Michael Schur facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael Schur
Schur at the 2012 Peabody Awards
Born	Michael Herbert Schur (1975-10-29) October 29, 1975 (age 49) Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
Other names	Ken Tremendous
Education	Harvard University (BA)
Occupation	Television writer producer director actor
Years active	1997–present
Spouse(s)	J. J. Philbin ​ (m. 2005)​
Children	2

Michael Herbert Schur (born October 29, 1975) is an American television writer, producer, director, and actor. He is famous for creating and working on many popular TV comedies. He started his career writing for Saturday Night Live and then became a writer and producer for The Office. On The Office, he also played a funny character named Mose Schrute.

Michael Schur is known for co-creating Parks and Recreation and creating other hit shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place, and Rutherford Falls. He also produced shows like Master of None and Hacks. His comedies often have big, diverse groups of characters. These characters usually find strong friendships and lasting love. His shows are known for their "good-hearted humanistic warmth." As of September 2024, Schur has been nominated for 21 Primetime Emmy Awards. He has won three Emmys for his work on Saturday Night Live, The Office, and Hacks. In May 2025, Michael Schur received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early Life and School

Michael Schur was born in 1975 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He grew up in West Hartford, Connecticut. His family did not follow any specific religion.

Schur went to William H. Hall High School in West Hartford. He then went to Harvard University and graduated in 1997. He studied English and was the president of the Harvard Lampoon, a famous humor magazine. While at Harvard, he was classmates with Rashida Jones, who later starred in his show Parks and Recreation.

Michael Schur's Career in TV

Starting Out: 1998–2005

In 1998, Michael Schur began working as a writer for NBC's Saturday Night Live. He became a producer for the "Weekend Update" segment in 2001. His first show as producer was the first Saturday Night Live episode after the September 11 attacks. In 2002, he won his first Primetime Emmy Award as part of the SNL writing team. Schur left Saturday Night Live in 2004.

Soon after, he joined The Office on NBC as a producer and writer. He wrote ten episodes for the show. In 2006, he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series for The Office. Schur also appeared on The Office as Dwight's cousin, Mose. He was in several episodes, including "Initiation" and "Money". He also helped write The Office: The Accountants webisodes. In 2005, Schur was a co-producer for HBO's The Comeback.

Creating New Shows: 2008–2015

In 2008, Schur and Greg Daniels started working on a new show called Parks and Recreation. It was first planned as a spin-off of The Office. However, Schur decided it would be better as its own separate show. Parks and Recreation got mixed reviews at first, but it became very popular and loved by critics in its second season.

Schur also wrote for a sports blog using the funny name "Ken Tremendous." He still uses this name on Twitter. He worked with the band The Decemberists on their music video for "Calamity Song." This video was based on a game from a book called Infinite Jest.

With Daniel J. Goor, Schur created the police comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine. This show started in 2013 on Fox and later moved to NBC. In 2013, Schur also created The PosCast, a podcast mostly about baseball.

Recent Work: 2016–Present

On September 19, 2016, Michael Schur's new show, The Good Place, started airing on NBC. This show was about philosophy and what it means to be a good person. It starred Kristen Bell and Ted Danson. The Good Place was a big success and ended its four-season run in January 2020. In 2016, Schur also co-wrote an episode of the show Black Mirror called "Nosedive".

In 2019, he started working on a comedy show called Rutherford Falls, which premiered in April 2021 on Peacock. In 2022, Schur released his first book, How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question. This book uses humor to explore the ethical questions he thought about while making The Good Place. In November 2024, a new comedy series he created, A Man on the Inside, starring Ted Danson, debuted on Netflix.

On May 22, 2025, Michael Schur received a special star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Personal Life

Michael Schur is married to J. J. Philbin. She used to be a writer for the show The O.C. and is the daughter of famous TV host Regis Philbin. They have two children, a son born in 2008 and a daughter born in 2010.

He is also a vegetarian.

What Inspired Michael Schur

Michael Schur became interested in comedy when he was 11 years old. He read a funny book by Woody Allen called Without Feathers. He found the book on his dad's shelf and stayed up late reading it. He has also said that Monty Python, David Foster Wallace, and The Simpsons have inspired him.

Michael Schur's TV Shows

Executive Producer Only

• Master of None (2015–2021)
• Abby's (2019)
• Sunnyside (2019)
• Hacks (2021–present)
• Q-Force (2021)
• Primo (2023)

Acting Roles

Awards and Nominations

Michael Schur has won and been nominated for many awards for his TV work.

See also

In Spanish: Michael Schur para niños