Lauren Ashley Smith facts for kids

Lauren Ashley Smith is an American writer, comedian, and producer. She is famous for being the head writer of the HBO show A Black Lady Sketch Show, which started in 2019. For her amazing work on this show, she has received three Emmy Award nominations. Before this, Smith also worked on other TV shows like The Rundown with Robin Thede, Best Week Ever, Watch What Happens Live, and Fashion Queens.

Early Life and Education

Lauren Ashley Smith was born and grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. She has two sisters named Mariah and Rachel. Her parents, Rochelle and Jonathan, work as administrators at universities in St. Louis. Lauren went to Dickinson College and earned her bachelor's degree there.

Career Highlights

Smith's writing journey began as a freelancer. This means she worked on different projects for various shows. Some of these early shows included Best Week Ever, Watch What Happens Live, and Fashion Queens.

In 2017, Lauren became the head writer for The Rundown with Robin Thede. This show ran for one season. Later, Robin Thede hired Smith again for a new project. This time, it was for A Black Lady Sketch Show. Lauren became the head writer and a co-executive producer for this show. She made history as the first Black woman to be a head writer on a TV sketch show. The series first aired in 2019.

For her work on A Black Lady Sketch Show, Smith has been recognized with several Emmy nominations. She was nominated for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series in 2020 and 2021. She also received a nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series in 2021.

In 2021, it was announced that Lauren Ashley Smith would create a new TV series. It will be an American version of Timewasters, a British comedy about time travel. This new show for ABC will follow four Black New Yorkers from today. They find themselves transported back in time to the exciting Harlem Renaissance period. Also in 2021, she signed a special deal with CBS Studios. This deal allows her to create comedy content for their TV and streaming platforms.

Awards and Nominations

Lauren Ashley Smith has been nominated for several awards for her work on A Black Lady Sketch Show.

• 2020 – Nominee, Primetime Emmy Awards, Outstanding Variety Sketch Series
• 2021 – Nominee, Primetime Emmy Awards, Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series
• 2021 – Nominee, Primetime Emmy Awards, Outstanding Variety Sketch Series