Lena Waithe
1.7Acting

Lena Waithe

May 17, 1984 - Chicago, Illinois, USA

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.

Credits

Cast

Media
Movie20212021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction CeremonySelf
Movie2023Being Mary Tyler MooreSelf (voice)
Movie2022Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration
Movie2018Ready Player OneAech / Helen
Movie2021Bad HairBrook-Lynne
Movie2020OnwardOfficer Spector (voice)
Movie2020Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020Self
Movie2021The One and Only Dick GregorySelf
Movie2023House PartyLena Waithe
MovieN/APlace To BeShy
Movie2025It's Dorothy!Self
Movie2025Reclaim the FlagSelf
TV Show1996The Daily ShowSelf1
TV Show2021Twenties After-Show With B. ScottSelf - Guest1
TV Show1953The OscarsSelf1
TV Show2022The Proud Family: Louder and ProuderCollege Maya (voice)1
TV Show2014TransparentJane1
TV Show2005The ComebackSummer1
TV Show2016This Is UsAnimal Shelter Clerk1
TV Show2022SherriSelf - Guest2
TV Show2015Close Up with The Hollywood ReporterSelf1
TV Show2009Watch What Happens Live with Andy CohenSelf - Guest2
TV Show2019A Black Lady Sketch ShowOffice Employee1
TV Show2009RuPaul's Drag RaceSelf - Guest Judge1
TV Show2018The ShopSelf1
TV Show2017Dear White PeopleP. Ninny2
TV Show2020#blackAFLena Waithe1
TV Show2019Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerSelf1
TV Show2021Amend: The Fight for AmericaSelf3
TV Show2020You Ain't Got These1
TV Show2020Visible: Out on TelevisionSelf - Narrator (voice)5
TV Show2016WestworldAsh4
TV Show2017Big MouthLena (voice)2
TV Show2015Master of NoneDenise Watkins15
TV Show2020Who Wants to Be a MillionaireSelf - Contestant1
TV Show2018The ChiCamille Hallaway3
TV Show2005Grey's AnatomyEvynn Moore2
TV Show2017Big Mouth1
TV Show1959The GrammysSelf1

Crew

Media
Movie2021The One and Only Dick GregoryExecutive ProducerProduction
Movie2021SoñadoraExecutive ProducerProduction
Movie2014Dear White PeopleProducerProduction
Movie2021ShoeboxExecutive ProducerProduction
Movie2019Fragile.comExecutive ProducerProduction
Movie2022Black SantaExecutive ProducerProduction
Movie2023Chang Can DunkProducerProduction
Movie2021The Beauty PresidentExecutive ProducerProduction
Movie2023A Thousand and OneProducerProduction
Movie2023Order for PickupExecutive ProducerProduction
Movie2023Kokomo CityExecutive ProducerProduction
Movie2023Being Mary Tyler MooreProducerProduction
Movie2014LadylikeConsulting ProducerProduction
Movie2024Meal TicketExecutive ProducerProduction
Movie2023Last Days of the LabExecutive ProducerProduction
Movie2018Step SistersProducerProduction
Movie2010I Will FollowProduction CoordinatorProduction
MovieN/ASuch a Fun AgeProducerProduction
Movie2022BeautyProducerProduction
Movie2019Queen & SlimScreenplayWriting
Movie2019Queen & SlimStoryWriting
Movie2018RisingWriterWriting
Movie2019Queen & SlimProducerProduction
Movie2020The Forty-Year-Old VersionProducerProduction
Movie2022BeautyWriterWriting
MovieN/ATalent ShowScreenplayWriting
MovieN/ATalent ShowExecutive ProducerProduction
Movie2020You Love MeScreenplayWriting
Movie2025Long's Long Lost & Mini MartExecutive ProducerProduction
Movie2025Move Ya Body: The Birth of HouseExecutive ProducerProduction
Movie2021Only the Moon Stands StillExecutive ProducerProduction
MovieN/AWindow CleanersExecutive Music ProducerCrew
TV Show2018The ChiWriterWriting
TV Show2015Master of NoneWriterWriting
TV Show2018The ChiExecutive ProducerProduction
TV Show2005BonesWriterWriting
TV Show2021ThemExecutive ProducerProduction
TV Show2015Master of NoneExecutive ProducerProduction
TV Show2018The ChiCreatorCreator
TV Show2019BoomerangCreatorCreator