Steven Piet is an American director, writer, and producer born on May 19, 1984, in Chicago, Illinois.
He is best known for directing episodes of the Hulu true-crime drama The Act (2019) and producing the Hulu miniseries Murdaugh: Death in the Family (2025). He is married to actress Joey King.
Who is Steven Piet?
Steven Piet is an American filmmaker who has built his career directing and producing prestige television, particularly in the true-crime and anthology genres.
His credits span The Act, Channel Zero, A Friend of the Family, and most recently Murdaugh: Death in the Family.
He graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a degree in film and returned to his hometown of Chicago to start his career.
After years of directing commercials, music videos, and short films, he transitioned into feature filmmaking and then into television.
Steven met actress Joey King on the set of The Act in 2018. The two got engaged on February 2, 2022, and married in September 2023.
His work gravitates toward psychological tension and character-driven storytelling. He signed a first-look deal with Universal Content Productions (UCP) in 2019 to develop scripted television.
His IMDb profile lists him as director and writer, with over ten episodes of television directed across multiple networks including Hulu, SYFY, and Peacock.
Early Life of Steven Piet
Steven Piet was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up with a strong interest in film and visual storytelling, which he pursued formally at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
After graduating, he returned to Chicago and worked at a production company called Foundation, directing broadcast commercials, music videos, and short films. He later co-founded the production company Witness with producer Erik Crary in 2010.
During his Chicago years, he worked as a director, director of photography, and editor on various productions.
That combination of roles gave him a broad technical foundation before he moved into scripted film and television work.
His father’s exact name has not been publicly disclosed, though Steven has shared photos of his family on social media. No further information about his parents or siblings has been confirmed publicly.
Steven Piet Age
Steven Piet is 42 years old as of 2026, born on May 19, 1984. His zodiac sign is Taurus.
He directed his debut feature film, Uncle John, at age 30, premiering it at the SXSW Film Festival in March 2015.
Steven Piet Ethnicity and Nationality
Steven Piet is an American national, born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. His ethnic background is Caucasian.
He grew up in Chicago and continues to draw on his Midwest roots, having filmed scenes for Uncle John partly in Wisconsin and Illinois.
Steven Piet Height and Weight
Steven Piet stands at 6 feet tall, which equals approximately 183 centimeters. His weight is reported to be around 82 kilograms, or about 181 pounds. He has a lean, athletic build that suits his low-key public presence.
Steven Piet Education
Steven Piet attended the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia, where he studied film.
He enrolled in 2002 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in film, cinema, and video studies.
After completing his degree, he returned to Chicago and applied his training immediately in the commercial and music video industry. That hands-on start shaped his visual approach to storytelling.
Steven Piet Career
Steven Piet’s career spans nearly two decades of work across short films, feature films, and high-profile television productions.
He has consistently gravitated toward crime, thriller, and anthology genres, bringing a deliberate visual style to each project.
Early Career and Feature Debut
Steven began his professional career directing commercials, music videos, and short films in Chicago after graduating from SCAD.
He then co-founded the production company Witness with producer Erik Crary around 2010.
His first major screen credit came in 2011, when he served as digital imaging technician and aerial camera operator on the film I Melt with You, directed by Mark Pellington. In 2013, he contributed as cameraman and editor to the documentary Girl Rising.
Steven’s feature directing debut came with Uncle John in 2015, which he also co-wrote with Crary.
They produced the film on an ultra-low SAG budget with a crew of 6 to 16 people. Filming took 16 days across Chicago and locations in Lodi and Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin.
Uncle John premiered at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival in March 2015. The film stars John Ashton as a quiet townsman who kills a local bully, with Alex Moffat playing his nephew and Jenna Lyng as a love interest.
FilmBuff acquired distribution rights, and the film received a limited theatrical release in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York in September 2015. Uncle John earned strong critical praise at festivals.
It won the Best of the Midwest Award at the Midwest Independent Film Festival and also took home a prize at the Hell’s Half Mile Film and Music Festival. The film also screened in the SXSW Narrative Competition.
Channel Zero and Television Breakthrough
In 2016 and 2017, Steven directed six episodes of Channel Zero, the SYFY anthology horror series that adapted internet creepypastas into unsettling short-form horror.
That project established him as a director with skill in atmospheric, psychological storytelling.
In 2018, he worked as a consulting producer on Nightflyers, a sci-fi series based on the George R.R. Martin novella, producing ten episodes for the SYFY network. This role deepened his experience on the production side of major television.
