Zander Lehmann

Alexander "Zander" Sutton Lehmann (born July 13, 1987)[1] is the creator, writer, and producer of the TV show, Casual.[2][3]

Zander Lehmann
Lehmann in 2016
Born
Alexander Sutton Lehmann

(1987-07-13) July 13, 1987
Santa Monica, California, United States
NationalityAmerican
OccupationTV writer
Years active2015–present
Known forCasual
Parent(s)

Early life and education

Lehmann was born to a in a Jewish family[4] in Santa Monica, California,[5] the son of director Michael Lehmann and Holland Sutton.[6][7][8] He has a younger sister.[7]

Lehmann's family would relocate to the Bay Area and in 2005, he graduated from Marin Country Day School.[6][9] In 2009, Lehmann graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, where he was on a baseball scholarship, with a psychology degree.[6][3] It was in college where Lehmann first took an interest in screenwriting, taking a class on the subject with the sole purpose of keeping his health insurance.[6]

Career

Lehmann got his start working in the mail room at ICM and then as a development assistant for four years.[6][7] When he was 25 years old, Lehmann sold a pilot called Game Show to HBO. It was unproduced, although attached to director David Fincher, but led to further work in the industry.[3]

In 2015, Lehmann's script, The Beautiful Game, was selected as one of the 10 best unproduced scripts, listed on The Hollywood Reporter's Black List.[10] He sold the film to Focus Features, with Morgan Neville attached to direct.[5]

In 2015, Lehmann was named as one of Variety's 10 TV Writers to Watch.[11]

Lehmann got his start as a staff writer on the 2016 MTV show, The Shannara Chronicles.[6][2]

He sold a script to Lionsgate Television, which became the Jason Reitman-produced Hulu series, Casual.[2] Casual was Hulu's second original series.[12] The show is co-produced with Helen Estabrook, Liz Tigelaar, and Jason Reitman – who directed the pilot as well as other episodes.[6][13] The show stars Michaela Watkins and Tommy Dewey as sister and brother, and Tara Lynne Barr as Watkins' daughter.[14]

Lehmann said that Casual was inspired by his relationship with his younger sister, who he lived with for three years during their parents' divorce, and who started dating his best friend.[15][7][16][17]

The series is unique in the industry as, in addition to executives and writers who are women, the majority of the episodes are directed by women. Directors include Lake Bell, Carrie Brownstein, Marielle Heller, Karyn Kusama, Gillian Robespierre, and Lynn Shelton.[13][18] The show was positively received.[19][20][21][22] Casual was nominated for a 2016 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy.[15]

Filmography

References
  1. "Alexander Sutton Lehmann California Birth Index". FamilySearch. 13 July 1987.
  2. Littleton, Cynthia (8 January 2017). "'Casual' Creator Zander Lehmann Rides Peak TV Wave". Variety.
  3. Porch, Scott (26 May 2017). "Young Comic TV Showrunners From Left Field". The New York Times.
  4. Bloom, Nate (July 11, 2018). "Daveed Diggs comes home to Oakland; Seinfeld's 'Comedians in Cars' on Netflix". J. The Jewish News of Northern California.
  5. "Zander Lehmann". Hulu.
  6. "BA #230: Zander Lehmann". the Box Angeles podcast. June 3, 2018.
  7. Flashner, Graham (28 June 2016). "Sibs in the City". Television Academy.
  8. "Michael S Lehmann mentioned in the record of Michael S Lehmann and Holland M Sutton". FamilySearch. 17 May 1985.
  9. "Alumni Athletes: Zander Lehmann, '01". Marin Country Day School.
  10. Ford, Rebecca (15 December 2014). "The 2014 Black List Announced". The Hollywood Reporter.
  11. "10 TV Scribes to Watch". Variety. 16 June 2015.
  12. Goldberg, Lesley (30 October 2014). "Jason Reitman Comedy Lands Straight-to-Series Order at Hulu". The Hollywood Reporter.
  13. Grobar, Matt (23 June 2017). "'Casual' Creator Zander Lehmann On Season 3 Character Developments In Series Run By Three Showrunners". Deadline Hollywood.
  14. Miller, Liz Shannon (8 October 2015). "How 'Casual' Creator Zander Lehmann Got Real About His Dating Comedy (That's More of A Drama)". IndieWire.
  15. Hammond, Pete (4 May 2016). "Deadline's The Contenders Emmys Video: Hulu's 'Casual' Takes Its Tales Of Dating Woes From Real Life Experiences". Deadline Hollywood.
  16. Oakley, Josh (7 October 2015). "Interview: Zander Lehmann, Creator of Hulu's Casual". CutPrintFilm.
  17. Nakamura, Reid (6 October 2015). "Jason Reitman, 'Casual' Creator Share Real Life Story Behind New Hulu Comedy". TheWrap.
  18. Porch, Scott (13 July 2016). "'Casual' Showrunner Zander Lehmann on the Blurring Line Between Comedy and Drama". Decider. New York Post.
  19. Goodman, Tim (16 September 2015). "'Casual': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
  20. Wiegand, David (1 October 2015). "'Casual' sex turns into comedy on Hulu". San Francisco Chronicle.
  21. McNamara, Mary (7 October 2015). "Hulu's smart 'Casual' takes its family comedy seriously". Los Angeles Times.
  22. Sepinwall, Alan (6 October 2015). "Review: Michaela Watkins shines in Hulu's 'Casual'". Uproxx.
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