Gabe Rotter, a Woodbury native, has taken a major step in his career with the Netflix series “The Beast in Me,” a show rooted in the very neighborhoods that shaped his childhood.
Rotter said his love of storytelling began early.
“I remember watching ‘E.T’. when I was 8 years old and being completely bowled over,” Rotter said. “I literally said to myself, ‘This is what I want to do. I want to tell stories like this.’”
His passion for writing was quickly recognized. In fifth grade, Rotter entered a Halloween story-writing contest, crafting a tale with a twist ending that won him accolades from classmates and teachers alike.
“Seeing the reaction that it got was all I needed,” he said. “I was immediately hooked.”
Rotter attended Syosset High School and credited his high school mentors for nurturing his talents. He said Jack DeMacy, who ran Syosset’s TV and radio programs, and English teacher Elizabeth Leeds encouraged his creative pursuits.
Leeds, he said, once told him a story he wrote made her cry. “She actually said the words, ‘You’re a writer,’” Rotter said. “That really affected me, so I took it seriously.”
He went on to study at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, majoring in critical studies. After an internship at Fox Studios, he landed a job as a production assistant on “The X-Files,” quickly working his way up to writers’ assistant, a formative experience that taught him the craft of television writing.
Rotter spent years honing his skills, often facing rejection, but he emphasized the importance of perseverance.
“There are no shortcuts,” he said. “You’ve got to do the work, and if you’re committed and tenacious, you’ll have a chance of succeeding. It took 25 years to get a show made that I wrote.”
Rotter is the creator of the new Netflix thriller “The Beast in Me.” Rotter initially wrote the script in 2016 during the presidential election. The initial inspiration came from an article about Tony Schwartz, the ghostwriter of Donald Trump’s “The Art of the Deal,” who later expressed regret over glorifying Trump in his book.
“It was compelling to me,” Rotter said. “Tony Schwartz had made a Faustian pact as a young writer, and years later, he felt guilty because of the impact of that work. I thought there was a TV series in that dynamic between a writer and someone whose life they’re helping to mythologize.”
The first script took shape as a story about Aggie, a writer, and her obsession with documenting the life of a nearby gangster who wants to be remembered as one of the greats.
Rotter said the story drew heavily from his observations growing up on Long Island.
“I had come across folks who looked and sounded like they might be involved with the mob,” he recalled. “I was collecting stories, almost like a bird watcher, paying attention to details.”
One of the most memorable scenes in the show — the appearance of three large German Shepherds at Aggie’s door — is based on a real experience from Rotter’s childhood.
“We were eating dinner one night when these giant dogs started barking at our windows,” he said. “My dad called the local police, and 10 minutes later, an SUV pulled up. Two intimidating men got out, scooped up the dogs, and handed my dad a business card with just a phone number on it. That really happened.”
Other scenes in the show also stem from true Long Island experiences. Rotter recounted witnessing a public incident in a restaurant years ago, where a famous actor confronted a woman allegedly taking pictures of him and his companion.
“It descended into absolute chaos,” Rotter said. “Days later, there was an article about it on Page Six. Moments like that formed the scenes in the series, adding authenticity.”
The journey from script to screen was long and complex. Though written in 2016, it was not until 2018 that Conan O’Brien’s production company expressed interest.
Early drafts evolved with input from Jodie Foster and Claire Danes before Netflix picked up the show in 2020. The 2023 Writers Guild of America strike and multiple rewrites extended the development process, but Rotter said the perseverance paid off.
“Claire Danes sticking with it after all of these contortions was a great gift,” he said.
Now that the show is released, Rotter said he feels “relieved” and gratified by its reception.
“It’s exciting to hear from literally every person I’ve ever met, telling me they watched the show and liked it,” he said.
Looking ahead, Rotter is already developing new projects, including another television series. Long Island, he said, will continue to inform his work. “
It’s so deeply embedded in my personality and my way of thinking that a lot of what I do in the future will take place on Long Island,” he said.
For Gabe Rotter, the path from Syosset classrooms to Netflix studios is a testament to talent, persistence, and the unique experiences of growing up on Long Island. His series, rooted in both local lore and personal memory, brings a piece of Long Island to audiences worldwide.
