About
Rafael Samano is a screenwriter, novelist and journalist. Fully bilingual and bicultural, he has written for English- and Spanish-language series including CBS’s NCIS: Origins, Amazon’s El Juicio and Paramount’s Coyote. Before television, he spent years as a reporter covering politics in Mexico and the United States, from the drug war to immigration and the border. A FONCA fellow, he holds a BA in Communication and Screenwriting from USC and an MA in Homeland Security, Counterterrorism and Cybersecurity from Reichman University.
Television
From military and legal procedurals to stories ripped from the headlines.
Full credits on IMDb →Books
Los objetos en el espejo
Winner of the 16th International Narrative Prize, awarded by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and Siglo XXI Editores.
“A splendid work of investigation.”— Rolling StoneBuy on Amazon →
Current projects
Inside a California cult, enlightenment comes with a payment plan.
In the near future, the real danger isn’t AI. It’s genetic engineering.
Los Angeles and its underworld, on an epic scale.
An exorcism caught on camera along the U.S.–Mexico border.
Commissioned writing
Godspeed
A storytelling studio for people and organizations: brand identities, websites, books and short documentaries that distill a career, a history or a legacy.
Visit Godspeed →Journalism
Univision & Fusion
At Univision and its English-language site Fusion, he led a team of fourteen journalists and interviewed high-profile figures such as Edward Snowden. He was part of the international team behind the Pulitzer Prize–winning Panama Papers, and produced Murrow Award–winning programming for Real America with Jorge Ramos and the Walter Reuter Prize–winning documentary Dicen de mí: La historia del Mijis.
Watch the documentary →Public service
Mexico City Police (SSC)
During the writers’ strike, he took a brief detour into policing as International Liaison for one of the world’s largest police forces, building partnerships with foreign embassies and international law enforcement agencies. Separately, he has worked from time to time as an analyst for intelligence firms, researching and writing reports and memos.
Press
- The Hollywood Reporter en EspañolEugenio Derbez y Pedro Alonso protagonizan El Juicio
- MilenioLos objetos en el espejo: la novela que denuncia los feminicidios
Contact
- rafaelsamanomx@gmail.com
- Representation
- CAA · World Talent House · Del Shaw