Stephen Surjik

Stephen Surjik was born in Saskatchewan and studied in Montreal, finding early success with his student efforts. After working in various production capacities, he stepped up to director and soon got work helming several episodes of the landmark ensemble comedy sketch TV series "The Kids in the Hall" (1990). That show was a big hit in the United States as well as in its native country, so Hollywood beckoned Surjik. It was there that the director won his first big movie assignment, directing fellow Canadian Mike Meyers in "Wayne's World 2," the sequel to the popular rock-and-roll slacker comedy. Although that film was successful, its director was seemingly more at home creating TV shows. He did scores of them, taking the lead on episodes of series such as the science-fiction-meets-FBI procedural, "The X-Files" ('93), and espionage action series "Burn Notice" ('07). Numerous TV movies also have Surjik listed in the credits as director, including the Larry Gelbart-scripted "Weapons of Mass Distraction" ('97), about the cutthroat battle between two billionaires for control of a football team.