However, while attending Duke University, he joined a production of The Real Inspector Hound and decided to go into the theatrical arts.

He also appeared in plays, including some productions at the La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club and the Chelsea Theater Center.

He travelled to the UK with a production of the play Prepared, which was performed both at the World's End Theatre and at the Edinburgh Film Festival.

[3] Echevarria's first screenwriting credit came after he submitted an unsolicited script to the science fiction series Star Trek: The Next Generation.

[7] Following Star Trek, he worked on a series of television shows including Now and Again, Castle, Dark Angel and Medium.

[9] Echevarria was working as the show runner on ABC's television adaptation of the film True Lies, when he was asked to take over production duties on the pilot of Terra Nova.