Lena Waithe

Lena Waithe (/weɪθ/; born May 17, 1984) is an American actress, producer, and screenwriter. She is the creator of the Showtime drama series The Chi (2018–present) and the BET comedy series Boomerang (2019–20) and Twenties (2020–21). She also wrote and produced the crime film Queen & Slim (2019) and is the executive producer of the horror anthology series Them (2021–present). Waithe gained recognition for her role in the Netflix comedy-drama series Master of None (2015–2021) and became the first African-American woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series in 2017 for writing the show's "Thanksgiving" episode, which was loosely based on her personal experience of coming out to her mother. She has also appeared in Steven Spielberg's 2018 adventure film Ready Player One and the HBO series Westworld. In 2023, she was nominated for Best Play at the 76th Tony Awards, her production work on the sketch-comedy play Ain't No Mo'. Waithe was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2018 and was included on Fast Company's Queer 50 list in 2021 and 2022. Description above from the Wikipedia article Lena Waithe, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Works

Grey's Anatomy

Follows the personal and professional lives of a group of doctors at Seattle’s Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

Release Date2005-03-27

Charactersd Evynn Moore

Episode Count2

Vote Count10581

This Is Us

Follows the lives and families of three adults living and growing up in the United States of America in present and past times. As their paths cross and their life stories intertwine in curious ways, we find that several of them share the same birthday - and so much more than anyone would expect.

Release Date2016-09-20

Charactersd Animal Shelter Clerk

Episode Count1

Vote Count1522

Westworld

A dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the evolution of sin. Set at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, it explores a world in which every human appetite, no matter how noble or depraved, can be indulged.

Release Date2016-10-02

Charactersd Ash

Episode Count4

Vote Count5786

The Chi

A relevant, timely and distinctive coming-of-age story following a half dozen interrelated characters in the South Side of Chicago. The story centers on Brandon, an ambitious and confident young man who dreams about opening a restaurant of his own someday, but is conflicted between the promise of a new life and his responsibility to his mother and teenage brother back in the South Side.

Release Date2018-01-07

DepartmentWriting

JobWriter

Charactersd Camille Hallaway

Episode Count5

Vote Count191

Big Mouth

Teenage friends find their lives upended by the wonders and horrors of puberty in this edgy comedy from real-life pals Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg.

Release Date2017-09-29

Charactersd Lena (voice)

Episode Count2

Vote Count1141

Dear White People

At a predominantly white Ivy League college, a diverse group of students navigate various forms of racial and other types of discrimination.

Release Date2017-04-28

Charactersd P. Ninny

Episode Count2

Vote Count175

Master of None

30-year-old New York actor Dev takes on such pillars of maturity as the first big job, a serious relationship, and busting sex offenders on the subway.

Release Date2015-11-06

DepartmentWriting

JobWriter

Charactersd Denise Watkins

Episode Count6

Vote Count531

The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder

Follow the adventures and misadventures of newly 14-year-old Penny Proud and her family as they navigate modern life with hilarity and heart. The 2020s bring a new career for mom Trudy, wilder dreams for dad Oscar and new challenges for Penny, including a socially woke neighbor who thinks she has a lot to teach her.

Release Date2022-02-23

Charactersd College Maya (voice)

Episode Count1

Vote Count43

Transparent

An LA family with serious boundary issues have their past and future unravel when a dramatic admission causes everyone's secrets to spill out.

Release Date2014-09-26

Charactersd Jane

Episode Count1

Vote Count161

A Black Lady Sketch Show

A narrative series set in a limitless magical reality full of dynamic, hilarious characters and celebrity guests presenting sketches performed by a core cast of black women.

Release Date2019-08-02

Charactersd Office Employee

Episode Count1

Vote Count38

The Comeback

For Valerie Cherish, no price is too high to pay for clinging to the spotlight. Desperate to revive her career, she agrees to star in a reality TV series, allowing cameras to follow her every move as she lands a part on a new network sitcom.

Release Date2005-06-05

Charactersd Summer

Episode Count1

Vote Count53

Ready Player One

When the creator of a popular video game system dies, a virtual contest is created to compete for his fortune.

Release Date2018-03-28

Charactersd Aech / Helen

Vote Count16143

#blackAF

A father takes an irreverent and honest approach to parenting and relationships.

Release Date2020-04-17

Charactersd Lena Waithe

Episode Count1

Vote Count35

Onward

In a suburban fantasy world, two teenage elf brothers embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there.

