Jane Anderson
Birth Name:
Jane Anderson
Birth Place:
California, United States
Profession
Writer, Director, Producer, Actress
Fast Facts
- Won a Women in Film Lucy Award for writing "If These Walls Could Talk 2," which explored the difficulties of an elderly lesbian who was prevented from visiting her dying companion in the hospital
- Won an Outfest Achievement Award at the 2003 L․A․ Outfest
- Won two Writers Guild of America Awards, one for Original Long Form for "The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom" in 1994 and one for Dramatic Series for "Mad Men" in 2009
- Her father was one of the early entrepreneurs of Silicon Valley
- Dropped out of college to move to New York and pursue her dream of becoming a stage actress, appearing in David Mamet's breakout play "Sexual Perversity in Chicago" in 1975
- When she first started writing, she would perform her own material in cabarets and comedy clubs across New York
- Quote: "Why do we make theater? Why do we create movies or TV series? It's because people need an outlet when times are difficult or complex․"
- Has written and directed several television movies that have won critical acclaim, including "Normal" and "The Baby Dance․"
- Though she moved to New York City to become involved in theater, it wasn't until she moved back to Los Angeles that she became a serious playwright, with her first play, "Defying Gravity," inspired by the Challenger space shuttle disaster
Awards
- 1993CableACE - Writing a Dramatic Series:Nominated
- 1993Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Writing in a Miniseries or a Special:Winner
- 1994CableACE - Writing a Movie or Miniseries:Nominated
- 1994Literary Award - Best Teleplay:Winner
- 1994WGA Award (TV) - Original Long Form:Winner
- 1999Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or a Movie:Nominated
- 1999Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or a Movie:Nominated
- 2000Audience Award - Best Film:Winner
- 2000Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or a Movie:Nominated
- 2001OFTA Television Award - Best Writing of a Motion Picture or Miniseries:Nominated
- 2003OFTA Television Award - Best Writing of a Motion Picture or Miniseries:Nominated
- 2003Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special:Nominated
- 2004DGA Award - Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television:Nominated
- 2004WGA Award (TV) - Adapted Long Form:Nominated
- 2005WFCC Award - Best Movie by a Woman:Winner
- 2009WGA Award (TV) - Dramatic Series:Winner
- 2015Gracie - Outstanding Producer - Entertainment:Winner
- 2015Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special:Winner
- 2015Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Limited Series:Winner
- 2015WGA Award (TV) - Adapted Long Form:Winner
- 2016Special Mention - Best Documentary:Winner
- 2016Emmy - Outstanding Arts and Culture Programming:Nominated
- 2019WIN Award - Outstanding Film Written by a Woman:Winner