Courtney A. Kemp facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Courtney A. Kemp
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Kemp in 2015
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Courtney Kemp Agboh
May 4, 1977 Norwalk, Connecticut, United States
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| Education | |
| Alma mater | Brown University (1998) |
| Occupation | Television writer and producer |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Known for | Creating Power Universe |
Courtney A. Kemp (born May 4, 1977) is an American television writer and producer. She creates and helps make TV shows. She is famous for creating the Power Universe TV series. This popular show started in 2014 on the Starz network. Courtney Kemp has also written for other well-known shows. These include The Good Wife and Beauty & the Beast.
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Early Life and Education
Courtney Kemp grew up in Westport, Connecticut. She was a very smart child. She started reading college textbooks when she was only eight years old. Her father, Herbert Kemp Jr., was a very important person. He was the first African American to graduate from Dartmouth College's Tuck School of Business.
The Kemp family was one of the few African American families in Westport. They sometimes faced unfair treatment because of their race. By the age of 10, Courtney was reading plays by William Shakespeare. She also started making up her own stories. In 1994, she finished Staples High School. She then earned her bachelor's degree from Brown University. Later, she received her master's degree in English Literature from Columbia University.
Career in Television
After graduating from Columbia University, Courtney Kemp first wanted to be a journalist. She worked as an assistant editor at Mademoiselle magazine. After that magazine closed, she worked at GQ for three years. She then left the magazine world. She started writing for the J.Crew clothing catalog.
Her job at GQ led to new chances. Several TV producers asked her to turn one of her articles into a TV show. This show never happened, but it made her want to create TV shows.
Becoming a TV Writer
When she was 26, Courtney Kemp moved to Los Angeles, California. She wanted to follow her dream of becoming a TV writer. She got her first big opportunity as a writer for the Fox show The Bernie Mac Show. After that, she wrote for other TV shows. These included Eli Stone, Justice, and Beauty & the Beast. She became well-known for writing episodes of the CBS political drama The Good Wife.
Creating the Power Series
Courtney Kemp came up with the idea for her first TV series, Power, after meeting rapper 50 Cent. She also met executive producer Mark Canton in Los Angeles. She thought of a story about a person who wants to leave a difficult past behind. This character wants to become a successful club owner and businessman.
She quickly wrote the script with 50 Cent and Mark Canton. Both of them helped produce the show. Power aired on the Starz network from June 7, 2014, to February 9, 2020. The show was very popular and received great reviews.
Expanding the Power Universe
The success of Power led to several spin-off shows. One of these is Power Book II: Ghost, which started on September 6, 2020. Courtney Kemp was the main person in charge of making this show. In August 2021, she signed a special agreement with Netflix to create more shows.
In January 2024, it was announced that Kemp is working on a new show called Dirty 30. This drama is about police officers who didn0t follow the rules. The show will be available on HBO.
Personal Life
Courtney Kemp's father, Herbert Kemp Jr., passed away in 2011. The very first episode of Power was dedicated to him. He was also the inspiration for the main character in the show, James "Ghost" St. Patrick.
Courtney and her family lived in Westport, Connecticut. They were one of the few Black families there at the time. They experienced racial harassment.
Courtney Kemp has said that she loved reading a lot when she was young. She was also interested in politics. She has a child named Arden. Her ex-husband, Brian Mawuli Agboh, filed for divorce in 2016.
See also
In Spanish: Courtney A. Kemp para niños
