February 10, 2025
Becoming... Executive Producer and Director Ken Girotti (FBI: Most Wanted)
Mentors on the Mic: Your guide to pursuing a career in the Entertainment industryAbout this episode
Ken Girotti has had a hand in the creation of hundreds of hours of television episodes, pilots, television movies and film and received multiple award nominations. His television movie MAYERTHORPE garnered the best director award from the Director’s Guild of Canada. Recently Ken has been Executive Producer/Director on FBI MOST WANTED (CBS). He served the same role on ANNE WITH AN E (Netflix). He Executive Produced and Directed both seasons of PURE (Hulu/WGN) and was a Producer and Director on the CBC miniseries FORTUNATE SON. He directed half the episodes of the first three seasons of VIKINGS (History Channel), episodes of DAREDEVIL (Netflix), LAW & ORDER ORGANIZED CRIME (NBC), ORPHAN BLACK (BBC America), FRONTIER (Netflix), THE STRAIN (FX Networks), THE CROSSING (ABC), COPPER (BBC America), DAMAGES (FX Networks), RESCUE ME (FX Networks). Pilots and movies for television he’s shot include CRA$H & BURN, SABBATICAL, THE DEALERSHIP, and BEFRIEND & BETRAY. Currently Ken has numerous projects in development with Scott Einbinder’s 5X Media He splits his time between New York City, Madrid and Toronto. In this episode, we talk about: • Started in theater and craft services before assisting directing (which wasn’t the right fit for him) • Working on the famous “The Ides of March” episode on Xena: Warrior Princess with Lucy Lawless • Gigging on various shows vs working a few episodes of one show or what he calls “a tonic” • Tips for actors on their self tapes • His approach to a new script and how much time he has for prep • How do you add producing to your role as a director of an episode of a show • What it means to be a creative gatekeeper of a show like FBI: Most Wanted • How he handles show runners, producers, and writers “meddling” while maintaining his creative vision as a director • Tips for directors in training • Lightning round with his thoughts on shows he’s worked on including: 24 with Kiefer Sutherland, Season 1 of Supernatural , New Amsterdam , White Collar , Covert Affairs , Rescue Me , La Femme Nikita , Nikita , Vikings , Pure , Orphan Black , Anne with an E with co-showrunner Moira Walley-Beckett (about to do Fourth Wing series), and FBI: Most Wanted • What episodes Ken directs of FBI: Most Wanted and how does he choose who directs other episodes Guest: IMDb Wikipedia Host: Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com and www.mentorsonthemic.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle If you like this episode, check out Linda Mendoza - From page to Comedy TV/Film Director of Scrubs, The Good Place, and more Jason Ensler - From PSAs to Executive Producer/Director of HULU's "Love, Victor" Becoming... Film/TV Director Rosemary Rodriguez "The Walking Dead" "Law & Order SVU" "Acts of Worship"