Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail says portraying Elliot (Rami Malek) in a hooded sweatshirt was a deliberate choice: "That hoodie made us closer to who Elliot was." Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail says portraying Elliot (Rami Malek) in a hooded sweatshirt was a deliberate choice: "That hoodie made us closer to who Elliot was." Editor's note: This interview contains a racial slur. Sam Esmail, the creator, lead writer and director of the TV series Mr. Robot, has always identified with computer programming and hacker culture -- in part because of his experiences with social anxiety. In college, he shied away from parties and instead took refuge in the computer lab. It felt safer to talk to people online than in person, Esmail says.