Lizzy Weiss is an American

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

television producer A television producer is a person who oversees one or more aspects of a television show, television program. Some producers take more of an executive role, in that they conceive new programs and pitch them to the television networks, but upon acce ...

and

television writer A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

. Weiss was born and raised in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. She graduated from

Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...

in 1992 with a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

Sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

and

Women’s Studies Women's studies is an academic field that draws on feminist and interdisciplinary methods to place women's lives and experiences at the center of study, while examining social and cultural constructs of gender; systems of privilege and oppress ...

. Weiss continued her education at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

and got a

M.A. A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

in Communication in 1993. After she finished her education she had a number of writing jobs until in 1999 Weiss wrote for the

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

original film ''Holding Patterns''. This was the first time that she was paid for her writing. Although the film did not air, she was hired again by MTV to write for the TV series ''

Undressed ''Undressed'' is an American anthology series that aired on MTV from July 26, 1999, to September 5, 2002. The series was created and executive produced by British director Roland Joffé. Synopsis The series follows the relationships (both rom ...

''. While writing for MTV she was given an article called ''Surf Girls of Maui'' from ''Outside'' magazine. She wrote a script for a film that was similar to the article. After John Stockwell was hired to direct the film ''

Blue Crush ''Blue Crush'' is a 2002 American sports film directed by John Stockwell, written by Stockwell and Lizzy Weiss, and based on Susan Orlean's 1998 '' Outside'' magazine article "Life's Swell". It stars Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriguez, San ...

'', Weiss was chosen to write for the film. In an interview with

Jan Lisa Huttner Jan Lisa Huttner (born December 10, 1951) is an American film critic, journalist, activist, and independent scholar. Huttner has authored columns for prominent publications, including Women's eNews, the Huffington Post, and The Forward, and is the ...

, Weiss expresses her love for how the script "wrestles with the problem of how to be 'a girl' & how to be 'an athlete' at the same time -- how to be in love." This conflict of "how to be in love and be taken care of, but also be in charge" features prominently in the film. Weiss' other television credits include ''

Cashmere Mafia ''Cashmere Mafia'' is an American comedy-drama television series which ran on ABC from January 6, 2008, to February 20, 2008. The series was created by Kevin Wade, who also served as executive producer alongside Darren Star, Gail Katz, Jeff Ra ...

'' and the

ABC Family American cable television, cable and satellite television network Freeform (TV channel), Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through four different owners and six different name changes dur ...

series '' Switched at Birth'', in which she is creator and executive producer. In 2012, Weiss won the 2012

Gracie Allen Award The Gracie Awards are awards presented by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWM) in the United States, to celebrate and honor programming created for women, by women, and about women, as well as individuals who have made exemplary contr ...

for Outstanding Producer for ''Switched at Birth''. ''Switched at Birth'' was also honored with 2013

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...

References

* Waldman, Alan. "Screenwriter Lizzy Weiss on Blue Crush." Films 42. 11 Nov 200
Screenwriter Lizzy Weiss on ''BLUE CRUSH''

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Weiss, Lizzy Television producers from California American women television producers American television writers Duke University Trinity College of Arts and Sciences alumni New York University alumni American women screenwriters American women television writers Screenwriters from Los Angeles Living people Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American women