Jenji Kohan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jenji Kohan
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Kohan at 2014 Paley Fest
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| Born |
Jenji Leslie Kohan
July 5, 1969 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Columbia University |
| Occupation | Television writer, producer |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Christopher Noxon
(m. 1997; div. 2018) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Buz Kohan Rhea Kohan |
| Relatives | David Kohan (brother) Jono Kohan (brother) |
Jenji Leslie Kohan (born July 5, 1969) is an American television writer and producer. She is famous for creating and leading popular TV shows. These include the comedy-drama series Weeds on Showtime and Orange Is the New Black on Netflix. She has been nominated for nine Emmy Awards. She won one Emmy as a supervising producer for the comedy series Tracey Takes On....
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Early Life and Family
Jenji Kohan was born in Los Angeles, California. Her parents are Rhea Kohan and Alan W. "Buz" Kohan. She is the youngest of three children. Her older brothers are twins Jono and David. Her family has many people who work in show business.
Her father, Buz Kohan, is an Emmy Award-winning TV writer and producer. He also writes music. Her mother, Rhea, is a TV writer, novelist, and sometimes an actress. Her brother, David, is also an Emmy Award-winning TV producer. Jenji says her father was very important in variety television shows. He wrote and produced big events like the Oscars.
Jenji grew up in Beverly Hills, California. She finished high school there in 1987. She first went to Brandeis University. Later, she moved to Columbia University. She graduated from Columbia in 1991 with a degree in English.
Jenji's Career in Television
Jenji Kohan started her career in television in 1994. Her first job was writing an episode for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She said this was a challenging start to the business. After that, she wrote for other shows. These included Mad About You, Tracey Takes On..., and Friends.
She also worked with her brother, David Kohan. They wrote a script for Will & Grace. They also worked together on a TV show called The Stones. Jenji has mentioned that she and her brother have different styles. She said David focused on big, funny shows. Jenji preferred stories that were a bit "darker" and more unique.
Creating Weeds
Jenji Kohan created the TV series Weeds. This show was a comedy-drama on Showtime. She was the main writer and producer for all eight seasons. She worked on the show at her writing studio, Tilted Productions, in Los Angeles.
Orange Is the New Black
Jenji Kohan also created the popular Netflix comedy-drama Orange Is the New Black. This show was inspired by a true story. It came from Piper Kerman's book about her time in a women's facility. Jenji was the main writer and producer for this show too. She ran the writer's room at her studio in Los Angeles. The show was filmed in New York.
Netflix is a streaming service. It lets people watch TV shows and movies online. Netflix does not share exact viewership numbers. However, Orange Is the New Black became one of the most-watched original series on Netflix. This show helped make "binge viewing" popular. Binge viewing is when you watch many episodes of a show all at once.
Other Projects
Jenji Kohan has a special agreement with Netflix. She has worked as an executive producer on other Netflix series. These include Teenage Bounty Hunters and The Decameron.
Hayworth Theatre
Jenji Kohan owns the old Hayworth Theatre in Los Angeles. She uses one floor for making shows and two floors for editing them. She plans to turn the main auditorium into a place for live performances.
Personal Life
Jenji Kohan has three children: Eliza and Oscar. She and her family live in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles. They are part of the Reform Jewish faith.
Jenji Kohan's Work
Jenji Kohan has worked on many TV shows. She has been a writer, producer, or creator for these:
- 1994: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – writer
- 1996–1999: Tracey Takes On... – writer and producer
- 1997: Mad About You – producer and writer
- 1998: Sex and the City – story writer
- 2000: Gilmore Girls – producer and writer
- 2002: Will & Grace – writer
- 2005–2012: Weeds – creator, writer, and executive producer
- 2013–2019: Orange Is the New Black – creator, writer, and executive producer
- 2017–2020: GLOW – executive producer
- 2020: Teenage Bounty Hunters – executive producer
- 2024: The Decameron – executive producer
Awards and Recognitions
Jenji Kohan has won and been nominated for several important awards for her work in television.
- She won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1997 for Outstanding Variety Series for Tracey Takes On....
- She was nominated for multiple Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series for Weeds and Orange is the New Black.
- She won a Producers Guild of America Award in 2014 for Best Episodic Comedy for Orange is the New Black.
- She was also nominated for Producers Guild Awards for Weeds and GLOW.
See also
In Spanish: Jenji Kohan para niños
