Cord Jefferson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cord Jefferson
Jefferson at TIFF 2023
Born	Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
Occupation	Screenwriter, director, journalist
Education	College of William and Mary (BA)
Notable works	American Fiction (2023)
Notable awards	Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series or Movie Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay

Cord Jefferson is an American writer and director. He is known for his amazing work in television and movies. Before becoming a famous writer, he worked as a journalist. He wrote for many different newspapers and websites.

Later, Cord Jefferson started writing for TV shows. He worked on popular series like The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, Master of None, and The Good Place. He even won a big award, the Primetime Emmy Award, for his writing on the show Watchmen.

In 2023, he directed his first movie, a comedy called American Fiction. This movie was a huge hit! It won the Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award and he also won an Oscar for writing its screenplay.

Early Life and School

Cord Jefferson was born in Tucson, Arizona. He lived outside the United States for a few years when he was very young. His family then moved back to Tucson.

He went to Canyon del Oro High School in Arizona. After high school, he studied at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. His father had also gone to law school there. After college, Cord lived in Los Angeles and Brooklyn, New York.

In 2008, Cord helped his father who needed a kidney transplant. He donated one of his kidneys. This experience made him think more about his own health.

Cord's Career Journey

Starting in Journalism (2009–2014)

Cord Jefferson began his career as a journalist. He wrote for several publications like Stereohyped and MollyGood. He also worked as an editor at Gawker for two years. His articles appeared in well-known places such as USA Today and The New York Times Magazine.

Writing for TV and Movies (2014–Present)

In 2014, Cord started writing for television. His first TV writing job was for the show Survivor's Remorse. He then became a writer for The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore from 2015 to 2016.

He also worked as a story editor and producer for Master of None and The Good Place. For these shows, he was nominated for Writers Guild of America Awards. In 2019, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for writing an episode of the HBO series Watchmen.

In 2021, Cord Jefferson was a writer and supervising producer for the HBO show Station Eleven. His big movie debut as a director was with American Fiction in 2023. This film won the Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award and was nominated for five Oscars.

Cord Jefferson's Film and TV Work

Movies

Television Shows

Awards and Honors

Cord Jefferson has won many awards for his writing and directing. Here are some of his major achievements: