Carlton Cuse facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carlton Cuse
Cuse in 2020
Born	Arthur Carlton Cuse (1959-03-22) March 22, 1959 (age 66) Mexico City, Mexico
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Harvard University
Occupation	Producer screenwriter
Years active	1984–present
Spouse(s)	Christiane Hart ​ (m. 1985)​
Children	3

Arthur Carlton Cuse (born March 22, 1959) is an American writer, producer, and director for television and movies. He is well-known for co-creating the popular TV series Lost. In 2010, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Early Life and School Days

Carlton Cuse was born in Mexico City, Mexico, on March 22, 1959. His father worked there for Cuse's grandfather, who owned a factory that made machine tools. After a few years, his family moved to Boston, Massachusetts. Later, they moved to Tustin, California, where Cuse went to El Dorado Private School.

Cuse attended the Putney School in Vermont. This boarding school was on a working dairy farm and focused a lot on arts, music, and outdoor activities. Cuse said that at Putney School, he realized he wanted to be a writer.

He then went to Harvard University and studied American history. While at Harvard, Cuse helped with a test screening for the movie Airplane!. This experience made him think about a career in film.

Carlton Cuse's Career in Entertainment

Carlton Cuse is known for telling stories that mix different types of shows, like mystery and drama. He also helped create new ways for TV shows to connect with their audience online. He has worked with and helped many other writers who later became successful TV showrunners.

Starting Out in Hollywood

After college, Cuse and a Harvard friend, Hans Tobeason, made a documentary about rowing at Harvard called Power Ten. Cuse then moved to Hollywood. He worked as an assistant and also read scripts, which helped him learn what makes a good story.

In 1984, Cuse worked as an assistant producer on the movie Sweet Dreams. He said this was like his own film school. Later, he was hired as a writer for the TV series Crime Story in 1986.

Working on Movies

Cuse worked with writer Jeffrey Boam on several movies. He helped develop the scripts for Lethal Weapon 2, Lethal Weapon 3, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

San Andreas (2015)

Cuse wrote the screenplay for the disaster movie San Andreas, which came out in 2015. The movie starred Dwayne Johnson and was a big success, earning over $473 million worldwide.

Rampage (2018)

Cuse also helped rewrite the script for the movie Rampage. This film was based on a video game and also starred Dwayne Johnson. It was released in 2018 and earned over $426 million globally, becoming one of the most successful video game movies ever.

Television Series Work

Carlton Cuse has been a key person behind many popular TV shows, often as a "showrunner," which means he oversees all the creative parts of a series.

The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (1993–1994)

Cuse created and wrote The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. for Fox. This show was about a smart bounty hunter in the Old West who wanted to avenge his father's death. It also had a science-fiction mystery. The show is still highly rated today, thanks to its unique mix of genres and the lead actor, Bruce Campbell.

Nash Bridges (1996–2001)

After Brisco, Cuse wrote the pilot for Nash Bridges, starring Don Johnson. CBS liked the script so much they ordered 14 episodes right away. The show ran for six seasons and 121 episodes, becoming a long-running success.

Martial Law (1998)

Cuse created and produced the CBS series Martial Law. This show brought the action of Hong Kong movies to American TV. It starred Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, a famous Chinese martial arts actor, as a Shanghai cop working with the LAPD. Cuse managed to work on both Nash Bridges and Martial Law at the same time for a while.

Lost (2004–2010)

Cuse at the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con

Carlton Cuse was an executive producer and co-showrunner for the hit series Lost with Damon Lindelof. They worked together to oversee all the creative aspects of the show, from writing stories to casting actors and editing.

Lost was about a group of plane crash survivors on a mysterious island. Cuse and Lindelof said the show was really about people who felt lost in their lives and were trying to find themselves again. The show was known for its complex stories and mysteries, which kept audiences talking and debating.

Lost is often called one of the greatest TV series of all time. It won many awards, including the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 2005 and the Golden Globe Award for Best Drama in 2006.

Lost was also a pioneer in how TV shows used the internet. It was the first show to have an official podcast where the showrunners discussed episodes. Cuse and Lindelof also created online games that connected to the show's story, which was a new way to market a TV series.

In September 2024, Lost celebrated its 20th anniversary. Many articles highlighted how the show changed television with its innovative storytelling and deep characters. It also changed how people watched TV, leading to the trend of listening to podcasts and reading discussions about episodes online.

Bates Motel (2013–2017)

Cuse was the creator, writer, and showrunner for Bates Motel on A&E. This series was a "prequel" to the classic 1960 movie Psycho. It explored the early life of Norman Bates and his relationship with his mother, Norma. The show ran for five seasons, just as Cuse and co-creator Kerry Ehrin had planned. It received high praise, especially for the acting of Vera Farmiga as Norma Bates.

The Strain (2014–2017)

Cuse was the showrunner and writer for The Strain, an FX series based on a vampire novel trilogy. He also directed the third-season finale. Cuse and co-creator Guillermo del Toro decided to end the series after four seasons, feeling it was the right time to finish the story. The final season received perfect ratings from critics.

The Returned (2015)

Cuse was a showrunner and writer for The Returned, a show based on a popular French series. It was about a small town where people who had been presumed dead suddenly reappeared. The series ran for one season.

Colony (2016–2018)

Cuse and Ryan Condal created and produced Colony for the USA Network. This show was a drama and thriller about life in Los Angeles after a mysterious "foreign" occupation. It starred Josh Holloway and Sarah Wayne Callies. Colony was a popular show for the network and earned high ratings from critics over its three seasons.

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (2018–2023)

Cuse and Graham Roland created a TV series based on the Jack Ryan character from Tom Clancy's novels. Cuse was the showrunner for the first two seasons. The series starred John Krasinski as Jack Ryan, a CIA analyst who uncovers terrorist plots. It became the most-watched series ever on Amazon Prime Video during its second season. Cuse remained an executive producer for the later seasons. The series concluded its run in July 2023.

Locke & Key (2020–2022)

Cuse was the showrunner, writer, and director for Locke & Key on Netflix. This horror/fantasy series was based on a comic book series. It followed three siblings who move into their family home and discover magical keys that give them special powers. A demon also wants these keys. The show was very popular on Netflix, becoming a top-watched series and was renewed for a second and third season. The second season, released in October 2021, received even higher ratings than the first. The series concluded in 2022.

Five Days at Memorial (2022)

Cuse and John Ridley wrote and served as showrunners for the limited series Five Days at Memorial on AppleTV+. This series was based on a book about a New Orleans hospital during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It showed the difficult decisions and challenges faced by the hospital staff. The series received very positive reviews for its powerful story and strong acting.

Pulse (2025)

Cuse was the showrunner and executive producer for Netflix's medical series, Pulse. The show explored the lives of staff at a busy trauma center in Miami. It premiered in April 2025. Despite good initial viewership, the show was canceled after one season. It was noted for being Netflix's first U.S. medical drama and for its bold themes.

The Secret of Secrets (2026)

In 2025, Cuse was announced as the showrunner and executive producer for a new Netflix series. This series will adapt the latest thriller novel by Dan Brown, titled The Secret of Secrets. This project marks Cuse's first time working with the famous author.

Helping Other Writers

Carlton Cuse is well-known for helping other screenwriters. He believes that working together with other writers is the best way to create successful TV shows. He has said that "collaboration is at the foundation of most great creative achievements."

More than 30 writers who have worked with Cuse have gone on to run their own TV shows. These include Damon Lindelof, Shawn Ryan, and Ryan Condal. In 2015, Cuse received Variety's Creative Leadership Award for his work in mentoring others.

Other Facts

The character of Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro) on the TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was named after Carlton Cuse. The creators of that show were friends with Cuse from Harvard.

Filmography

Film

• San Andreas (2015)
• Rampage (2018)

Television

The numbers in directing and writing credits refer to the number of episodes.

Unsold television pilots

Awards and Recognitions

Carlton Cuse has won many awards for his work in television. For Lost, he won two Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series in 2005. He also won a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama in 2005.

He has received awards from the Producers Guild of America Awards, the American Film Institute, and the Television Critics Association. In 2006, he won a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Dramatic Series.

In 2009, he won the Peabody Award and the Jules Verne Award. In 2010, Time magazine named him one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World." He also won the TV Guide Award for Martial Law in 1999. In 2015, he received Variety's Creative Leadership Award and the Dan Curtis Legacy Award for his lifetime achievements. His show Bates Motel won the 2017 People's Choice Award for Favorite Cable TV Drama.

See also

In Spanish: Carlton Cuse para niños