JJ Nelson is a Michigan native who, as a kid, made schlocky home movies with his best friend. He then built his comedic chops as an editor of his high school newspaper, writing irreverent Onion-inspired articles mocking the establishment. Somehow, he got away with all of it, diploma in hand. 

JJ honed his writing skills as an undergrad at the University of Michigan before earning an MFA in Screenwriting from UCLA’s renowned School of Theater, Film, and TV, where he also received the prestigious Samuel Goldwyn Award for screenwriting. He interned at Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s Gary Sanchez Productions, where he met a number of comedy titans he’s since gone on to work with.

JJ has had projects either set up or in development with Sony Pictures, Paramount Insurge, Di Boneventura Pictures, Broken Road, Green Hat, Virgin, and Jake Paul’s Team 10. Ultimately none of them got made, which is, truth be told, exactly like 99% of every other screen project in Hollywood.

But one of them did! The film, Bad Man, an action/comedy starring Seann William Scott, Johnny Simmons, Rob Riggle, Lovi Poe, and Chance Perdomo in his final screen performance, was released in the fall of 2025, earning JJ his first produced feature film writing credit.

I’ve seen Bad Man and can tell you it’s an offbeat, dark, action-comedy with heart and a clever twist at the end.

For the record, JJ and I have known one another for more than 15 years as we attended the UCLA MFA in Screenwriting Program at the same time.