All of Ryan Murphy's Past, Current and Upcoming Television and Film Projects

Over the last decade, Ryan Murphy has become one of the most influential creators in entertainment. The screenwriter, director and producer has won six Emmy Awards out of 28 nominations and a Tony Award in 2019 for Best Revival of a Play, as a producer. He has also earned three Grammy Award nominations, as a producer.

After attending Indiana University Bloomington for journalism, Murphy wrote for a variety of newspapers and publications before starting his screenwriting career in the late 1990s.

He is best known for creating and producing a number of successful television series that often include a cast from a repertoire of frequent collaborators with Murphy. Below is a list of all of Murphy's past, current and upcoming television and film projects. Not included are Murphy's unsold pilots, including "St. Sass" for The WB, "Pretty/Handsome" from FX and "Open" for HBO.

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Television

Popular (1999 - 2001)

Murphy started his television career with a teenage comedy-drama he co-created with Gina Matthews for the WB. The show's two seasons follow Brooke McQueen (Leslie Bibb) and Sam McPherson (Carly Pope), who are forced to come together when their parents get engaged, despite being polar opposites. Both girls lead cliques at the fictional Jacqueline Kennedy High School, McQueen being the popular head of the cheerleading squad and McPherson as the "unpopular" editor of the school's newspaper. The series also began Murphy's collaboration with Leslie Grossman, who played Mary Cherry.

Nip/Tuck (2003 - 2010)

The serial medical drama marked Murphy's second television series that was picked up, this time by FX. The show's 100 episodes across six seasons highlighted the medical cases that came through the McNamara/Troy plastic surgery center. Dylan Walsh and Julian McMahon played Dr. Sean McNamara and Dr. Christian Troy, a dedicated family man and an unscrupulous playboy, respectively. The reality show "Dr. 90210" was inspired by this piece of Murphy's work.

Glee (2009 - 2015)

Murphy's hit musical comedy-drama brought several stars of the stage to the small screen, including Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison, Jenna Ushkowitz and Darren Criss. The show ran for six seasons and focused on a high school glee club in Ohio, with Morrison as the club director. Each episode features several covers of songs sung by cast members. Some of Broadway's best guest starred, including Kristen Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Carol Burnett. Several cast members have gone on to earn great acclaim on the stage, including Amber Reily, Alex Newell and Melissa Benoist.

The Glee Project (2011 - 2012)

This reality show on Oxygen had 10 contestants compete for a role on "Glee." Each week, performers completed a 'homework assignment,' group music video, callbacks, last chance performances and final callbacks, where one competitor was eliminated. A cast member of "Glee" served as a guest judge each week alongside Murphy himself. Now-Tony winner Ali Stroker finished runner up in season two.

American Horror Story (2011 - present)

The anthology horror television show created by Murphy and Brad Falchuck contains a miniseries each season. Seasons have included "Murder House," "Asylum," "Coven," "Freakshow," "Hotel," "Roanoke," "Cult," "Apocalypse" and the upcoming "1984," which premiere September 18. Despite following different sets of characters each series, cast members often reappear each season, sometimes reprising roles, including Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Denis O'Hare, Kathy Bates and Jessica Lange. Although fictional, plot lines on the show have been inspired by true events and real people, like the Black Dahlia and the Axeman of New Orleans.

The New Normal (2012 - 2013)

Murphy and "Glee" co-executive producer Ali Adler created a sitcom for NBC that ran for one season that focused on a wealthy gay couple living in Los Angeles, played by Andrew Rannells and Justin Bartha. The two decide to have a child together and their surrogate (Georgia King) and her daughter (Bebe Wood) move in with them. The series also starred NeNe Leakes, who later worked with Murphy again on "Glee."

Scream Queens (2015 - 2016)

The comedy horror series on FOX aired for two seasons, each following a masked serial killer. The first season follows a group of college students at Wallace University, specifically the Kappa Kappa Tau sorority, who are targeted by the school's mascot, the Red Devil. Season two takes place in a hospital with The Green Meanie hunting down the survivors of season one. Ryan Murphy worked again with Lea Michele ("Glee") and Emma Roberts ("American Horror Story") and featured Jamie Lee Curtis, Billie Lourd, Abigail Breslin, Keke Palmer, Ariana Grande, Nick Jonas and several other actors making up the large ensemble cast.

American Crime Story (2016 - Present)

"The People v. O.J. Simpson"started this anthological series that Murphy executive produced and directed several episodes of. Cuba Gooding Jr. stars as Simpson and Sarah Paulson stars as Marcia Clark, for which she won an Emmy Award. Season two ( "The Assassination of Gianni Versace") aired in 2018 and starred Édgar Ramírez as Gianni Versace and Darren Criss as his killer, Andrew Cunanan, which he won an Emmy Award for. Season three was announced August 6 and is set to premiere on September 27, 2020. The series revolving around the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal titled "Impeachment" will star Beanie Feldstein as Monica Lewisnky, Sarah Paulson as Linda Tripp and Tony Award-winner Annaleigh Ashford as Paula Jones.

Feud (2017 - present)

Like several of Murphy's television shows, "Feud" is an anthological series for FX. The first season portrayed the complex relationship between Hollywood legends Bette David (Susan Sarandon) and Joan Crawford (Jessica Lange) while filming their 1962 film "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" ("Feud: Bette and Joan"). The series has been renewed for a second season, which was originally planned to explore the story of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, however, the idea was scrapped and more information on the second season has yet to be announced.

