Dominic Orlando, a television writer-turned-playwright who worked on shows including Nightcrawler, Mindhunter and Them, has died.
He died Nov. 17 in Washington from complications of cancer, Variety reported. When he took his last breath, he was 57. Orlando’s family said the writer died of what he loved as he prepared for his first day in the television writers’ room hours before his death. His mother Lillian, John and his brothers Steven and Steven’s wife, Sarah, are nieces, nephews and cousins.
In lieu of flowers or gifts, the Orlando family is asking people to consider donating to the Dominic Orlando Fund, created by the Friends and Playwrights Center. Proceeds from the fund will be used to support writers who create their own unique paths in the arts.
His family talked about it in a statement and shared, “He’s the guy who wants to sit next to Thanksgiving, baking in Minneapolis, and backyard barbecues in Los Angeles.”
“He had the loudest voice, argued, spoke, expressed his firm views, but somehow he always managed to be an empathic and eager listener. He was a mentor, friend and very generous soul, he has been builds social circles all his life, just as he builds stories, and is at the heart of every cycle, “the family added.
Born in Brooklyn on Christmas Day 1963, Orlando followed life as an artist from an early age. He started his career in the New York theater, and in 1992 co-founded the No-Pants Theater Company, which explored large-scale mythological and spiritual stories in America.
After New York, he moved to Minneapolis, where he co-founded the Workhaus Collective during a Jerome and McKnight fellowship at the Playwrights Center. The company aims to support its writers’ uncompromising vision. Over the years, Orlando has written and taught theater many plays and operas.
Orlando eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he pursued a career in television and contributed to the Amazon series “Them,” “Outer Range,” FX’s “Retreat,” Netflix’s “The OA,” “Mindhunter,” and “Nightflyers . ” Written by ‘, a series based on the work of George RR Martin.
