---
name: "Greg Yaitanes"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/greg-yaitanes"
fi1m_id: "greg-yaitanes"
imdb_id: "nm0944981"
tmdb_id: 157730
wikidata_id: "Q2735655"
roles: ["Director","Producer"]
born: "18 June 1970"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 15
average_fi1m_score: 68
average_as: "director"
average_over: 15
updated: "2026-09-24T20:20:07.210098+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Greg Yaitanes

## Identity

Greg Yaitanes

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/greg-yaitanes
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** greg-yaitanes
- **IMDb ID:** nm0944981
- **TMDB ID:** 157730
- **Wikidata ID:** Q2735655
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Yaitanes, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2735655, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0944981/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/157730

Director and producer. Born 18 June 1970 in Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Director, Producer
- **Born:** 18 June 1970, Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA
- **Active:** 2001–present
- **Frequently works with:** [Dan Attias](https://film.one/person/dan-attias.md), [Guy Ferland](https://film.one/person/guy-ferland.md), [Bryan Spicer](https://film.one/person/bryan-spicer.md), [Eric Laneuville](https://film.one/person/eric-laneuville.md), [Karen Gaviola](https://film.one/person/karen-gaviola.md), [Kevin Hooks](https://film.one/person/kevin-hooks.md), [Nelson McCormick](https://film.one/person/nelson-mccormick.md), [Randy Zisk](https://film.one/person/randall-zisk.md)
- **Primetime Emmy Awards:** 1 Emmy (1 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 68, as director, over 15 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 73 (9), 2010s 72 (1), 2020s 59 (5)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 70 to 66 across 12 titles
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 11 at 60–79, 3 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 15, Crime 8, Action & Adventure 4, Mystery 3, Comedy 1, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 1
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Yaitanes, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2735655, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0944981/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/157730

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*Lost*](https://film.one/tv/lost.md) (81), [*Damages*](https://film.one/tv/damages.md) (78), [*House*](https://film.one/tv/house-2004.md) (78), [*Alias*](https://film.one/tv/alias.md) (74), [*Bones*](https://film.one/tv/bones.md) (70), [*Nip/Tuck*](https://film.one/tv/nip-tuck.md) (70), [*Grey's Anatomy*](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md) (68), [*Prison Break*](https://film.one/tv/prison-break.md) (68)
- **Apple TV:** [*Your Friends & Neighbors*](https://film.one/tv/your-friends-and-neighbors.md) (72), [*Banshee*](https://film.one/tv/banshee.md) (72)
- **Netflix:** [*Heroes*](https://film.one/tv/heroes.md) (68)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Spider-Noir*](https://film.one/tv/spider-noir.md) (67)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Greg Yaitanes

> Greg Yaitanes gives actors room and knows how to handle action. We rate his unshowy television craft, but the programmes we have reviewed offer stronger reasons to follow their leading actors than their director.

Greg Yaitanes is prepared to let a scene play without constantly changing the camera angle. On *Quarry* (2016), he held back from close-ups and wanted the performances to do the work. That is a sensible instinct, and we like his willingness to let actors hold our attention without constant cutting. It helps explain his usefulness in television, though it does not guarantee a programme worth staying with.

His early action films, *Hard Justice* (1995) and *Double Tap* (1997), led into an extensive run of episodic television, including 30 episodes of *House* (2004). *Banshee* (2013) kept the hand-to-hand action in play. As sole director of *Quarry*, he could establish a consistent approach across a whole series. He also directed three episodes of *House of the Dragon* (2022), including the finale. That work calls for control of both performance and large-scale spectacle.

*Your Friends & Neighbors* (2025) is the most rewarding of the programmes we have reviewed here. We enjoyed its relationship drama because Jon Hamm and the ensemble kept it lively, even when the observations about privilege were familiar. *Spider-Noir* (2026) also depends heavily on its lead: Nicolas Cage makes a down-at-heel 1930s private eye worth following. The noir styling is handsome, but eight episodes stretch the material too far.

*Lucky* (2026) makes the limits of judging a television director especially clear. Yaitanes shares its seven episodes with Jet Wilkinson and Jonathan van Tulleken, while five editors handle the cutting. The opening has a snap the later episodes fail to maintain, and the series starts repeating and explaining itself. The uneven pace belongs to the finished programme; there is no basis for pinning it on his episodes alone.

The craft in *Lucky* is respectable but insufficiently specific. Yaron Orbach and Doug Emmett shoot the roads and rooms cleanly, while Keith P. Cunningham’s motels, bars and back offices could belong to almost any crime series. Isabella Summers makes the better choice of letting the score fall quiet when the drama reaches for feeling. Start with *Your Friends & Neighbors*, and do not expect its account of privilege to surprise you.

## Biography

Greg Yaitanes is an American television and film director. Born on 18 June 1970 in Wellesley, Massachusetts, he attended the University of Southern California Film School and began directing professionally in his early twenties.

