Jeremy O. Harris facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jeremy O. Harris
Harris in 2024
Born	(1989-06-02) June 2, 1989 (age 36)
Occupation	Playwright screenwriter
Education	DePaul University Yale University (MFA)
Years active	2009–present
Notable works	Slave Play (2018)

Jeremy O. Harris (born June 2, 1989) is an American writer, actor, and screenwriter. He became well-known for his play Slave Play in 2018. This play was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play.

Harris is also known for his work in movies and TV shows. He helped produce and write the A24 film Zola (2021). For this, he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay. He has also acted in the HBO Max series Gossip Girl (2021) and the Netflix series Emily in Paris (2022). In 2023, he appeared in the film The Sweet East.

Early Life and School

Harris grew up in a military family. This meant he moved around a lot. Eventually, his family settled in Martinsville, Virginia. He has also lived in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City.

He went to the Carlisle School in Martinsville. In 2009, he studied acting at The Theatre School at DePaul University. He later earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in playwriting from the Yale School of Drama in 2019.

Jeremy O. Harris's Career

Early Plays and Slave Play

Harris at a poetry reading in New York City in 2018

Harris started his career as an actor in Chicago. He then moved to Los Angeles. There, he worked with musician Isabella Summers on a play called Xander Xyst, Dragon 1. This play was shown in New York in 2017.

He also wrote a play called "Daddy". This play helped him get into the Yale School of Drama in 2016.

While at Yale, Harris wrote Slave Play. It was first performed at Yale in 2017. The play won several awards, including the Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award. In 2018, it was performed off-Broadway in New York. This was Harris's first professional play.

Slave Play explores important topics about relationships and history in America. It was highly praised by critics. For the 74th Tony Awards, Slave Play received 12 nominations. This set a new record for a non-musical play. Harris also won the 2018 Paula Vogel Playwriting Award.

A newspaper called The New York Times said that Harris is very good at showing deep feelings in his plays. Out magazine called him "the queer black savior the theater world needs."

In 2019, a new version of Harris's play "Daddy" was produced. It starred Alan Cumming. Another experimental play, Black Exhibition, was shown in Brooklyn in 2019.

Expanding His Work in Film and TV

Harris in 2020

In 2020, Harris signed a deal with HBO. He became a co-producer for the second season of Euphoria. He also set up $50,000 grants for new plays.

Harris co-wrote the screenplay for the A24 film Zola (2021). The movie is based on a real story shared on Twitter. It received good reviews, and Harris was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay.

He also acted in the HBO Max series Gossip Girl (2021) and the Netflix series Emily in Paris (2022). In 2023, Harris was in the film The Sweet East. This film was shown at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

Special Performances

Harris created the idea of "Black out performances." These are special shows where the audience is mostly made up of Black people. These performances happen for plays written by Black playwrights that tell Black stories. The goal is to encourage Black audiences to come to these plays. It also helps to create a comfortable space for them.

Giving Back

As of 2020, Harris has given a lot of his earnings to help others. He has supported The New York Theatre Workshop and libraries across the United States. He also gave small grants to the Bushwick Starr theater in New York.

For the New York Theatre Workshop, Harris created two $50,000 grants for new plays by Black women writers. He also donated a collection of plays by Black writers to one library in each of the 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam. He also used money from Slave Play to fund $500 grants for 152 playwrights in the U.S.

In 2020, Harris wrote to then-President-elect Joe Biden. He asked him to bring back the Federal Theatre Project. He also talked about this idea on a TV show.

Personal Life

Harris is gay. People have often mentioned his height, which is 6 feet 5 inches. They also talk about his unique and stylish way of dressing.

Works

Theatre

Plays Not Yet Produced

• A Boy’s Company Presents: 'Tell Me If I'm Hurting You' (2020)

Film

Television

Awards and Nominations

• Paula Vogel Playwriting Award, 2018
• Lotos Foundation Prize, 2018
• Rosa Parks Playwriting Award, 2018
• Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award, 2018

In June 2019, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, Queerty magazine named Harris one of the Pride50. This list honors people who work to make sure all LGBTQ+ people are treated equally and with respect.

See Also

• African-American Tony nominees and winners
• LGBT culture in New York City
• List of LGBT people from New York City
• John Golden Theatre