Reed Morano facts for kids

Reed Morano (born April 15, 1977) is an American film director and cinematographer. A cinematographer is someone who is in charge of the camera and lighting for a movie or TV show. Reed Morano made history by being the first woman to win both an Emmy Award and a Directors Guild of America Award in the same year. She won these awards for directing the first episode of the TV series The Handmaid's Tale.

Morano is also well-known for her work as a cinematographer on movies like Frozen River (2008), Kill Your Darlings (2013), and The Skeleton Twins (2014). In 2013, she became the youngest woman to join the American Society of Cinematographers. This is a group for top cinematographers. Two years later, she directed her first movie, Meadowland.

Early Life and Education

Reed Morano was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on April 15, 1977. She moved to Minnesota when she was very young. After her parents divorced, she and her brother, Justin, lived with their mother on Long Island, New York. Later, her mother married Casey Morano, and the family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and then back to Long Island.

Reed's father, Casey, noticed her interest in theater and drama. He gave her a video camera and suggested she go to film school. Reed then attended New York University and graduated from the Tisch School of the Arts in 2000. She later returned to NYU to teach cinematography.

Career as a Cinematographer

Reed Morano's work as a cinematographer has been shown at many film festivals. Her movie Frozen River won a big award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2008. Other films she shot, like Little Birds and Shut Up and Play the Hits, also premiered at Sundance.

In 2013, she worked on Kill Your Darlings, a movie set in 1943. She also filmed The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete. In 2014, she was the cinematographer for The Skeleton Twins, a comedy starring Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader. She also worked on the drama War Story, filmed in Italy.

Morano also worked on TV shows. She was the director of photography for the first season of HBO's Looking in 2014. She also worked on Vinyl, a show produced by famous director Martin Scorsese and musician Mick Jagger.

Career as a Director

Reed Morano directed her first movie, Meadowland, in 2015. She also worked as the cinematographer for this film. The movie starred Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson, and Elisabeth Moss. It was shown at the Tribeca Film Festival.

In 2017, Morano directed the first three episodes of The Handmaid's Tale. This show is based on a famous book by Margaret Atwood. For her work on this series, she won an Emmy Award and a Directors Guild of America Award. This made her the first woman to win both awards for directing a drama series in the same year.

In 2018, Morano directed and filmed I Think We're Alone Now. This movie is a drama about two people after the world has changed. It stars Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning. Her third movie as a director was The Rhythm Section, released in 2020. It stars Blake Lively and Jude Law.

Personal Life

Reed Morano married Matt Walker, who is also a cinematographer, in 2008. They divorced in 2018. They have two sons together. Reed lives with her sons in Brooklyn, New York. Her older son, Casey, appeared in her film Meadowland. Since 2021, she has been in a relationship with actor and director Tim Robbins.

Awards and Recognition

Reed Morano has received many awards and honors for her work.

• In 2011, she won the Kodak Vision Award from Women in Film and Television International.
• Variety magazine named her one of their "10 Cinematographers to Watch" in the same year.
• In 2012, IndieWire featured her as one of "5 Cinematographers Lighting Up Screens."
• In 2013, she became the youngest member of the American Society of Cinematographers.
• In 2015, she was named Woman of the Year at the Fusion Film Festival.
• In 2017, she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for The Handmaid's Tale.