Chris Carter (born October 13, 1956) is an American writer, director, and producer, best known for creating the science fiction TV series The X-Files. After earning a journalism degree from California State University, Long Beach, he worked as a journalist and editor for Surfing magazine before beginning his screenwriting career at Walt Disney Studios in 1985. Carter later created other series, including Millennium and Harsh Realm, and made his directorial debut with the 2008 film The X-Files: I Want to Believe.