“Deadlines take away writer’s block,” said screenwriter Chris Mundy. The writer started his career writing for Rolling Stone, before he made the transition into film and television. Known for ‘Cold Case,’ ‘Criminal Minds,’ ‘Hell on Wheels,’ ‘Low Winter Sun,’ ‘Bloodline,’ and the hit new series ‘Ozark.’

For ‘Ozark,’ Mundy is fascinated with the character of Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman). The father of the series, a man who launders money for his survival, is the type of person focused on logic rather than emotion, almost to a fault.

In this interview, Mundy discusses the similarities between magazine profiles and characters, how the writers keep the Byrde family in new predicaments, why Marty isn’t necessarily an anti-hero, and what’s the importance of understanding where you lack knowledge about your series.

Find out more about Ozark in our interview with Alyson Feltes in Episode 124. And, if you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5