
Lena Waithe
Biography
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 recognition for her role in the Netflix comedy-drama series Master of None (2015–2021) and became the first African-American woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series in 2017 for writing the show's "Thanksgiving" episode, which was loosely based on her personal experience of coming out to her mother. She has also appeared in Steven Spielberg's 2018 adventure film Ready Player One and the HBO series Westworld. In 2023, she was nominated for Best Play at the 76th Tony Awards, her production work on the sketch-comedy play Ain't No Mo'.
Waithe was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2018 and was included on Fast Company's Queer 50 list in 2021 and 2022.
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Gallery



Known For
Acting History
2025
Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television as Self
2025Reclaim the Flag as Self
2025It's Dorothy! as Self
2023Being Mary Tyler Moore as Self (voice)
2023House Party as Lena Waithe
2022Sherri as Self - Guest
2022Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration
2022The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder as College Maya (voice)
20212021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony as Self
2021Twenties After-Show With B. Scott as Self - Guest
2021The One and Only Dick Gregory as Self
2021Bad Hair as Brook-Lynne
2021Amend: The Fight for America as Self
2020Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020 as Self
2020#blackAF as Lena Waithe
2020Who Wants to Be a Millionaire as Self - Contestant
2020You Ain't Got These
2020Onward as Officer Spector (voice)
2020Visible: Out on Television as Self - Narrator (voice)
2019Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner as Self
2019A Black Lady Sketch Show as Office Employee
2018The Shop as Self
2018Ready Player One as Aech / Helen
2018The Chi as Camille Hallaway
2017Big Mouth as Lena (voice)
2017Big Mouth
2017Dear White People as P. Ninny
2016Westworld as Ash
2016This Is Us as Animal Shelter Clerk
2015Master of None as Denise Watkins
2015Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter as Self
2014Transparent as Jane
2009Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
2009RuPaul's Drag Race as Self - Guest Judge
2005The Comeback as Summer
2005Grey's Anatomy as Evynn Moore
1996The Daily Show as Self
1959The Grammys as Self
1953The Oscars as Self
—Place To Be as Shy
—Untitled Friendship Breakup Film








