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.
Credits
- 2025 - It's Dorothy! ( movie ) as Self
- 2023 - Being Mary Tyler Moore ( movie ) as Self (voice)
- 2023 - House Party ( movie ) as Lena Waithe
- 2022 - Sherri ( tv ) as Self - Guest
- 2022 - Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration ( movie )
- 2022 - The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder ( tv ) as College Maya (voice)
- 2021 - 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony ( movie ) as Self
- 2021 - Twenties After-Show With B. Scott ( tv ) as Self - Guest
- 2021 - The One and Only Dick Gregory ( movie ) as Self
- 2021 - Bad Hair ( movie ) as Brook-Lynne
- 2021 - Amend: The Fight for America ( tv ) as Self
- 2020 - Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020 ( movie ) as Self
- 2020 - #blackAF ( tv ) as Lena Waithe
- 2020 - Who Wants to Be a Millionaire ( tv ) as Self - Contestant
- 2020 - You Ain't Got These ( tv )
- 2020 - Onward ( movie ) as Officer Spector (voice)
- 2020 - Visible: Out on Television ( tv ) as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2019 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner ( tv ) as Self
- 2019 - A Black Lady Sketch Show ( tv ) as Office Employee
- 2018 - The Shop ( tv ) as Self
- 2018 - Ready Player One ( movie ) as Aech / Helen
- 2018 - The Chi ( tv ) as Camille Hallaway
- 2017 - Big Mouth ( tv ) as Lena (voice)
- 2017 - Big Mouth ( tv )
- 2017 - Dear White People ( tv ) as P. Ninny
- 2016 - Westworld ( tv ) as Ash
- 2016 - This Is Us ( tv ) as Animal Shelter Clerk
- 2015 - Master of None ( tv ) as Denise Watkins
- 2015 - Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter ( tv ) as Self
- 2014 - Transparent ( tv ) as Jane
- 2009 - Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen ( tv ) as Self - Guest
- 2009 - RuPaul's Drag Race ( tv ) as Self - Guest Judge
- 2005 - The Comeback ( tv ) as Summer
- 2005 - Grey's Anatomy ( tv ) as Evynn Moore
- 1996 - The Daily Show ( tv ) as Self
- 1959 - The Grammys ( tv ) as Self
- 1953 - The Oscars ( tv ) as Self
Production
- 2025 - Long's Long Lost & Mini Mart ( movie ) ... Executive Producer
- 2025 - Move Ya Body: The Birth of House ( movie ) ... Executive Producer
- 2024 - Meal Ticket ( movie ) ... Executive Producer
- 2023 - Kokomo City ( movie ) ... Executive Producer
- 2023 - Order for Pickup ( movie ) ... Executive Producer
- 2023 - Last Days of the Lab ( movie ) ... Executive Producer
- 2023 - A Thousand and One ( movie ) ... Producer
- 2023 - Being Mary Tyler Moore ( movie ) ... Producer
- 2023 - Chang Can Dunk ( movie ) ... Producer
- 2022 - Black Santa ( movie ) ... Executive Producer
- 2022 - Beauty ( movie ) ... Producer
- 2021 - The One and Only Dick Gregory ( movie ) ... Executive Producer
- 2021 - Soñadora ( movie ) ... Executive Producer
- 2021 - Shoebox ( movie ) ... Executive Producer
- 2021 - Them ( tv ) ... Executive Producer
- 2021 - The Beauty President ( movie ) ... Executive Producer
- 2020 - The Forty-Year-Old Version ( movie ) ... Producer
- 2019 - Queen & Slim ( movie ) ... Producer
- 2019 - Fragile.com ( movie ) ... Executive Producer
- 2018 - Step Sisters ( movie ) ... Producer
- 2018 - The Chi ( tv ) ... Executive Producer
- 2015 - Master of None ( tv ) ... Executive Producer
- 2014 - Ladylike ( movie ) ... Consulting Producer
- 2014 - Dear White People ( movie ) ... Producer
- 2010 - I Will Follow ( movie ) ... Production Coordinator
Writing
- 2022 - Beauty ( movie ) ... Writer
- 2020 - You Love Me ( movie ) ... Screenplay
- 2019 - Queen & Slim ( movie ) ... Screenplay
- 2019 - Queen & Slim ( movie ) ... Story
- 2018 - Rising ( movie ) ... Writer
- 2018 - The Chi ( tv ) ... Writer
- 2015 - Master of None ( tv ) ... Writer
- 2005 - Bones ( tv ) ... Writer
Creator
- 2019 - Boomerang ( tv ) ... Creator
- 2018 - The Chi ( tv ) ... Creator