Jenji Kohan

Jenji Leslie Kohan (born July 5, 1969) is an American television writer and producer. She is best known as the creator of the Showtime comedy-drama series Weeds and the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black.[1][2] She has received nine Emmy Award nominations, winning one as supervising producer of the comedy series Tracey Takes On....

Jenji Kohan
Kohan at 2014 Paley Fest
Born
Jenji Leslie Kohan

(1969-07-05) July 5, 1969
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma materColumbia University
OccupationTelevision writer, producer
Years active1994–present
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1997; div. 2018)​
Children3
Parent(s)Buz Kohan
Rhea Kohan
RelativesDavid Kohan (brother)
Jono Kohan (brother)

Early life

Kohan was born to a Jewish family[3] in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Rhea Kohan[4][5][6] and Alan W. "Buz" Kohan.[7] She is the youngest of three siblings; the other two are twins Jono and David. Much of the family is in show business:

  • Father Buz is an Emmy Award-winning television writer and producer, as well as a music composer.
  • Mother Rhea is a television writer, novelist, and occasional actress.[8]
  • Brother David is an Emmy Award-winning television producer.[9][10]

Kohan's paternal grandparents were Charles Kohan, who was born in Romania in 1902, and May E. Charles, who was born in New York City, to parents from Russia.[3] The two knew each other from childhood and grew up in a New York City settlement house on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.[11]

Kohan says that her father was the "king of variety television in his day," writing and producing the Oscars and other variety shows. Her mother was a novelist.[12]

Kohan grew up in Beverly Hills, California[13] and graduated from Beverly Hills High School, in 1987. She first attended Brandeis University, then transferred to Columbia University as a sophomore, where she graduated, with a degree in English language and literature, in 1991.[13]

Career

Kohan's first job in the industry was with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, of which Kohan wrote one episode, and later said was a "rough entrance" to the business.[12] After a series of writing jobs on shows such as Mad About You, Tracey Takes On..., and Friends, she collaborated with her brother, David Kohan, writing an outside script for Will & Grace.[9] The siblings also worked together on the sitcom The Stones for CBS, which was ultimately unsuccessful.[1] She has discussed the differences between her and her brother's career saying, "David took the big, commercial, funny route; I was always a little darker personally, and not terrific within the system. I had to make my own way."[9]

Weeds

Kohan was the creator of the Showtime dark comedy-drama television series Weeds, which she executive produced as showrunner and head writer at her writing studio, Tilted Productions, in Los Angeles, California throughout its entire eight season airing.[1][14][15]

Orange Is the New Black

Kohan created the Netflix comedy-drama Orange Is the New Black, an adaptation that was inspired by Piper Kerman's memoir Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison about her experiences in a minimum-security women's prison.[12][16][17] Kohan's executive producing duties as showrunner and head writer consists of running the writer's room, which is located at her writing studio, Tilted Productions, in Los Angeles, California. Principal photography takes place in New York.[18]

Netflix, as a streaming service distribution model of TV and movie content, is unique in that it does not provide ratings information, so Kohan does not know exact ratings for Orange Is the New Black, which has been characterized as the most watched original series on Netflix, in a new distribution model where binge viewing[19] is enabled by full seasons of shows being made available at once.[20]

Producing

Kohan has an overall deal with Netflix.[21] She is currently credited as Executive Producer on the Netflix series, Teenage Bounty Hunters.

Hayworth Theatre

Kohan owns the historic Hayworth Theatre in Los Angeles.[22] One floor is used for production and two for postproduction. She plans on turning the auditorium into a venue for performances.[23]

Personal life

Kohan has three children. The oldest was her son Charlie, who died in a skiing accident on December 31, 2019;[24] the middle child is her daughter Eliza, and the youngest is her son Oscar.[5] They live in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.[25] Kohan and her family are practicing Jews of the Reform denomination.[9][10]

Filmography
  • 1994: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – writer (1 episode, "Stop Will! in the Name of Love")
  • 1996: Boston Common – writer (1 episode, "Relationship of Fools")
  • 1996–1999: Tracey Takes On... – writer (18 episodes); supervising producer/producer (47 episodes)
  • 1997: Mad About You – producer, writer (1 episode, "The Recital"), written by credit (1 episode, "Astrology")
  • 1998: Sex and the City – story (1 episode, "The Power of Female Sex")
  • 2000: Gilmore Girls – producer (12 episodes), writer (1 episode, "Kiss and Tell")
  • 2002: Will & Grace – writer (1 episode, "Fagel Attraction")
  • 2002: My Wonderful Life (TV movie) – writer, executive producer
  • 2004: The Stones – writer, executive producer
  • 2005–2012: Weeds – creator, writer, executive producer (102 episodes)
  • 2009: Ronna & Beverly (TV movie) – writer, executive producer
  • 2010: Tough Trade (TV movie) – creator, writer, executive producer
  • 2013–2019: Orange Is the New Black – creator, writer, executive producer
  • 2015: The Devil You Know – creator, writer, executive producer (1 pilot episode)
  • 2017–2020: GLOW – executive producer
  • 2019: American Princess – executive producer
  • 2020: Teenage Bounty Hunters – executive producer

