Lena Waithe

Acting

Lena Waithe

Born May 17, 1984 · Chicago, Illinois, USA (age 42)

Lena Waithe (/weɪθ/; born May 17, 1984) is an American actress, producer, and screenwriter. She is the creator of the Showtime drama series The Chi (2018–present) and the BET comedy series Boomerang (2019–20) and Twenties (2020–21). She also wrote and produced the crime film Queen & Slim (2019) and is the executive producer of the horror anthology series Them (2021–present). Waithe gained recogni…

Known For

Ready Player OneReady Player One · 2018
Ready Player One
7.62018
MovieAdventureAction
When the creator of a popular video game system dies, a virtual contest is created to compete for his fortune.
OnwardOnward · 2020
Onward
7.62020
MovieAdventureAnimation
In a suburban fantasy world, two teenage elf brothers embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there.
Chang Can DunkChang Can Dunk · 2023
Chang Can Dunk
6.72023
MovieFamilyComedy
Chang, a 16-year-old, Asian American, bets the high school basketball star that he can dunk by Homecoming. The bet leads 5' 8" Chang on a quest to learn to dunk—not only to impress his crush, Kristy, but to gain the respect of his high school peers too. But before he can rise up and truly throw one down, he'll have to reexamine everything he knows about himself, his friendships and his family.
Being Mary Tyler MooreBeing Mary Tyler Moore · 2023
Being Mary Tyler Moore
6.72023
MovieDocumentary
With unprecedented access to the Mary Tyler Moore Estate, friends, family, and colleagues, Being Mary Tyler Moore constructs an intimate mosaic of Mary's sixty-year career in show business.
Queen & SlimQueen & Slim · 2019
Queen & Slim
7.12019
MovieCrimeDrama
While on a forgettable first date together in Ohio, a black man and a black woman are pulled over for a minor traffic infraction. The situation escalates, with sudden and tragic results.
A Thousand and OneA Thousand and One · 2023
A Thousand and One
6.62023
MovieDramaCrime
Struggling but unapologetically living on her own terms, Inez is moving from shelter to shelter in mid-1990s New York City. With her 6-year-old son Terry in foster care and unable to leave him again, she kidnaps him so they can build their life together. As the years go by, their family grows and Terry becomes a smart yet quiet teenager, but the secret that has defined their lives threatens to destroy the home they have so improbably built.
Dear White PeopleDear White People · 2014
Dear White People
6.12014
MovieComedyDrama
A campus culture war between Blacks and whites at a predominantly white Ivy League college comes to a head when the staff of a satirical magazine stages an offensive Halloween party.
Bad HairBad Hair · 2021
Bad Hair
5.62021
MovieHorrorComedy
In 1989, an ambitious young woman gets a weave in order to succeed in the image-obsessed world of music television. However, her flourishing career may come at a great cost when she realizes that her new hair may have a mind of its own.

Filmography

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Step SistersStep Sisters · 2018
Step Sisters
6.42018
MovieComedy
Jamilah has her whole life figured out. She's the president of her black sorority, captain of their champion step dance crew, is student liaison to the college dean, and her next move is on to Harvard Law School. She's got it all, right? But when the hard-partying white girls from Sigma Beta Beta embarrass the school, Jamilah is ordered to come to the rescue. Her mission is to not only teach the rhythmically-challenged girls how to step dance, but to win the Steptacular, the most competitive of dance competitions. With the SBBs reputations and charter on the line, and Jamilah's dream of attending Harvard in jeopardy, these outcast screw-ups and their unlikely teacher stumble through one hilarious misstep after another. Cultures clash, romance blossoms, and sisterhood prevails as everyone steps out of their comfort zones.

Producer