Tracy Oliver facts for kids

Tracy Yvonne Oliver is a talented writer, producer, director, and actress. She is known for creating exciting TV shows and movies. Tracy first appeared in a web series called The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl. Later, she became a writer for TV comedies like The Neighbors and Survivor's Remorse.

Tracy Oliver has helped write several popular movies. These include Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016), Girls Trip (2017), and Little (2019). Her movie Girls Trip was a huge success. It made her the first African-American woman to write a film that earned over $100 million. She also created and wrote the TV series First Wives Club for BET. In 2019, she wrote the movie The Sun Is Also a Star.

Tracy Oliver's Journey in Entertainment

Tracy Oliver grew up in South Carolina. She went to Stanford University to study American studies and drama. She hoped to become an actress. However, she found that the acting roles she was offered were not what she wanted. At Stanford, she met Issa Rae in a drama class. They worked together for the first time there.

Starting Her Career

After Stanford, Tracy went to the USC School of Cinematic Arts. She earned a Master's degree in film, television, and new media in 2010. After her master's, Tracy started a theater company called Black Stage. She played a character named Nina in Issa Rae's web series The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl from 2011 to 2012. Besides acting, Tracy also wrote and produced for the show.

Tracy wrote a movie script called Marriage Is for White People. She wanted to show more diverse characters in romantic comedies. This script caught the eye of Dan Fogelman. He hired her as a writer for the ABC comedy series The Neighbors. This show ran from 2012 to 2014. After that, Tracy became a writer and story editor for the TV series Survivor's Remorse.

Big Movie Successes

Tracy Oliver teamed up with Kenya Barris, who created Black-ish. They wrote the 2016 comedy film Barbershop: The Next Cut. This movie starred famous actors like Ice Cube and Cedric the Entertainer. It was well-received and earned $55 million.

Then, Oliver and Barris wrote Girls Trip (2017) together. This movie featured stars like Queen Latifah, Regina Hall, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Tiffany Haddish. Girls Trip was a huge hit, making over $140 million worldwide. This made Tracy Oliver the first African-American woman to write a film that earned more than $100 million.

New Projects and Directing

Tracy worked with Kenya Barris again on the 2019 film Little. She co-wrote the movie and also received a "story by" credit. Her first movie where she was the only writer was The Sun Is Also a Star in 2019. This film was based on a popular novel by Nicola Yoon. Tracy also helped produce this movie.

Tracy was the main writer and producer for the BET+ TV series First Wives Club. This show was based on a 1996 movie and had an all-black main cast. The first season, which aired in 2019, was directed only by women. It was very popular and got a second season. Tracy even directed an episode of the show, which was her first time directing.

Tracy Oliver is also the creator, writer, and producer for the Amazon Studios TV series Harlem. This comedy stars Meagan Good, Grace Byers, Jerrie Johnson, and Shoniqua Shandai. Malcolm D. Lee, who directed Girls Trip, directed the first two episodes of Harlem.

Future Plans and Recognition

There are talks about a follow-up movie to Girls Trip, and Tracy has already written some ideas for it. She is also reported to be writing a new version of the 1995 film Clueless. In 2020, Tracy Oliver was included on the Ebony Power 100 List, which recognizes influential Black individuals. In March 2021, she signed a big deal with Apple for her production company, Tracy Yvonne Productions.

Tracy Oliver also runs her own production company, Tracy Yvonne Productions.

Filmography

Television

Film