Ep688 - Alex Russell, Writer & Director ‘Lurker’
Tue Feb 03 2026
Alex Russell is a writer and director best known for his work on DAVE and THE BEAR. He also won an Emmy award for his work as a writer and Supervising Producer on Netflix/A24’s BEEF.
His directorial debut, LURKER, is a psychological thriller that follows a retail employee who infiltrates the inner circle of an artist on the verge of stardom. As he gets closer to the budding music star, access and proximity become a matter of life and death.
In this interview, we talk about the distinction between having a unique voice and mastering the technical craft and structure of a script, the collaborative nature of writers' rooms and the role of serving a showrunner's vision, how working on DAVE led to opportunities on other shows like BEEF and THE BEAR, the development of his film LURKERS, and much more.
Want more? Steal my first book, INK BY THE BARREL - SECRETS FROM PROLIFIC WRITERS, right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend, as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy!
If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds, and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!
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Alex Russell is a writer and director best known for his work on DAVE and THE BEAR. He also won an Emmy award for his work as a writer and Supervising Producer on Netflix/A24’s BEEF. His directorial debut, LURKER, is a psychological thriller that follows a retail employee who infiltrates the inner circle of an artist on the verge of stardom. As he gets closer to the budding music star, access and proximity become a matter of life and death. In this interview, we talk about the distinction between having a unique voice and mastering the technical craft and structure of a script, the collaborative nature of writers' rooms and the role of serving a showrunner's vision, how working on DAVE led to opportunities on other shows like BEEF and THE BEAR, the development of his film LURKERS, and much more. Want more? Steal my first book, INK BY THE BARREL - SECRETS FROM PROLIFIC WRITERS, right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend, as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds, and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!