Release Date2020-02-29

Charactersd Officer Spector (voice)

Vote Count6330

House Party

Aspiring club promoters and best buds Damon and Kevin are barely keeping things together. Out of money, down on their luck and about to lose the roofs over their heads—and freshly fired from their low-lift jobs as house cleaners—the pair needs a huge windfall to make their problems go away. In a ‘what the hell?’ move, they decide to host the party of the year at an exclusive mansion, the site of their last cleaning job, which just happens to belong to none other than LeBron James. No permission? No problem. What could go wrong?

Release Date2023-01-12

Charactersd Lena Waithe

Vote Count110

Bad Hair

In 1989, an ambitious young woman gets a weave in order to succeed in the image-obsessed world of music television. However, her flourishing career may come at a great cost when she realizes that her new hair may have a mind of its own.

Release Date2021-05-05

Charactersd Brook-Lynne

Vote Count80

Being Mary Tyler Moore

With unprecedented access to the Mary Tyler Moore Estate, friends, family, and colleagues, Being Mary Tyler Moore constructs an intimate mosaic of Mary's sixty-year career in show business.

Release Date2023-03-13

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Charactersd Self (voice)

Vote Count20

Place To Be

No-nonsense Brooke and discombobulated divorcee Nelson travel from Chicago to New York to return a lost racing pigeon home.

Charactersd Shy

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Bravo network executive Andy Cohen discusses pop culture topics with celebrities and reality show personalities.

Release Date2009-07-16

Charactersd Self - Guest

Episode Count2

Vote Count78

The Daily Show

The World's Fakest News Team tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and pop culture.

Release Date1996-07-22

Charactersd Self

Episode Count1

Vote Count591

Sherri

Sherri Shepherd, actress, comic, and Emmy Award-winning longtime co-host of "The View", appears before a live audience with a daily dose of pop culture, comedy, conversations, and daytime talk staples, including celebrity and human interest interviews.

Release Date2022-09-12

Charactersd Self - Guest

Episode Count2

Vote Count8

RuPaul's Drag Race

Join RuPaul, the world's most famous drag queen, as the host, mentor and judge for the ultimate in drag queen competitions. The top drag queens in the U.S. will vie for drag stardom as RuPaul, in full glamazon drag, will reign supreme in all judging and eliminations while helping guide the contestants as they prepare for each challenge.

Release Date2009-02-02

Charactersd Self - Guest Judge

Episode Count1

Vote Count256

Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter

Some of this year's most talked about talent open up about the challenges and triumphs of creating critically acclaimed series and performances.

Release Date2015-08-02

Charactersd Self

Episode Count1

Vote Count18

The Oscars

An annual American awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements in the film industry. The various category winners are awarded a copy of a statuette, officially the Academy Award of Merit, that is better known by its nickname Oscar.

Release Date1953-03-19

Charactersd Self

Episode Count1

Vote Count72

Amend: The Fight for America

Will Smith hosts this look at the evolving, often lethal, fight for equal rights in America through the lens of the US Constitution's 14th Amendment.

Release Date2021-02-17

Charactersd Self

Episode Count3

Vote Count166

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, celebrities play to win a million dollars for a charity of their choosing. Contestants have 15 questions to win a million dollars in this classic game show.

Release Date2020-04-08

Charactersd Self - Contestant

Episode Count1

Vote Count4

Visible: Out on Television

Explore the history of the LGBTQ movement through the lens of TV in this five-part docuseries. Combining archival footage with new interviews, it looks at homophobia, invisibility, the evolution of LGBTQ characters, and coming out in the TV industry.

Release Date2020-02-14

Charactersd Self - Narrator (voice)

Episode Count5

Vote Count15

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Chef David Chang takes his insatiable curiosity about food, culture and identity on the road, in the convivial company of fun-loving celebrity guests.

Release Date2019-10-23

Charactersd Self

Episode Count1

Vote Count9

The Shop

A one-of-a-kind barbershop experience with unfiltered conversation and debate from the biggest names in sports and entertainment.

Release Date2018-08-28

Charactersd Self

Episode Count1

Vote Count11

Twenties After-Show With B. Scott

The after-show to the BET series Twenties will provide candid commentary and insights into some of the characters’ mishaps and successes.

Release Date2021-10-13

Charactersd Self - Guest

Episode Count1

Vote Count1

The One and Only Dick Gregory

This revealing portrait of comedian, activist, pop-culture icon and thought leader Dick Gregory documents his many personal reinventions throughout the decades, from celebrity to civil rights hero and beyond, while hearing from the incredible entertainers who have been inspired by his blueprint.

Release Date2021-06-19

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Charactersd Self

Vote Count4

The Grammys

An awards show honoring the achievements of the members of the professional music recording industry. The members of the Recording Academy vote on who they think is most deserving of an award in 108 categories as specified by the academy.

