Michelle MacLaren
Michelle MacLaren
Michelle Maxwell MacLaren is a television director and producer. She has directed episodes of The X-Files, Breaking Bad, Frank Darabont's The Walking Dead and HBO's Game of Thrones...
NationalityCanadian
ProfessionDirector
CountryCanada
Would I like to do a feature? Absolutely.
choose episode feeling great pick whatever
My feeling is, from when I started on 'Breaking Bad,' there's no reason to pick and choose because every episode is great. Whatever episode you get, you're lucky to do it.
dark drama gravitate love seem side toward
I seem to gravitate toward the dark side of things when it comes to directing. I love action, but I love the drama as well.
scares surprised tend
I'm not surprised that I tend to go for the dark side. I was a really scared kid, so I think I understand what scares people.
time
'Once Upon a Time in the West' is one of my favorite films.
bad breaking sergio shoot
In general, we like to shoot Breaking Bad like a modern day Western, and Sergio Leone is one of my all-time favorite directors.
definitely expected finds himself
In 'Breaking Bad,' we have a lead character who definitely finds himself in a situation he would never have expected to find himself in normally.
opportunity work
I've been very fortunate to have the opportunity to work on wonderful shows.
people produce
Vince Gilligan and AMC are really wonderful people to direct and produce for because they don't put the demands of any conventionalism on you.
amazing experience honored
'Breaking Bad' was a magical, amazing experience. I'm honored to have been a part of it.
creates themselves
Every character a writer creates has some of themselves in it somewhere.
became business cigarette holding hours job odd possibly pouring running sign sweeping
I did every odd job you could possibly imagine: Holding a sign in the rain for 14 hours straight, sweeping up cigarette butts, pouring coffee, running around - anything I could to be on a film set. I wanted to be in the business. So I'd say, 'You need that job done? Fine,' and I became indispensable to people.
I always say that AMC hires filmmakers, and they let them be filmmakers.
directing love produce
I always say, 'I love producing, but directing is my passion,' and for a while, I had to produce to support my directing habit.