Dan Erickson

Daniel Earling Erickson (born January 26, 1984) is an American television screenwriter, showrunner, and producer. He is best known for creating the psychological thriller television series Severance, which premiered on the Apple TV+ streaming service in February 2022.

Life and career Erickson is from Olympia, Washington. Erickson has stated that he is very close with both siblings, and that they inspired characters on Severance, with Matt loosely representing the character of Petey, and Hayley serving as the primary inspiration and basis for the character of Devon .

Erickson attended Western Washington University, where he received a bachelor's degree in English, and subsequently graduated from New York University Tisch School of the Arts with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Dramatic Writing for Television.

He wrote for Spike TV's Lip Sync Battle Pre-Show and worked in series development for the now-defunct entertainment company Super Deluxe.

In 2016, Erickson's pilot script for Severance was recognized by the Blood List. He later submitted the script as a writing sample to Ben Stiller’s Red Hour Productions, and Stiller produced the project. In 2019, Apple TV+ picked up Severance for a straight-to-series order with Endeavor Content serving as co-financer and producer. Season 1 of Severance premiered on February 18, 2022, on Apple's streaming service to acclaim. Season 2 premiered on January 17, 2025. It also received acclaim, with an initial score of 100% on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes based on 43 critic reviews.

In September 2022, Erickson was included in the Time 100 Next list, which features "100 emerging leaders from around the world who are shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership". He and the writers of Severance won twice at the 2023 Writers Guild of America Awards, winning Best New Series and Best Drama Series.

Erickson was announced as the recipient of the 2026 Alumni Achievement Award at Western Washington University at 42 years old.

Filmography + Year Title Writer Producer Notes 2011 League of Wonder Short film 2016–2018 Lip Sync Battle Preshow 2022–present Severance Creator, wrote 7 episodes, executive producer

Awards and honors The Astra Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 2022 Best Writing in a Streaming Series Severance

Primetime Emmy Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 2023 Outstanding Drama Series Severance Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Severance 2025 Outstanding Drama Series Severance Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Severance

Peabody Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 2022 Entertainment Severance

Writers Guild of America Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 2022 Drama Series Severance New Series

Seoul International Drama Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 2025 Best Screenwriter Severance