Release Date1959-11-29

Charactersd Self

Episode Count1

Vote Count45

2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Filmed at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio, the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony honors inductees: Tina Turner, Carole King, The Go-Go's, JAY-Z, Foo Fighters, and Todd Rundgren; along with Kraftwerk, Charley Patton and Gil Scott-Heron; LL Cool J, Billy Preston and Randy Rhoads; Clarence Avant for the Ahmet Ertegun Award. The special music event also features a host of all-star presenters, performers, and special guests, including Angela Bassett, Christina Aguilera, Mickey Guyton, H.E.R., Keith Urban, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, Drew Barrymore, Paul McCartney, Lionel Richie, and many others.

Release Date2021-11-20

Charactersd Self

Vote Count1

Reclaim the Flag

An examination of how the American flag can be reclaimed as a symbol of unity for all Americans, with a focus on the LGBTQ community.

Release Date2025-07-17

Charactersd Self

Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020

Artists, athletes, musicians, commencement speakers, influencers, and cultural icons will show their support for the High School Class of 2020.

Release Date2020-05-16

Charactersd Self

Vote Count5

It's Dorothy!

Since her first adventure in L. Frank Baum’s classic “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” Dorothy Gale has been on countless more journeys, reintroduced and reimagined in exciting ways, and become a cultural touchpoint for many. In her 125th year, her legacy is explored in this joyous and engaging documentary.

Release Date2025-06-07

Charactersd Self

Bones

Dr. Temperance Brennan and her colleagues at the Jeffersonian's Medico-Legal Lab assist Special Agent Seeley Booth with murder investigations when the remains are so badly decomposed, burned or destroyed that the standard identification methods are useless.

Release Date2005-09-13

DepartmentWriting

JobWriter

Episode Count1

Vote Count3299

Them

A limited anthology series that explores terror in America.

Release Date2021-04-09

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Episode Count18

Vote Count425

Boomerang

Follow the lives of Jacqueline Boyer's son and Marcus and Angela Graham's daughter as they try to step out of their parents' shadows and make a legacy of their own. Based on the 1992 American romantic comedy film.

Release Date2019-02-12

DepartmentCreator

JobCreator

Vote Count8

Kokomo City

Four Black transgender sex workers in Atlanta and New York City break down the walls of their profession.

Release Date2023-07-28

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Vote Count20

Queen & Slim

While on a forgettable first date together in Ohio, a black man and a black woman are pulled over for a minor traffic infraction. The situation escalates, with sudden and tragic results.

Release Date2019-11-27

DepartmentWriting

JobScreenplay

Vote Count712

A Thousand and One

Struggling but unapologetically living on her own terms, Inez is moving from shelter to shelter in mid-1990s New York City. With her 6-year-old son Terry in foster care and unable to leave him again, she kidnaps him so they can build their life together. As the years go by, their family grows and Terry becomes a smart yet quiet teenager, but the secret that has defined their lives threatens to destroy the home they have so improbably built.

Release Date2023-03-31

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Vote Count129

Step Sisters

Jamilah has her whole life figured out. She's the president of her black sorority, captain of their champion step dance crew, is student liaison to the college dean, and her next move is on to Harvard Law School. She's got it all, right? But when the hard-partying white girls from Sigma Beta Beta embarrass the school, Jamilah is ordered to come to the rescue. Her mission is to not only teach the rhythmically-challenged girls how to step dance, but to win the Steptacular, the most competitive of dance competitions. With the SBBs reputations and charter on the line, and Jamilah's dream of attending Harvard in jeopardy, these outcast screw-ups and their unlikely teacher stumble through one hilarious misstep after another. Cultures clash, romance blossoms, and sisterhood prevails as everyone steps out of their comfort zones.

Release Date2018-01-19

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Vote Count456

Chang Can Dunk

Chang, a 16-year-old, Asian American, bets the high school basketball star that he can dunk by Homecoming. The bet leads 5' 8" Chang on a quest to learn to dunk—not only to impress his crush, Kristy, but to gain the respect of his high school peers too. But before he can rise up and truly throw one down, he'll have to reexamine everything he knows about himself, his friendships and his family.

Release Date2023-03-09

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Vote Count75

The Forty-Year-Old Version

Desperate for a breakthrough as she nears the big 4-0, struggling New York City playwright Radha finds inspiration by reinventing herself as a rapper.

Release Date2020-10-02

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Vote Count110

Dear White People

Four college students attend an Ivy League college where a riot breaks out over an "African-American" themed party thrown by white students. With tongue planted firmly in cheek, the film explores racial identity in 'post racial' America while weaving a story about forging one's unique path in the world.

