Damon Lindelof
A screenwriter who reshaped television by weaving profound philosophical questions into gripping, character-driven genre stories.
Born 1973 (age 53)·American screenwriter and producer·Birthday: April 24·Generation X
Biography
Damon Lindelof emerged from the world of network television to become a defining voice of the post-network era. His breakout came with co-creating 'Lost,' a show that fused survival drama with deep sci-fi mythology, proving that mainstream audiences would embrace complex, serialized puzzles. After the show's monumental success, he navigated the tricky terrain of franchise filmmaking with projects like 'Star Trek' and 'Prometheus' before returning to TV with a sharper, more personal vision. His later work, particularly the HBO series 'The Leftovers' and 'Watchmen,' demonstrated a mature artist grappling with grief, faith, and systemic injustice, using speculative fiction as a scalpel to examine the human condition. Lindelof's career is a map of modern pop culture's evolution, marked by a willingness to ask big questions even when the answers are elusive.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Damon was born in 1973, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Damon Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Damon's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-created and served as showrunner for the influential and massively popular television series 'Lost.'
- Won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series for 'Watchmen,' which reimagined the classic graphic novel.
- Co-wrote the screenplay for the 2009 film 'Star Trek,' successfully rebooting the iconic franchise.
- Created the critically acclaimed HBO series 'The Leftovers,' based on Tom Perrotta's novel.
Did You Know?
He is an avid fan of the New York Mets and named his production company 'White Rabbit' after a Jefferson Airplane song featured in 'Lost.'
He turned down an offer to write for 'Saturday Night Live' early in his career.
His father's name is David, and he named the character Desmond Hume after him (David Hume was a philosopher).
“The mystery is more important than the answer.”
