MICHAEL D. GUTIERREZ

A knack for mixing laughs with the heavy stuff

Michael is a Mexi-Rican screenwriter and filmmaker from Southwest Detroit who most recently worked as a Staff Writer on a yet-to-be-announced Roku original series. As a child, Michael worked in his family’s bustling mom-and-pop tortilla shop (where child labor laws didn’t apply to his parents). His teen years were spent running track in the shadow of his big brother, head-banging at Vans Warped Tour, and creating short films with his best friends.

Under threat of working for his family for the rest of his life, Michael fled to Orange County to study directing at Chapman University. Michael has worked at Verve in their TV department, as the Writers' PA for Season 2 of Fox's LETHAL WEAPON, and assisted TV Showrunner and Creator David Hemingson on ABC’s WHISKEY CAVALIER. He transitioned to David’s Development Assistant for two broadcast seasons during which he assisted in writing Alexander Payne’s THE HOLDOVERS, which was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Original Screenplay, and won Best Original Screenplay at the 2024 WGA Awards. Michael has also worked as a Writers’ Assistant on the CW drama 4400.

Volunteer efforts include serving as a screener for NYLFF (the New York Latino Film Festival) and LALIFF (the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival), the latter of which he worked on yearly from 2018 to 2022, as well as contributing as a founding member of the Detroit-based nonprofit MiRitmo, which promotes Latino art and artists across the state of Michigan.

Michael writes grounded character-driven drama centering around dysfunctional families living the American Latino experience — and he’s got his family’s full support to grow their legacy from making tortillas to making television.