Lela Swift
Birth Name:
Lela Siwoff
Birth Place:
New York City, New York, United States
Profession
Director, Producer
Fast Facts
- Became the assistant director of "Studio One" under Worthington Miner in 1948
- Got her start as a gofer for CBS in the mid-1940s, quickly rising through the ranks to assistant stage manager as a protégé of Frances Buss, one of the first female television pioneers
- Best known as the director of the TV series "Ryan's Hope" and "Dark Shadows․"
- Gave a young James Dean his first big break when she directed him in "The Web․"
- When she was told that she would "only be doing cooking shows" during her early days as an aspiring director, she replied, "I'll take my chances;" she never did a cooking show
Awards
- 1977Daytime Emmy - Outstanding Individual Director for a Daytime Drama Series:Winner
- 1978Daytime Emmy - Outstanding Individual Director for a Daytime Drama Series:Nominated
- 1979Daytime Emmy - Outstanding Direction for a Daytime Drama Series:Winner
- 1980Daytime Emmy - Outstanding Direction for a Daytime Drama Series:Winner