Debora Cahn is an American writer and producer of television and film. She was a writer and executive producer on the

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global ...

series ''

Homeland A homeland is a place where a cultural, national, or racial identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethn ...

'' for its final two seasons ''(''2018–2020). She was also a writer and consulting producer on FX's ''

Fosse/Verdon ''Fosse/Verdon'' is an American biographical miniseries starring Sam Rockwell as director–choreographer Bob Fosse and Michelle Williams as actress and dancer Gwen Verdon. The series, which tells the story of the couple's troubled personal a ...

'' (2019)'','' for which she won a

Writers Guild of America The Writers Guild of America is the joint efforts of two different US labor unions representing TV and film writers: * The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), headquartered in New York City and affiliated with the AFL–CIO * The Writers G ...

award for Best Adapted Long Form Television. In 2018, she wrote the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

film '' Paterno,'' starring

Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino (; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Al Pacino, numerous accolades: including an Aca ...

and directed by

Barry Levinson Barry Lee Levinson (born April 6, 1942) is an American filmmaker, comedian and actor. Levinson's best-known works are mid-budget comedy drama and drama films such as '' Diner'' (1982); '' The Natural'' (1984); '' Good Morning, Vietnam'' (1987) ...

. She was a writer and co-executive producer for

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, incl ...

's HBO series ''

Vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from viny ...

'' (2016). From 2006 to 2013, she was a writer and producer of ''

Grey’s Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on American Broadcasting Company, ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical internship (medicine), interns, ...

.'' She began her career as a writer and producer on ''

The West Wing ''The West Wing'' is an American serial (radio and television), serial political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the ...

'' from its fourth to seventh and final season (2002–2006). More recently, Cahn signed a multi-year overall deal with

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

. Under the deal, she will serve as executive producer and showrunner on the political thriller drama series ''The Diplomat''. Cahn has won two Writers Guild of America awards, and has received multiple nominations.

Biography

Cahn graduated from

Barnard College Barnard College of Columbia University is a private women's liberal arts college in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a group of women led by young student activist Annie Nathan Meyer, who petitioned Col ...

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manha ...

and received a master's degree in acting from the

Institute for Advanced Theater Training The American Repertory Theater/Moscow Art Theatre (ART/МХАТ) Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University was founded in 1987 as a training ground for the new American Theater by the Robert Brustein and the American Repertory ...

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

. In 2006, Cahn married Michael Heller.

Awards and nominations

In 2020, Cahn won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Long Form Television for ''

''. In 2006 and 2007, Cahn was part of the writing staff for two television series' nominated for the

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series since its institution in 1951. The award goes to the producers of the series. The award is often cited as one of the "main awards" at the Emmys cerem ...

and the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Dramatic Series; ''The West Wing'' in 2006 and ''Grey's Anatomy'' in 2007. In 2005, Cahn won the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Episodic Drama for the fifth-season episode "The Supremes".

Episodes written

*''

'' **"Two Minutes" **"Deception Indicated" **"Useful Idiot" **"Active Measures" **"Enemy of the State *''

'' **"Me and My Baby" *''

'' **"Rock and Roll Queen" **"The Racket" **"Whispered Secrets" *''

'' **"College Kids" (story, with

Mark Goffman Mark Goffman is an American television writer and producer. He currently serves as an executive producer for the Netflix series ''The Umbrella Academy''. Prior to that, Goffman worked as the showrunner and an executive producer for CBS's ''Bul ...

) **"Red Haven's on Fire" (story, with Mark Goffman) **"Privateers" (teleplay and story, with Paul Redford and

Aaron Sorkin Aaron Benjamin Sorkin (born June 9, 1961) is an American playwright, screenwriter and film director. Born in New York City, he developed a passion for writing at an early age. Sorkin has earned an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, five Primetime Em ...

) **"Jefferson Lives" (story, with Carol Flint) **"Abu el Banat" **"The Supremes" **"No Exit" (teleplay, with Carol Flint) **"Liftoff" **"Impact Winter" **"Drought Conditions" **"The Ticket" **"Undecideds" **"The Cold" (teleplay and story, with Lauren Schmidt) **"Requiem" (with John Wells and

Eli Attie Eli Attie is an Emmy-winning writer, producer, and former White House staff member. He served as Vice President Al Gore's chief White House and campaign speechwriter through Gore's concession of the 2000 presidential election, which Attie and Go ...

) **"Institutional Memory" *''

Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into ...

'' **" Sometimes a Fantasy" **" Scars and Souvenirs" **" Love/Addiction" **"

Losing My Mind "Losing My Mind" is a song written by Stephen Sondheim originally for the 1971 musical ''Follies'' for the character of a former showgirl, Sally Durant Plummer. The song became a popular top ten hit for singer and actress Liza Minnelli in 1989 o ...

" **"Brave New World" **"Wish You Were Here" **"Now or Never" **"

Blink Blinking is a bodily function; it is a semi-autonomic rapid closing of the eyelid. A single blink is determined by the forceful closing of the eyelid or inactivation of the levator palpebrae superioris and the activation of the palpebral porti ...

" **"

Push Push may refer to: Music * Mike Dierickx (born 1973), a Belgian producer also known as Push Albums * ''Push'' (Bros album), 1988 * ''Push'' (Gruntruck album), 1992 * ''Push'' (Jacky Terrasson album), 2010 Songs * "Push" (Enrique Iglesias ...

" **" Not Responsible" **"

Unaccompanied Minor An unaccompanied minor (sometimes "unaccompanied child" or "separated child") is a child without the presence of a legal guardian. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child defines unaccompanied minors and unaccompanied children as those "who ...

" **" She's Gone" **" Dark Was the Night" **"Run, Baby, Run" **"She's Killing Me" **"I Want You With Me" **"Somebody That I Used To Know" *''

Private Practice Private practice may refer to: * Private sector practice ** Practice of law * ''Private Practice'' (TV series), an American medical drama * ''Private Practice'' (album), released in 1978 by Dr. Feelgood {{disambig pt:Private Practice ...

'' **"To Change the Things I Can" **"Ex-Life" (with

Jon Cowan Jon Cowan is an American television producer and writer, best known for his work on television shows ''Crossing Jordan'' and ''Private Practice Private practice may refer to: * Private sector practice ** Practice of law * ''Private Practice'' (T ...

Robert Rovner Robert Rovner is an American television producer and writer, best known for his work on TV shows Crossing Jordan, Private Practice, Dallas (2012 TV series), Bionic Woman, Summerland, American Dreams (NBC) and Supergirl (TV series). He is cur ...

and

Krista Vernoff Krista Vernoff (born October 25, 1971) is an American television screenwriter, executive producer and director. She is best known for running the television medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2007–11, 2017–present) and its spin-off ''Station 1 ...

) **"The End of a Beautiful Friendship

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cahn, Debora American television producers American women television producers American television writers Jewish American screenwriters Living people American women television writers Writers Guild of America Award winners Place of birth missing (living people) Year of birth missing (living people) Institute for Advanced Theater Training, Harvard University alumni Barnard College alumni 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American women writers 21st-century American screenwriters 20th-century American Jews