Lena Waithe, born on May 17, 1984, in Chicago, Illinois, is a distinguished American actress, producer, and screenwriter. She gained prominence for her role in the Netflix series “Master of None” (2015–2021), where she portrayed Denise and penned the acclaimed “Thanksgiving” episode.
This episode earned her the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series in 2017, making her the first African-American woman to receive this honor.
Beyond “Master of None,” Waithe has significantly contributed to television and film. She created the Showtime drama series “The Chi” (2018–present) and served as the executive producer for the Amazon horror anthology series “Them” (2021–present). Her film work includes co-writing and producing “Queen & Slim” (2019) and appearing in Steven Spielberg’s “Ready Player One” (2018).
In 2023, Waithe received a Tony Award nomination for Best Play as a producer of the sketch-comedy play “Ain’t No Mo’.” She was also named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2018.
In her personal life, Waithe married content executive Alana Mayo in 2019, but they separated in early 2020 and finalized their divorce in May 2021. Since 2024, she has been in a relationship with British actress Cynthia Erivo, supporting Erivo’s role as Elphaba in the film adaptation of “Wicked.”
Additionally, Waithe has joined the cast of “Grey’s Anatomy” as a new doctor, marking her latest role in a long-standing television series.