Don't Stop Believin' in Ryan Murphy

“Call me camp. Call me crazy. Call me wild. Call me extreme. Call me erratic. The one thing you can’t say is that I don’t try” -Ryan Murphy

Ryan Murphy has been called the King of Television, the King of the Streaming Boom, and the most powerful man in TV. You may be familiar with him through certain television shows such as American Horror Story or Glee. While those are definitely his most popular shows, Murphy has written, produced, and directed many other shows and movies during his life.

As a child, he was raised in a family where it wasn’t easy to be a gay kid with an artistic sensibility. His father would be especially tough on him and ask him questions like “Why aren’t you like me?” The rejection by his father hit Murphy hard, and it is something that still hurts him to this day. However, he has used this rejection to fuel his passion for inclusion and diversity in his work. “I’m being the father who says, ‘You’re enough,’ which no one ever said to me,” Murphy said in an interview. He will spend hours in negotiations to get actors, especially women and minorities, more money than they’ve ever had.

His shows center around the idea of taking marginalized characters and putting them in the lead story. Murphy takes risks by casting women, minorities, and LGBTQ+ actors in leading roles, but it’s a risk that he takes with no regrets. He’s driven by his love for storytelling, particularly, telling the stories he feels need to be told such as a working class dad learning to love his Broadway-obsessed gay son—the happy ending that Murphy never got in his own family life. Murphy’s creative works mix satirical elements with earnest drama which can divide critics, but this doesn’t deter him. His love for creating these stories intrinsically motivates him. Murphy isn’t trying to make the “best-selling” TV show, rather, he aims to create a show that showcases characters and storylines that are often left out of the spotlight. He derives the most fulfillment by being able to work with these marginalized actors.

However, Murphy is also driven by his need to belong and be valued by the Establishment. While his intrinsic motivation plays a major role in his creations, Ryan is no stranger to the extrinsic motivation as well. In an interview Murphy has commented, “My whole life has been in search of that brass ring. People are astounded that I still want that. But everyone wants to be seen. Everyone wants to be loved.” And he has definitely seen that success that he strives for. He has received six Primetime Emmy Awards, a Tony award, and two Grammy award nominations. He also just recently signed the largest development deal in TV history with Netflix.

A final thing that is a huge part of Murphy’s creative process is collaboration. He is known for working with the same actors over multiple projects. For example, Sarah Paulson has been cast in five of his television series (Nip/Tuck, American Horror Story, American Crime Story, Feud, and Ratched) and will probably be cast in more in the future. “He puts a lot of wind beneath the wings of people he believes in,” says Paulson. Murphy considers many of his frequently casted stars friends and has commented on having many of their phone numbers, “I have everyone’s phone number but Meryl Streep’s.” He has garnered a lot of respect from fellow writers, producers, directors, and actors in the field. Murphy has created, in a sense, a company of stars who all enjoy working with him on new and exciting projects. He acts as the father he never had as he advocates and fights for his actors to get the money and recognition that they deserve.

Sources: https://time.com/5667752/ryan-murphy-netflix/ https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/05/14/how-ryan-murphy-became-the-most-powerful-man-in-tv https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Murphy_(writer)#Frequent_casting