Peter Werner's professional journey began as a teacher and documentary filmmaker, holding Master's degrees in both fields. Following a year as a V.I.S.T.A. Volunteer in downtown Detroit, he co-founded a Quaker high school in Deerfield, Massachusetts.
During his teaching stint in Vermont, he met Frances Flaherty, widow of the renowned documentary filmmaker Robert Flaherty, who became both his friend and mentor. This led to the opportunity to create a documentary portrait of Frances, which aired on PBS, marking the first project produced by his younger brother Tom, who went on to found the production company Carsey-Werner, responsible for popular shows like The Cosby Show, Roseanne, and many others.
Tom is currently co-owner of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool Football Club.
Peter's American Film Institute student film, based on Joyce Carol Oates' short story "In the Region of Ice," earned him an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short after being showcased at the New York Film Festival. Since then, he has directed documentaries, pilots, TV movies, and numerous episodic television series, including Ghost Whisperer, Medium, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, A Different World, The Wonder Years, Moonlighting, Boomtown, and Justified.
Throughout his career, Peter has received multiple Emmy and D.G.A. Award nominations and won an ACE cable Award for his HBO film, The Image, starring Albert Finney.
In his personal life, Peter is married with three children, Lillie, Katharine, and James, and has served as a board member for his son's schools and the American Film Institute. He has also taught and lectured extensively and has practiced Buddhism for 30 years.