Steven signed a first-look deal with Universal Content Productions in 2019 to develop scripted programming.
That same year, he directed two episodes of The Act and served as co-executive producer on all eight episodes of the Hulu limited series.
The Act starred Joey King as Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Patricia Arquette as her mother Dee Dee Blanchard.
The series explored the real-life case of Munchausen syndrome by proxy and received wide critical acclaim. King earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for her performance.
Steven’s role on the production connected him professionally with King, whom he had met on set in 2018.
By 2019, the two were in a relationship, though they kept it private until December 2020.
Notable Projects and Recent Work
From 2019 to 2020, Steven directed three episodes of Briarpatch, the USA Network crime drama starring Rosario Dawson. He also served as co-executive producer on nine episodes of that series.
In 2022, he directed two episodes of A Friend of the Family, the Peacock limited series about the real-life Jan Broberg kidnapping case. That series starred Jake Lacy and Anna Paquin.
In October 2025, Hulu premiered Murdaugh: Death in the Family, an eight-episode true-crime drama that Steven directed and executive produced.
He directed three episodes of the series, including the opening episode “Family Tradition” and the finale “The Man in the Glass.”
The series starred Jason Clarke and Patricia Arquette and focused on the high-profile Alex Murdaugh murder case in South Carolina. It aired between October 15 and November 19, 2025.
Steven also directed one episode of the Paramount+ series Happy Face in 2025, adding another streaming credit to his growing list of directing work.
Steven Piet Awards and Recognition
Uncle John, Steven’s 2015 debut feature, won the Best of the Midwest Award at the Midwest Independent Film Festival. The film also received recognition at the Hell’s Half Mile Film and Music Festival.
He earned a nomination for the SXSW Grand Jury Award for Uncle John. The documentary Girl Rising, to which Steven contributed in 2013, received a nomination at the News and Documentary Emmy Awards.
His work on The Act brought additional industry attention, as the series itself earned numerous award nominations, including Emmy nominations for Patricia Arquette and Joey King.
Steven Piet and Joey King
Steven and Joey King met in 2018 on the set of The Act. They quietly began dating in September 2019 and made their first public red carpet appearance together at an Emmy event that same month.
The couple kept their relationship largely private until December 2020, when Joey shared photos of the two together over the Christmas holiday.
Steven proposed on February 2, 2022, with the couple marking the date as 2/2/22, which also fell on their third anniversary.
Joey announced the engagement on Instagram in March 2022. On August 19, 2023, the couple held a civil ceremony at a location called Same Day Marriage in Laurel Canyon, followed by an after-party at a bowling alley with family.
Their destination wedding took place on September 2, 2023, at La Fortaleza, a private estate in Mallorca, Spain.
The celebration was attended by more than 100 guests, including Sabrina Carpenter, Logan Lerman, Phoebe Dynevor, and AnnaSophia Robb.
Joey wore a series of Oscar de la Renta gowns across the wedding weekend. Joey described their Spain ceremony to Vogue as “absolute perfection.”
Steven Piet Net Worth
Steven Piet’s estimated net worth is $5 million as of 2026. His income flows from his career as a director, writer, and executive producer across film and television.
His first-look deal with Universal Content Productions, signed in 2019, represents a major commercial milestone in his career trajectory.
His producing credits across The Act, Briarpatch, and Murdaugh: Death in the Family provide multiple income streams beyond directing fees alone.
His work on prestige streaming productions for Hulu, Peacock, and USA Network places him among the mid-tier of working television directors in the prestige crime drama space.
Steven Piet Social Media
Steven is active on Instagram under the handle @stevenpiet. He posts personal updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and milestone announcements.
His Instagram presence has grown alongside his public profile following his marriage to Joey King.
He maintains a relatively low-key presence compared to his wife, but his Instagram remains his primary public channel.
The Bottom Line
Steven Piet directed and executive produced three episodes of Murdaugh: Death in the Family on Hulu in 2025, continuing his track record of true-crime limited series that began with The Act in 2019.
That earlier series starred Patricia Arquette and earned Emmy nominations for its lead performances.
He grew up in Chicago and studied film at the Savannah College of Art and Design before co-founding a production company and building his career from short films and commercials to major streaming television.
His debut feature, Uncle John, premiered at SXSW and won recognition at multiple film festivals.
Steven married Joey King in Mallorca, Spain, on September 2, 2023, in a ceremony attended by more than 100 friends and family members.
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