Credits/Important Assignments:
Formative Creative Experiences: Brown University; Eugene O’Neill Theater Institute; UCLA MFA; British/American Drama Academy, Oxford, England. Several Years as an actor, most recently playing Jack’s boss on the WB series Jack & Jill, and of session, Writers Boot Camp.
Influential Movies or TV Shows: Woody Allen’s LOVE & DEATH.
Comment on Your WBC Experience: The most important thing I learned from WBC was to de-value the writing process, the anxiety over what goes onto the page in any given session. Writing is, of session, re-writing, and if you don’t put down anything on the page, you won’t have anything to change.
What are your favorite WBC tools? See my last answer.
How you got your start in the business: I was a struggling actor looking for any other window to crawl through. I wrote a Simpson’s spec. script, got hired at Bobby’s World. Four years later I sold my first pitch with a partner.
Describe the Transition Stages of Your Career: Actor – television writer, producer, exec. Producer, feature writer, now.
How many hours per week do you devote to your creative work: How many hours you got? I’m in front of my computer for a mandatory four hours a day. They can take place at any time. They must be consecutive. And, during that time, I don’t have to write, but I’m not allowed to do anything else.
What biases or preferences do you have regarding the writing process? Biases or preferences. Hmmm. I’m biased against people that love my first drafts, but prefer the people who do.
Do you have any special rituals, places you write, etc.? I write at home and think everywhere.
Do you have anything you’d like to say about LA or the entertainment world? Yes. Never underestimate your audience; always underestimate your employer.