Dominic Orlando, Writer on The Oa and Mindhunter, Dies at 57

Dominic Orlando, writer on the acclaimed Netflix seiries The Oa and Mindhunter, has died at age 57. Olrlando reportedly died on November 17th in Washington, due to "complications from cancer," according to a CAA spokesperson. Orlando was a two-time WGA nominee, whose screenwriting credits also include the SyFy series Nightflyers, as well as Amazon's controversial race-focused horror-thriller series Them this past year. Clearly Orlando's forte was putting an arthouse spin on some of the darker and thought-provoking genre television out there – a perfect niche for a Brooklyn-born playwright

The family of Dominic Orlando has released the following statement on his passing: "He was the person everyone wanted to sit next to at Thanksgiving, at the brunches in Minneapolis and the backyard barbecues in L.A. He was the loudest voice, arguing, talking, stating his firm opinion and yet still, somehow, he always managed to be an empathetic and avid listener. A mentor, friend and a deeply generous soul, he spent his life building social circles the way he built stories, and he was the heart of every circle."

It's noted that Orlando's work as an artist included continuously creating new groups, including the Workhaus Collective in Minneapolis (while on fellowships at the Playwrights' Center), as well as co-founding  who co-founded New York's No Pants Theater Company in the early 1990s. It was after his time in Minneapolis that Orlando moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in TV. He still has upcoming projects that will have his named attached, including Outer Range at Amazon and Retreat at FX. 

Dominic Orlando is survived by his mother, Lillian; brothers John and Steven; and sister-in-law Sara.

"The Dominic Orlando Fund" has been started by the Playwrights' Center in honor of the late writer.