The prolific and productive writing-producing team of Glen Morgan and James Wong played a major part in helping Fox-TV's "The X-Files" attain first cult status and eventual mass acceptance and acclaim. As staff writers and co-executive producers, they were responsible for crafting some of the series' most memorable stories and characters. Dour FBI man Assistant Director Skinner, creepy mutant Eugene Tooms and a trio of delightfully paranoid conspiracy theorists called The Lone Gunmen all sprung from their keyboard. Morgan and Wong also scripted episodes that provided valuable background and motivation for the show's two protagonists.Friends since high school, the pair studied film together at Loyola Marymount University before landing jobs as production assistants for producer Sandy Howard. They began writing screenplays together and managed to get one produced--"The Boys Next Door" (1985), a chilling account of suburban teen anomie turned deadly, starring Charlie Sheen and Maxwell Caulfield directed by Penelope Spheeris--before hitting a prolonged dry spell.
Morgan and Wong segued to TV and landed jobs as writers and story editors for "Knightwatch" (ABC, 1988), a short-lived crime drama. They honed their skills under the auspices of Stephen J. Cannell Productions working variously as writers, story editors and producers on "21 Jump Street", "Booker" (both Fox, 1989-90), "Wiseguy" (CBS, 1990-91) and "The Commish" (ABC, 1991-93). Morgan and Wong truly blossomed on "The X-Files" (Fox, 1993-95) where they enhanced their reputation for emphasizing character as their primary story-engine. In addition, they demonstrated their skill at delicately balancing emotion and humor within their scenes.
Morgan and Wong followed up by venturing out on their own as the creators and executive producers of "Space: Above and Beyond" (Fox, 1995-96), a military sci-fi adventure inspired by the sensibility of WWII movies. Of course, they also took on a considerable chunk of the writing chores.
Profession(s):
producer, writer, TV series creator, TV story editor, dialogue editor, film editor, production assistant
Sometimes Credited As:
2006 Co-wrote with Wong the sequel "Final Destination 3"
2006 Wrote and directed "Black Christmas" a remake of the 1974 horror movie of the same name
2003 Made feature directing debut with "Willard" starring Crispin Glover
2001 Co-wrote the Jet Li thriller, "The One," with director James Wong
2000 Co-wrote the thriller, "Final Destination" with Wong who made his feature directing debut
2000 Co-wrote (with Wong), the feature thriller "Final Destination"
2000 With Wong, served as producer of the NBC series "The Others"
1997 At request of Chris Carter assumed (with partner Wong) producing responsibilities for the Fox drama "Millennium"
1996 With Wong, returned to "The X-Files" as writers and producers
1996 Signed four-year, $8 million deal with 20th Century Fox Television (in partnership with Wong)
1995 Scripted (with Wong) "Die Hand Die Verletzt", a creepy semi-comic farewell to "The X-Files" as writers and co-executive producers
1995 With Wong, created, executive produced, wrote the pilot and some subsequent episodes of "Space: Above and Beyond", a Fox sci-fi military adventure series
1993 Co-executive produced and served as staff writers (with Wong) for "The X-Files", the acclaimed Fox paranormal drama series
1992 Served as dialogue coach (solo) on "Two-Fisted Tales", a Fox adventure omnibus special
1991 Executive produced and created (with Wong) the short-lived fantasy adventure series, "Disney Presents the 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage"
1991 TV-movie debut (solo), credited as editor on USA's supernatural thriller, "Child of Darkness, Child of Light"
1989 Went to work for Stephen J. Cannell Productions with Wong
1989 - 1990 Simultaneously served as story editors (sometimes executive story editors) and staff writers on the Cannell productions "21 Jump Street" (for its final network season) and its spin-off, "Booker"
1988 First TV credit: worked (with Wong) as story editors and writers on "Knightwatch", a short-lived ABC crime drama
1985 First produced feature screenplay, "The Boys Next Door" (written with Wong), which starred Charlie Sheen and Maxwell Caulfield and was directed by Penelope Spheeris
1975 Moved with family to San Diego, California when he was 14 years old (date approximate)
Raised in Syracuse, New York
With Wong, went to work as production assistants for producer Sandy Howard after graduating from college
Began writing screenplays with Wong
Served as supervising producers for the fourth season of Cannell's acclaimed cop drama, "Wiseguy"
Served as supervising producers for the first two seasons of Cannell's "The Commish"