode of the television series Night Stalker.
His breakthrough moment came when he joined the team of the very successful and popular television series, The X-Files, aired on Fox network. He first wrote for the series in its second season for the episode ‘Soft Light’. He wrote 29 more episodes for The X-Files and held various positions such as co-executive producer, executive producer, and supervising producer.
He then co-created a spin-off series of The X-Files called The Lone Gunmen, which ran for one season. Another series he created, Battle Creek, aired in 2015 but was not renewed after the first season.
Vince Gilligan gained enormous fame when he created the crime drama series, Breaking Bad, for AMC. The show ran for five seasons and had a total of 62 episodes. It tells the story of a chemistry school teacher turned methamphetamine manufacturer. Breaking Bad received critical acclaim and won numerous awards.
Vince Gilligan later co-created ‘Better Call Saul’ with writer Peter Gould, a spin-off prequel to Breaking Bad. He has also written and directed several episodes of the series.
Family & Personal Life
Vince Gilligan has never been married. He’s said to have been in a long relationship with his girlfriend named Holly Rice.