Lorene Scafaria facts for kids

Lorene Scafaria, born on May 1, 1978, is an American filmmaker. She is also a playwright, musician, and actress. Lorene is known for writing and directing movies like Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012), The Meddler (2015), and ... (2019). She also wrote the movie Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008).

Scafaria directed episodes of the TV show Succession between 2018 and 2023. These episodes included "Too Much Birthday", "Honeymoon States", and "Living+". She was nominated for awards for her directing on "Too Much Birthday" and "Living+".

Lorene Scafaria's Early Life

Lorene Scafaria was born in Holmdel, New Jersey, on May 1, 1978. Her mother, Gail, is Canadian-American. Her father, Joseph, was an Italian immigrant. Lorene has a brother named Vincent.

She became interested in writing at a young age. She would write book reports on made-up books to win Pizza Hut gift certificates from her school. By the time she was 17, she had written and put on her first play in Red Bank, New Jersey.

After finishing Holmdel High School in 1995, she went to Lafayette College. She later moved to Montclair State University because of tuition costs. There, she earned a degree in English with a minor in theater.

Lorene Scafaria's Career Journey

After moving to New York City, Scafaria wrote and directed a play. It was called That Guy and Others Like Him. She also acted in this play. She had a small part in the short film Bullet in the Brain. This film won awards at different festivals.

Lorene wanted to find an agent for her writing. One agent said she needed to move to Los Angeles. She moved there and shared a place with screenwriter Bryan Sipe. They had met before in New Jersey.

Writing for Movies

Lorene and Bryan wrote a children's adventure film called Legend Has It. A studio bought the script. However, the project was stopped after the studio asked for changes.

In 2005, Scafaria was hired to turn the book Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist into a movie. This was her first time adapting a book. She said she connected with the characters, especially Norah. Lorene wanted the movie to feel like the 1980s teen comedies she grew up watching. She mentioned movies by John Hughes and Cameron Crowe as inspirations.

In 2012, Lorene and her friends, Diablo Cody and Liz Meriwether, received an award. They were called the "Fempire" and got the Athena Film Festival Award for Creativity and Sisterhood.

Directing Her Own Films

In 2009, a company bought Scafaria's script for Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. This was a romantic comedy about people looking for meaning during the end of the world. It was the first movie Lorene also directed. The film was released in June 2012. She said she loved telling personal stories about how people connect.

In 2015, Scafaria wrote and directed The Meddler. This comedy-drama tells the story of a mother and daughter. They are trying to move forward after losing their husband and father. Lorene wanted the film to help people understand others in similar situations.

..... This movie was based on a magazine article from 2015. The film was very successful with critics and audiences. Lorene said she was interested in how the 2008 financial crisis affected the women in the story. She also focused on the friendship between the two main characters, Destiny and Ramona.

Directing for Television

Between 2021 and 2023, Scafaria directed three episodes of the HBO series Succession. She directed "Too Much Birthday" for the third season. For this episode, she was nominated for a Directors Guild of America Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. For the fourth season, she directed "Honeymoon States" and "Living+". She received another Primetime Emmy Award nomination for "Living+".

Music Career

During a writers' strike in 2007-2008, Scafaria recorded an album. It was called Garden Party and featured her singing and playing piano. Her song "28" was featured in the closing credits of the 2009 film Whip It!. She released her second album, Laughter and Forgetting, in April 2010.

Lorene Scafaria's Personal Life

Lorene Scafaria lives in Los Angeles. She dated comedian Bo Burnham from 2013 to 2022.

Filmography

Films

Television

Awards and Nominations