Lena Waithe
Biography
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.
Known For
Grey's Anatomy
Westworld
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
The Daily Show
Steve
The View
This Is Us
RuPaul's Drag Race
All Movies (13)
- Reclaim the Flag2025 · as Self
- It's Dorothy!2025 · as Self
- Being Mary Tyler Moore2023 · as Self (voice)
- House Party2023 · as Self
- Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration2022
- 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony2021 · as Self
- The One and Only Dick Gregory2021 · as Self
- Bad Hair2021 · as Brook-Lynne
- Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 20202020 · as Self
- Onward2020 · as Officer Spector (voice)
- Ready Player One2018 · as Aech / Helen
- Place to Be— · as Shy
- Untitled Friendship Breakup Film—
All TV Shows (34)
- Mating Season2026 · as Alex (voice)
- Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television2025 · as Self
- Hollywood Black2024 · as Self
- Sherri2022 · as Self - Guest
- The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder2022 · as College Maya (voice)
- Twenties After-Show With B. Scott2021 · as Self - Guest
- Amend: The Fight for America2021 · as Self
- #blackAF2020 · as Lena Waithe
- Who Wants to Be a Millionaire2020 · as Self - Contestant
- You Ain't Got These2020
- Visible: Out on Television2020 · as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner2019 · as Self
- A Black Lady Sketch Show2019 · as Office Employee
- The Shop2018 · as Self
- The Chi2018 · as Camille Hallaway
- Big Mouth2017 · as Lena (voice)
- Big Mouth2017
- Steve2017 · as Self
- Dear White People2017 · as P. Ninny
- Westworld2016 · as Ash
- This Is Us2016 · as Animal Shelter Clerk
- Master of None2015 · as Denise Watkins
- Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter2015 · as Self
- Transparent2014 · as Jane
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen2009 · as Self - Guest
- RuPaul's Drag Race2009 · as Self - Guest Judge
- The Comeback2005 · as Summer
- Grey's Anatomy2005 · as Evynn Moore
- Jimmy Kimmel Live!2003 · as Self - Guest
- Jimmy Kimmel Live!2003 · as Self - Guest Host
- The View1997 · as Self
- The Daily Show1996 · as Self
- The Grammys1959 · as Self
- The Oscars1953 · as Self