Lena Waithe
Acting • Born 1984-05-17
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.
Filmography
43 credits
2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Movie • 2021
Self
Being Mary Tyler Moore
Movie • 2023
Self (voice)
Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration
Movie • 2022
Ready Player One
Movie • 2018
Aech / Helen
Bad Hair
Movie • 2021
Brook-Lynne
Onward
Movie • 2020
Officer Spector (voice)
Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020
Movie • 2020
Self
The One and Only Dick Gregory
Movie • 2021
Self
House Party
Movie • 2023
Self
Place To Be
Movie
Shy
It's Dorothy!
Movie • 2025
Self
Reclaim the Flag
Movie • 2025
Self
Untitled Friendship Breakup Film
Movie
The Daily Show
TV • 1996
Self
Twenties After-Show With B. Scott
TV • 2021
Self - Guest
The Oscars
TV • 1953
Self
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder
TV • 2022
College Maya (voice)
The Comeback
TV • 2005
Summer
Transparent
TV • 2014
Jane
This Is Us
TV • 2016
Animal Shelter Clerk
Sherri
TV • 2022
Self - Guest
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
TV • 2015
Self
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
TV • 2009
Self - Guest
A Black Lady Sketch Show
TV • 2019
Office Employee
RuPaul's Drag Race
TV • 2009
Self - Guest Judge
The Shop
TV • 2018
Self
Dear White People
TV • 2017
P. Ninny
#blackAF
TV • 2020
Lena Waithe
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
TV • 2019
Self
Amend: The Fight for America
TV • 2021
Self
You Ain't Got These
TV • 2020
Visible: Out on Television
TV • 2020
Self - Narrator (voice)
Westworld
TV • 2016
Ash
Big Mouth
TV • 2017
Lena (voice)
Master of None
TV • 2015
Denise Watkins
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
TV • 2020
Self - Contestant
The Chi
TV • 2018
Camille Hallaway
Grey's Anatomy
TV • 2005
Evynn Moore
Big Mouth
TV • 2017
The Grammys
TV • 1959
Self
Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television
TV • 2025
Self
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV • 2003
Self - Guest
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV • 2003
Self - Guest Host