Michael Schur

Michael Schur (born October 29, 1975) is an American television writer, producer, director, and actor whose work includes The Office, Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and The Good Place. Raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he attended Harvard University, where he wrote for The Harvard Lampoon and served as its president. After graduating, he joined Saturday Night Live in 1998, writing sketches during a period that lasted until 2004. At SNL, he appeared onscreen as “Michael the intern,” a recurring character associated with Weekend Update. Schur moved to NBC’s hit The Office as a writer and producer, adapting his role to the mockumentary’s world by playing Dwight Schrute’s cousin, Mose. Mose is introduced in “Initiation” and became memorable for his silent, bearded appearance and for helping Dwight run Schrute Farms. Schur wrote episodes including “The Alliance,” “Christmas Party,” “The Negotiation,” and “Office Olympics,” the season-two episode in which employees create games for the office. He remained a producer on the series through its 2013 series finale. With Greg Daniels, Schur cocreated Parks and Recreation, which premiered on NBC in 2009. The series centers on Leslie Knope, a relentlessly civic-minded Pawnee, Indiana, parks official played by Amy Poehler. Schur served as an executive producer and wrote or cowrote notable episodes, including “Flu Season,” “The Fight,” and “Win, Lose, or Draw.” In 2013, he and Dan Goor cocreated Brooklyn Nine-Nine, a workplace police comedy starring Andy Samberg as Detective Jake Peralta. Schur remained an executive producer on the series, which moved from Fox to NBC after Fox canceled it in 2018. Schur created The Good Place, an NBC fantasy comedy that began in 2016. Its opening premise follows Eleanor Shellstrop, played by Kristen Bell, after she arrives in an afterlife neighborhood designed by Michael, played by Ted Danson. The show uses moral philosophy as a central engine, drawing on thinkers and ethical concepts while repeatedly revising its apparent premise. Its first-season finale reveals that the neighborhood is actually the Bad Place, a twist preserved by the series’ creators during its original broadcast. The Good Place won a Peabody Award and received multiple Emmy nominations. In 2021, Schur cocreated Rutherford Falls with Ed Helms and Sierra Teller Ornelas. The Peacock comedy follows conflicts involving a fictional town, a Native American casino, and a long-standing friendship. Schur also executive-produced Master of None and Hacks for their respective streaming platforms.