Hanelle M. Culpepper is an Emmy-nominated director whose work spans prestige drama, groundbreaking television pilots, and some of the entertainment industry’s most iconic franchises. Known for her cinematic visual style and emotionally driven storytelling, she has become one of television’s most sought-after directors, trusted to launch ambitious new series, helm pivotal episodes, and guide major franchise productions.

In 2026, Culpepper became only the second Black woman ever nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for directing “Exodus,” the acclaimed season two finale of Hulu’s Paradise, starring Sterling K. Brown. She is currently directing her third episode for the upcoming third season, making her the director with the most episodes directed (seven episodes total) across the entire series.

Throughout her career, Culpepper has built a reputation for breaking new ground. She became the first woman to direct the launch of a new Star Trek series with the pilot of Star Trek: Picard, earning the 2021 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series. She later became the first television
director to work across both the Star Trek and Star Wars television franchises, directing episodes of Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Wars: The Acolyte.

Her directing credits span many of television’s most acclaimed dramas and genre series, including Matlock, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, True Story, Westworld, Counterpart, NCIS: Origins, Mayans M.C., Gotham, The Flash, S.W.A.T., Criminal Minds, Grimm, and NOS4A2. She also served as executive producer and directed the pilot for The CW’s Kung Fu, which ran for three seasons. Her work has earned multiple NAACP Image Award nominations, Black Reel Award recognition, and an ASTRA Award nomination for directing.

Beyond episodic television, Culpepper continues to develop feature projects while expanding her work in the premium space. Her upcoming projects include Apple TV+’s highly anticipated adaptation of William Gibson’s Neuromancer. She is also attached to direct feature adaptations of Amari and the Night Brothers for Universal Pictures and 1000 Miles produced by Zucker Productions.

A graduate of Lake Forest College and USC’s Annenberg School, Culpepper launched her directing career after completing the AFI Directing Workshop for Women and NBCUniversal’s Directing Initiative. Her ability to move seamlessly between intimate character dramas and large-scale franchise storytelling has made her one of the industry’s most versatile directors.

Committed to supporting the next generation of filmmakers, Culpepper serves on the Television Academy’s Directors Peer Group Executive Committee and as an alternate on the DGA’s National Board and Western Directors Council. She also recently served as Guest Artistic Director for AFI’s DWW+, mentoring emerging directors as they begin their careers.