Shan Serafin is a multifaceted American creative force, excelling as a director, screenwriter, and novelist. His works often delve into the realms of supernatural thrillers, action stories, and crime stories, while also showcasing his expertise in dramatic productions on stage.
As a novelist, Serafin has collaborated with renowned author James Patterson on several occasions, co-authoring thrillers that explore complex themes and feature strong female protagonists. His solo novels, such as Seventeen and Conquest, tackle thought-provoking subjects like mortality, identity, and the human condition.
Born in California to school teachers, Serafin's early life was marked by a passion for the arts. He pursued his interests at UCLA, where he studied stage performance and filmmaking. After graduating, he joined the Aresis Ensemble in Santa Monica, honing his craft through productions of French and European works. Concurrently, he began teaching high-school math in South Central Los Angeles and formed a teenage theater troupe, which would serve as a training ground for his future writing and directing endeavors.
Serafin's directorial work in theater gained momentum with the stage play The Essential Bond, a biographical narrative about Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling. The production, co-written by Serafin, starred John Astin and Matthew Ashford and ran for three months. He went on to direct several stage productions in Los Angeles, including Red Light Winter, Closer, and Spike Heels.
Serafin's transition to screen work was marked by industrial videos and the production of the six-part social documentary Youth in Action, which tackled teenage social issues and featured a guest appearance by Vinessa Shaw. His feature film debut, The Forest, is a supernatural thriller shot on-location in the infamous Aokigahara Jukai suicide forest, starring Aidan Bristow and Michael Madsen. His subsequent films, Misfire and The Believer, showcase his versatility in action-thrillers and psychological dramas.
In his personal life, Serafin was married to Beth Morrow from 2008 until their amicable divorce in 2013. He is a practicing Buddhist, affiliated with the Soka Gakkai International organization of Nichiren Buddhism practitioners. Serafin has held leadership positions within the organization, serving as a national youth leader and editor-in-chief of its national youth gazette Seize the Day.