He is best known for directing episodes of *House* (2004–2012), for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2008, as well as *Grey's Anatomy*, *Lost*, *Prison Break*, *Heroes*, *Banshee* and *House of the Dragon*. He has also served as showrunner and executive producer on series including *Manhunt: Unabomber* and *Quarry*.

Yaitanes directed episodes of *Your Friends & Neighbors* (2025) and is attached to direct on the forthcoming series *Lucky* and *Spider-Noir* (both 2026). He is an angel investor in several technology companies, including Twitter.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (15)

- *Dutton Ranch* (2026), Fi1m 56, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/dutton-ranch.md)
- *Lucky* (2026), Fi1m 57, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/lucky.md)
- *Marshals* (2026), Fi1m 44, Director, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/tv/marshals.md)
- *Spider-Noir* (2026), Fi1m 67, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/spider-noir.md)
- *Your Friends & Neighbors* (2025), Fi1m 72, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/your-friends-and-neighbors.md)
- *Banshee* (2013), Fi1m 72, Director, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/tv/banshee.md)
- *Damages* (2007), Fi1m 78, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/damages.md)
- *Heroes* (2006), Fi1m 68, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/heroes.md)
- *Bones* (2005), Fi1m 70, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/bones.md)
- *Grey's Anatomy* (2005), Fi1m 68, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md)
- *Prison Break* (2005), Fi1m 68, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/prison-break.md)
- *House* (2004), Fi1m 78, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/house-2004.md)
- *Lost* (2004), Fi1m 81, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/lost.md)
- *Nip/Tuck* (2003), Fi1m 70, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/nip-tuck.md)
- *Alias* (2001), Fi1m 74, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/alias.md)

## Complete filmography (53)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Lucky* (2026), series, Director — Fi1m 57, [page](https://film.one/tv/lucky.md)
- *Spider-Noir* (2026), series, Director — Fi1m 67, [page](https://film.one/tv/spider-noir.md)
- *Dutton Ranch* (2026), series, Director — Fi1m 56, [page](https://film.one/tv/dutton-ranch.md)
- *Marshals* (2026), series, Director, Executive Producer — Fi1m 44, [page](https://film.one/tv/marshals.md)
- *Your Friends & Neighbors* (2025), series, Director — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/your-friends-and-neighbors.md)
- *Presumed Innocent* (2024), series, Director, Executive Producer
- *Donut Boy* (2024), Executive Producer
- *Citadel* (2023), series, Director, Executive Producer
- *House of the Dragon* (2022), series, Co-Executive Producer, Director
- *The Old Man* (2022), series, Director
- *The Twilight Zone* (2019), series, Director
- *Castle Rock* (2018), series, Director, Executive Producer
- *Manhunt* (2017), series, Director, Executive Producer
- *Snowfall* (2017), series, Director
- *Quarry* (2016), series, Executive Producer, Director
- *Underground* (2016), series, Director
- *Ray Donovan* (2013), series, Director
- *Banshee* (2013), series, Executive Producer, Director — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/banshee.md)
- *Banshee: Origins* (2013), series, Director
- *Women's Murder Club* (2007), series, Director
- *Damages* (2007), series, Director — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/damages.md)
- *Drive* (2007), series, Producer, Director
- *Heroes* (2006), series, Director — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/heroes.md)
- *Southern Comfort* (2006), Director
- *Over There* (2005), series, Director
- *Commander in Chief* (2005), series, Director
- *Bones* (2005), series, Director — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/tv/bones.md)
- *Prison Break* (2005), series, Director — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/prison-break.md)
- *Empire* (2005), series, Director
- *The Closer* (2005), series, Director
- *Grey's Anatomy* (2005), series, Director — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md)
- *House* (2004), series, Director — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/house-2004.md)
- *Lost* (2004), series, Director — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/lost.md)
- *CSI: NY* (2004), series, Director
- *Cold Case* (2003), series, Director
- *Las Vegas* (2003), series, Director
- *Nip/Tuck* (2003), series, Director — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/tv/nip-tuck.md)
- *Frank Herbert's Children of Dune* (2003), series, Director
- *Hotel* (2003), Director
- *CSI: Miami* (2002), series, Director
- *Fastlane* (2002), series, Director
- *Plan B* (2002), Director
- *Alias* (2001), series, Director — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/alias.md)
- *The Invisible Man* (2000), series, Director
- *Cleopatra 2525* (2000), series, Director
- *Martial Law* (1998), series, Director
- *V.I.P.* (1998), series, Director
- *Soldier of Fortune, Inc.* (1997), series, Director
- *Double Tap* (1997), Director
- *Nash Bridges* (1996), series, Director
- *Hard Justice* (1995), Director
- *Black Sash*, series, Director
- *Myron Bolitar*, series, Executive Producer

## Awards

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 1 won

- 2008: Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (won), for *House M.D.*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/greg-yaitanes