[9] He has stated, "I was a Jewish white kid growing up in Teaneck, but at the same time, I had African and Filipino and Asian friends and to have that experience all through high school while getting an awesome education was wonderful.

"[8] He attended film school at New York University, performing briefly in the band Petting Zoo, and moved to Los Angeles after graduating.

[11] Lindelof and the Lost writing staff won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Dramatic Series at the February 2006 ceremony for their work on the first and second seasons.

[16] Lindelof and co-showrunner Carlton Cuse have been heralded as two of the first to truly embrace the changing times with things such as their daily podcast and being active in the fan community.

A majority of the six seasons were met with critical praise, but both Lindelof and Cuse were not afraid to address critiques on the show, be it through the podcast or other forms of media.

defense mechanism to let people know I'm fully aware of the elephant in the room and I'm perfectly fine with it sitting down on my face and shitting all over me ... And here's my part: I will finally stop talking about it.

[18][19] While approaching the end of Lost, it was rumored that Lindelof and J. J. Abrams would write and direct a film adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series.

"[20] Lindelof later served as co-producer on the 2009 science fiction action film, Star Trek, which was directed by frequent collaborator J. J. Abrams.

In an excerpt from the book Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood, author Maureen Ryan interviewed various actors, writers, and crew members from the series on the alleged toxicity behind the scenes.

"[18] Lindelof acknowledged personal failings during his time as showrunner on Lost, saying "My level of fundamental inexperience as a manager and a boss, my role as someone who was supposed to model a climate of creative danger and risk-taking but provide safety and comfort inside of the creative process—I failed in that endeavor" and "I have significantly evolved and grown, and it shouldn't have had to come at the cost and the trauma of people that I hurt on Lost.

[22] Also in 2011, Lindelof, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci, and several other writers, contributed to the screenplay of the film version of the comic book series Cowboys & Aliens.

Lindelof also produced the 2013 science fiction action sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness, and cowrote its screenplay with Kurtzman and Orci.

The website's critical consensus reads, "Bold and bristling, Watchmen isn't always easy viewing, but by adding new layers of cultural context and a host of complex characters it expertly builds on its source material to create an impressive identity of its own.

"[37] While HBO had not confirmed a second season following the show's broadcast, Lindelof stated that if there were, he would not likely be back for it, but instead have another producer step forward to tell another story set in this universe.

[43][44] In 2024, Lindelof along with Chris Mundy and Tom King wrote the pilot script and series bible for DC Universe (DCU) series Lanterns, confirmed by co-CEO of DC Studios James Gunn[45] Lindelof is the writer of the six-issue comic-book miniseries Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk for Marvel Comics, which takes place in the Ultimate Marvel universe.

[47][48] Lindelof frequently collaborates with a tightly knit group of film professionals which include J. J. Abrams, Adam Horowitz, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Edward Kitsis, Andre Nemec, Josh Appelbaum, Jeff Pinkner, and Bryan Burk.

Lindelof has been quoted as saying that the graphic novel Watchmen, written by Alan Moore, is the greatest piece of popular fiction ever produced, and its effect on Lost is evident many times in the show.

Lindelof lists his favorite six films, in no particular order, as Touch of Evil, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Pulp Fiction, The Shining, Bambi, and The Godfather Part II.