Release Date2014-10-17

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Vote Count460

Beauty

A young singer on the brink of a promising career finds herself torn between a domineering family, industry pressures and her love for her girlfriend.

Release Date2022-06-11

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Vote Count34

Fragile.com

A teenage girl with acting dreams, an empty wallet, and a broken heart is approached by a charming man who promises her fame, fortune, and affection—if she agrees to livestream herself crying for his niche website, Fragile.com.

Release Date2019-11-08

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Vote Count8

Move Ya Body: The Birth of House

Out of the underground dance clubs on the South Side of Chicago, a group of friends turn a new sound into a global movement.

Release Date2025-01-26

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Vote Count1

Order for Pickup

Trapped in a cycle of work and self-isolation, burnt out Kelsey’s reality starts to blur until an irregular order for pickup disrupts everything.

Release Date2023-06-12

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

I Will Follow

Chronicles a day in the life of a grieving woman, and the twelve visitors who help her move forward.

Release Date2010-09-18

DepartmentProduction

JobProduction Coordinator

Vote Count18

Meal Ticket

Twelve minutes before showtime, a young music manager is forced to decide what to do with life-changing news about his client, a hot-headed hip-hop star on the rise.

Release Date2024-06-10

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Rising

A family and their diverse neighbors struggle to survive rising floodwaters and bias in the heart of America.

Release Date2018-09-21

DepartmentWriting

JobWriter

Vote Count2

Talent Show

Talent, a working title, is the story of a failed songwriter, to be played by Erivo, who returns home to Chicago to lead a group of at-risk youth in their annual talent show.

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Last Days of the Lab

A mother and daughter sift through old memories as they prepare to permanently close down their family's photo lab.

Release Date2023-06-12

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Black Santa

Every year Henry looks forward to his job working as a mall Santa alongside his son Otis. But as Otis grows older, this may prove to be their last holiday season as a duo.

Release Date2022-06-14

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Soñadora

A young Caribbean immigrant mother struggling to make ends meet at her dye factory job finds a release through her abandoned dream of dance.

Release Date2021-06-16

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

You Love Me

This film unpacks the question. Those who touched this piece have seen the world actively love their art or their athletic achievements, while also seeing the world continually oppress the Black community at large. Beats, the creatives, and the cast joined together with the unified goal of inspiring Black youth by highlighting the everyday beauty and rich diversity of their culture.

Release Date2020-12-12

DepartmentWriting

JobScreenplay

Only the Moon Stands Still

Three generations of women say goodbye to their family ballroom dance studio.

Release Date2021-06-16

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Ladylike

Ladylike is a modern day noir that follows Vaughan and Harlan, two vintage vixens who have a penchant for retro… and retribution. Not only are they bosom buddies, Vaughan and Harlan’s disturbing pastime makes them a gruesome twosome.

Release Date2014-11-15

DepartmentProduction

JobConsulting Producer

Long's Long Lost & Mini Mart

In the back of a Little Saigon convenience store, a customer seeking closure reanimates his dead father for one last conversation. When his expectations are upended, the no-nonsense clerk must deal with the fallout.

Release Date2025-06-11

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

The Beauty President

In 1992, at the height of the AIDS pandemic, activist Terence Alan Smith made a historic bid for president of the United States as his drag queen persona Joan Jett Blakk. Today, Smith reflects back on his seminal civil rights campaign and its place in American history.

Release Date2021-03-20

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Vote Count3

Such a Fun Age

Such a Fun Age is about Emira, a 25-year-old black woman, who is working as a babysitter to raise Briar, a 3-year-old white girl. It’s a story that examines modern racism by depicting the fallout after Emira is hassled and accused of being a kidnapper when she takes Briar to the supermarket.

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Shoebox

After sweeping hair at a local barbershop, a 12-year-old boy uses his first payment to honor his late mother.

Release Date2021-06-16

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Window Cleaners

When two undocumented window cleaners witness a domestic conflict inside a high-rise apartment, they must decide whether protecting their jobs and livelihoods is worth betraying their moral responsibility.

DepartmentCrew

JobExecutive Music Producer

You Ain't Got These

You Ain't Got These

A look at sneaker culture and its impact on our society, one piece being how that industry has been “commodified.”

Release Date2020-04-06

Episode Count1

Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration

A group of LGBTQ+ comedians get together to celebrate a brand of queer comedy. Legends, headliners, and emerging talent all perform at The Greek Theatre for an unforgettable queer stand-up event.

Release Date2022-06-09

Vote Count24

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