Meet Dan Hamamura | Television Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dan Hamamura and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dan, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’m not sure that this answer will be satisfying, but honestly: because it seemed fun!

(Wait, I have a longer explanation, I swear.)

When I was in college, my original goal was to pursue a career in the video game industry – having grown up playing games in the 80s and 90s, I was convinced that making video games was the career path that I wanted. So after studying Computer Science and Film Studies (in theory, to give myself technical and narrative skillsets to work with), I began working in the game industry…

…and I hated it.

It wasn’t just that the hours were long, or the work tedious, but when I went to work every day, I looked around at my friends and co-workers who seemed happy with what they were doing, and I realized (late, but thankfully not too late) that I would never be able to do what they did – not because I wasn’t capable, but because I wasn’t able to fully engage with the work, which was keeping me from enjoying it and doing my best.

Once I realized that, for me, being able to enjoy my work was crucial to my ability to engage with it, I started to think about what it was I really wanted to do if it wasn’t working in video games… and it turns out the only answer I could come up with was writing for television.

But starting that journey meant I had to start at the bottom, as a production assistant. And on my first day as a PA on my first TV show, I found myself making copies, getting lunch and coffee, running all sorts of random errands…

…and I loved it.

The hours were long, the work was tedious, but none of that mattered, because I was happy with what I was doing. I was on the right path. I was having fun.

It turned out, that was just the beginning of more than a decade of working as an assistant on all sorts of television shows, but at each stop I managed to learn, to stay engaged, to have fun, which definitely helped me on my journey as I went from assistant to working TV writer.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a television writer, my job is inherently collaborative – even the greatest TV writer in the world is useless without the hundreds of other artists and craftspeople who work together to bring an episode of television together.

I am not the greatest TV writer by any measurement. Don’t get me wrong – I’m very good, and fully confident in my own ability – but I’m certainly no genius. But I think the thing that sets me apart is my ability to collaborate, to be able to find my place within the team to contribute. If making a TV show was a basketball team, I’m not the superstar who puts up 30 points a night, but I’m the guy who makes the extra pass, who hustles when the team needs it, who gets everyone fired up – I’m the glue.

I think this trait – my ability to find my role and contribute, to be the glue – is why I’ve managed to survive as long as I have working in television. The route from assistant to full-time writer is challenging even under the best circumstances, and requires hard work, a significant amount of luck, and a little bit of irrational faith in one’s own ability to survive when work can be hard to come by. But because of my ability to find my role, I’m pretty confident that I’ve never left a show on bad terms with my co-workers, and that any of them would hire me if they felt I was right for their project (something that’s come true more than once!).

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This might be the most difficult question you’ve asked me, but my goal would be mostly to showcase as much of the good food around Los Angeles as possible, so in no particular order, we’d go to:

– Sawtelle and/or Little Tokyo for Japanese food
– SGV for all the many different types of Chinese food available
– Grand Central Market for pretty much whatever kind of food you want
– Is it possible to stop at every taco truck we find? Or at least Mariscos Jalisco and Kogi.

Since we can’t eat every single second of every day, I guess I would also try to get them to see some live comedy around town – UCB or The Elysian, or Largo if we wanted to be fancy. I also love exploring downtown on foot – even better if we can sneak our way into something semi-hidden, like the underground tunnels that connect a bunch of municipal buildings.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people who deserve credit and recognition that I’m certain that I will probably miss some, but one thing I’ve learned is that every successful career is built on the support of those around us.

My parents, obviously, who were always supportive and willing to let me pursue what I wanted, even though I’m sure it was terrifying for them to watch.

My first bosses, Allyce Ozarski and Lisa Hackler, who gave me my first opportunity to be a PA – and led, directly or indirectly, to a decade or so of work for me as they would hire me in the future or end up introducing me to people who would do the same.

Numerous writers and showrunners who mentored me, gave me feedback, or gave me opportunities to grow – this is essentially everyone who I’ve ever worked with, but in particular Jan Nash, Kai Wu, Christina Kim, and Robert Berens, all of whom have been crucial to the advancement of my career and my growth as a writer.

And honestly, the friends I’ve made as I’ve lived and worked in Los Angeles have been just as crucial as anyone else. Their love and support and willingness to see a random improv show at 11 pm on a Wednesday night all helped keep me sane and willing to stick it out through the tough times.