9-1-1 (2018 - Present)

The procedural drama on FOX follows the lives of first responders in Los Angeles, including police officers, paramedics, firefighters and dispatchers, who must balance their high-pressure jobs with their personal lives. The show stars Angela Bassett, Peter Krause, Oliver Stark, Aisha Hinds, Kenneth Choi and Rockmond Dunbar. The third season is set to premiere on September 23. In May, FOX ordered a spinoff series starring Rob Lowe ("9-1-1: Lone Star"), which will premiere on January 19, 2020.

Pose (2018 - Present)

Set in New York City in the 1980s and 1990s, "Pose" explores the "juxtaposition of several segments of life and society in New York: the rise of the luxury universe, the downtown social and literary scene and the ball culture world." The ensemble cast stars Mj Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, Indya Moore, Hailie Sahar, Angelica Ross, Ryan Jamaal Swain and Angel Bismark Curiel. Billy Porter has won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Pray Tell. Patti LuPone has also guest starred in the second season, which premiered on June 11. "Pose" has been renewed for a third season.

The Politician (2019)

The Netflix series starring and executive produced by Broadway favorite Ben Platt is set to be released on the streaming platform on September 27, 2019. The Murphy-created show features Payton Hobart (Platt), a wealthy Santa Barbarian with big political aspirations - the first to become student body president. Although only the series has yet to be renewed, the plan for the series is each season will focus on a different political race his character is involved in. The cast also includes Platt's "Dear Evan Hansen" co-star Laura Dreyfuss, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Lange with guest stars Bette Midler and Judith Light.

Ratched (2020)

Sarah Paulson will star as Mildred Ratched, a young nurse at a mental institution becomes jaded, bitter and a downright monster to her patients in the upcoming series on Netflix. Rosanna Arquette, Cynthia Nixon, Don Cheadle and Sharon Stone will also star in the series based on "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Ken Kesey. Netflix gave the production an order of two season of nine episodes apiece in September 2017. The first season is in post-production, with no currently air date.

Hollywood (Upcoming)

Murphy's third series on Netflix has been kept under wraps, but the creator has described the show as "a love letter to the Golden Age of Tinseltown." Although the show was announced in February 2019, no additional details have been released.

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Film

Running with Scissors (2006)

The comedy-drama film written and directed by Murphy is based on Augusten Burroughs' 2002 memoir of the same name. Joseph Cross stars as Burroughs, who was abandoned by his mother, Annette Bening, and how he later abandoned her. He is sent to live with his mother's psychiatrist, the eccentric Dr. Finch (Brian Cox). The film, also starring Joseph Fiennes, Evan Rachel Wood, Alec Baldwin, Jill Clayburgh and Gwyneth Paltrow, was met with mixed reviews.

Eat, Pray, Love (2010)

Murphy also directed and wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's 2006 memoir "Eat, Pray, Love." Julia Robert plays Gilbert, a newly divorced woman embarking on a journey of self-discovery. She discovers the true pleasure of nourishment by eating in Italy, the power of prayer in India and, finally and unexpectedly, the inner peace and balance of true love in Indonesia. Javier Bardem, James Franco, Richard Jenkins, Viola Davis and Billy Crudup also star in the biographical romance drama that although receiving mixed and negative reviews, was a financial success.

Glee: The 3D Concert Movie (2011)

The concert documentary was produced by Murphy and Dante Di Loreto and was directed by Kevin Tancharoen. It follows the cast of "Glee" performing on their 2011 concert tour and includes clips during their stop in East Rutherford, New Jersey, showing how the series has influenced "Glee's" audience, specifically teenagers. Cast members from the first two seasons perform songs from the show and features guest star Gwyneth Paltrow, who plays Holly Holliday.

The Normal Heart (2014)

Larry Kramer adapted his 1985 play of the same name to a screenplay, directed and produced by Murphy, into a television film for HBO. The film stars Mark Ruffalo as Ned Weeks, a gay writer and activist in New York City who attempts to raise awareness during the early 1980s about the HIV-AIDS crisis. Matt Bomer, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parsons, Alfred Molina, Joe Mantello, Jonathan Groff and Julia Roberts also star in the film, which received much critical acclaim.

The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014)

Murphy produced the sequel to the 1976 cult classic "The Town That Dreaded Sundown." The slasher returns to Texarkana when a masked serial killer terrorizes the small town once again. Tony winner and frequent-Murphy-collaborator Denis O'Hare plays Charles Pierce Jr. in the film.

The Boys in the Band (2020)

It was announced on April 18, 2019 that after the 2018 Broadway revival, Murphy would produce a film adaption of the play for Netflix. Like the 50th anniversary revival that played at the Booth Theatre from May 31 to August 11, 2018, Joe Mantello will direct the film and star Matt Bomer, Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto and Andrew Rannells, each reprising their roles. The story follows Harold (Quinto), who celebrates his birthday in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and revolves around the group of gay men who gather for his party. Charlie Carver, Robin de Jesús, Brian Hutchison, Tuc Watkins and Michael Benjamin Washington round out the film's cast.

The Prom (2020)

Based on the Tony-nominated musical that ran from November 2018 to August 2019, the film follows a lesbian student in Indiana who wants to bring her girlfriend to her school's prom. When she is banned from attending, a cast of Broadway actors band together to fight the injustice. "The Prom" will star Meryl Streep as Dee Dee Allen, James Corden as Barry Glickman, Nicole Kidman as Angie Dickinson and Andrew Rannells as Trent Oliver. Keegan-Michael Key will play Principal Hawkins and Awkwafina will play Ms. Sheldon. Casting for Emma Nolan and Alyssa Greene have yet to be announced. The film is expected to be released in movie theaters September 2020 and available for streaming October 2020.

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