Awards and nominations
Primetime Emmy Awards
Year Category Series Result Ref.
1996
 Outstanding Variety Series Tracey Takes On... Nominated
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series Tracey Takes On... Nominated
1997
 Outstanding Comedy Series Mad About You Nominated
Outstanding Variety Series Tracey Takes On... Won
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series Tracey Takes On... Nominated
1999
 Outstanding Variety Series Tracey Takes On... Nominated
2009
 Outstanding Comedy Series Weeds Nominated
2014
 Outstanding Comedy Series Orange is the New Black Nominated
[26]
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Orange is the New Black Nominated
2015
 Outstanding Drama Series Orange is the New Black Nominated
Producers Guild of America Awards
Year Category Series Result Ref.
2006
 Best Episodic Comedy Weeds Nominated
2008
 Best Episodic Comedy Weeds Nominated
2009
 Best Episodic Comedy Weeds Nominated
2014
 Best Episodic Comedy Orange is the New Black Won
[27]
2018
 Best Episodic Comedy GLOW Nominated

References
  1. Rose, Lacey (6 August 2014). "'Orange' Showrunner Jenji Kohan on Hollywood's Pay Inequality, 'F--- You' Money and Her 'Friends' Regrets". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  2. Dekel, Jonathan (15 July 2013). "Q&A: Jenji Kohan on nudity, racism and homosexuality in Orange is the New Black". Canada.com. Postmedia Network Inc. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  3. Berrin, Danielle (20 May 2009). "Jenji Kohan: Smoking the Stereotypes". JewishJournal.com. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  4. Martinson, Connie (14 July 1981). "Connie Martinson Talks Books: Rhea Kohan interview" (Video interview). The Drucker Institute. Claremont Colleges Digital Library. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  5. Berrin, Danielle (3 May 2011). "Rhea Kohan: No one spits in her kids' Kasha". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  6. Aushenker, Michael (27 March 2003). "Queen of Laughter: Rhea Kohan reigns as mistress of ceremonies at Jewish functions in Los Angeles". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  7. "Buz Kohan Biography (1933-)". Film Reference. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  8. "Rhea Kohan biography". IMDb. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  9. Berrin, Danielle (20 May 2009). "Smoking the Stereotypes: 'Weeds' creator Jenji Kohan delights in tipping over Judaism's sacred cows". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  10. Kustanowitz, Esther (April 2009). "'Weeds' Creator, 'Tara' Producer, and the Hebrew Mamita Take on Images of Jewish Women in Media". Beliefnet. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  11. Emmy TV Legends Interview: "Buz Kohan on how he got his nickname" retrieved October 10, 2015
  12. Gross, Terry (13 August 2013). "'Orange' Creator Jenji Kohan: 'Piper Was My Trojan Horse'". Fresh Air. NPR. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  13. Martineau, Kim (Spring 2014). "Alumni Profiles: Jenji Kohan '91 Finds Humor and Truth In Life's Darker Moments". Columbia College Today. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  14. "'Weeds' Creator Delivent Product". Fresh Air. NPR. 16 June 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  15. Goldberg, Lesley (14 September 2012). "Jenji Kohan, Mary-Louise Parker Say Farewell to 'Weeds'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  16. Gross, Terry (12 August 2013). "Behind 'The New Black': The Real Piper's Prison Story". Fresh Air. NPR. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  17. Fienberg, Daniel (10 July 2013). "Interview: 'Orange Is The New Black' creator Jenji Kohan talks prison, Netflix and Jodie Foster". HitFix. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  18. Wilson, Stacey; Rose, Lacey (4 June 2014). "Comedy Showrunners Roundtable: Chuck Lorre, Jenji Kohan, Mike Judge on Ejaculation Shots, Awful Pitch Meetings and Salary Negotiations" (Video Roundtable). The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  19. Fienberg, Daniel (15 March 2014). "11 Things We Learned From the 'Orange Is The New Black' PaleyFest Panel". HitFix. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  20. Lewis, Hilary (27 December 2013). "'Orange Is the New Black' Creator Jenji Kohan: Netflix 'Cryptic' About Show's Popularity". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  21. Andreeva, Nellie (2017-11-17). "Jenji Kohan Inks Overall Deal With Netflix". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-09-21.
  22. Barragan, Bianca (13 March 2014). "HBO Writers Moving Into Westlake's Historic Hayworth Theatre". Curbed (L.A.). Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  23. Nussbaum, Emily. "Jenji Kohan's Hot Provocations". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
  24. Chavez, Nicole. "'Orange Is the New Black' creator Jenji Kohan says her late son was her 'best work'". CNN. Retrieved 2020-01-06.
  25. David, Mark (23 February 2009). "Weeds Creator Jenji Kohan Gets a New Nest". Variety. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  26. "Orange Is The New Black". Television Academy. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  27. Tapley, Kristopher (January 5, 2015). "'Gone Girl,' 'Nightcrawler,' 'Whiplash' score PGA". hitfix.com. HitFix. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
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