
Lena Waithe
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- May 17, 1984
- Birthplace
- 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.
Filmography
- Grand Rising
Grand Rising TBA
Writer, Producer

FREYR TBA
Executive Producer
- Talent Show
Talent Show TBA
Screenplay, Executive Producer
- Such a Fun Age
Such a Fun Age TBA
Producer
- Untitled Friendship Breakup Film
Untitled Friendship Breakup Film TBA
Actor, Writer, Producer

Place to Be 2026
as Shy

Reclaim the Flag 2025
as Self

Window Cleaners 2025
Executive Music Producer

Long's Long Lost & Mini Mart 2025
Executive Producer

It's Dorothy! 2025
as Self

Honey Bare 2025
Executive Producer

Move Ya Body: The Birth of House 2025
Executive Producer

Corpse Fishing 2024
Executive Producer

Tender Thoughts 2024
Executive Producer

Play Hard 2024
Executive Producer

Meal Ticket 2024
Executive Producer

Bitter Leaf 2024
Executive Producer

Sarajin 2023
Executive Producer

Kokomo City 2023
Executive Producer

My Nights Glow Yellow 2023
Executive Producer

Last Days of the Lab 2023
Executive Producer

Order for Pickup 2023
Executive Producer

Sorry Grandpa Hsiao 2023
Executive Producer

A Thousand and One 2023
Producer

Being Mary Tyler Moore 2023
as Self (voice), Producer

Chang Can Dunk 2023
Producer

House Party 2023
as Self

The 25th Filial Exemplar 2022
Executive Producer

Beauty 2022
Producer, Writer

100% USDA Certified Organic Homemade Tofu 2022
Executive Producer

Crooked Trees Gon Give Me Wings 2022
Executive Producer

Beast 2022
Executive Producer

Black Santa 2022
Executive Producer

Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration 2022
Actor

2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 2021
as Self

Artistic 2021
Executive Producer

The One and Only Dick Gregory 2021
as Self, Executive Producer

Only the Moon Stands Still 2021
Executive Producer

Shoebox 2021
Executive Producer

Soñadora 2021
Executive Producer

Bad Hair 2021
as Brook-Lynne

The Beauty President 2021
Executive Producer

You Love Me 2020
Screenplay

The Forty-Year-Old Version 2020
Producer

Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020 2020
as Self

Onward 2020
as Officer Spector (voice)

Queen & Slim 2019
Screenplay, Story, Producer

Fragile.com 2019
Executive Producer

Rising 2018
Writer

Ready Player One 2018
as Aech / Helen

Step Sisters 2018
Producer

Ladylike 2014
Consulting Producer

Dear White People 2014
Producer

I Will Follow 2010
Production Coordinator
Credits from TMDB.