Jenji Kohan (born 1969)

TV writer, producer, creator of Weeds

What is Jenji Kohan (born 1969) known for?

Born in Los Angeles, California on July 5, 1969, Jenji Leslie Kohan is a notable alumna of Beverly Hills High School. She's an acclaimed American television writer, producer, and director known for her creativity and unique storylines. Kohan is the mastermind behind the successful Showtime comedy-drama series Weeds and the eclectic Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. Both shows have not only been immensely popular, but have also contributed to the broader conversation around societal issues.

Her career in the industry began with a rather "rough entrance", writing an episode for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Despite the challenges, she quickly gained momentum, working on several popular series like Mad About You, and Friends.

She collaborated with her brother, David Kohan, to script an episode for Will & Grace, and the duo also worked together on the sitcom The Stones. Yet, Jenji's distinctively darker and introspective approach to storytelling distinguishes her work from her brother's more commercially geared productions.

Amid all her achievements, perhaps the most recognizable is her creation, production, and head writing of the series Weeds. The show's gripping narrative, which oscillates between dark comedy and drama, earned a special place in the audience's heart, and was produced at her writing studio, Titled Productions, in Los Angeles, running successfully for eight seasons.

Over the course of her career, Jenji has been nominated for nine Emmy Awards, further cementing her reputation in the industry. She won an Emmy as a supervising producer of the comedy series Tracey Takes On....

Much of Kohan's family is in the entertainment industry – her father Buz is an Emmy Award-winning television writer and producer, her mother Rhea is a television writer, novelist, and occasional actress, and her brother David is an Emmy Award-winning television producer. Born to a Jewish family, her roots trace back to Romania and Russia.

Before her rise in the industry, Kohan attended Brandeis University and later transferred to Columbia University as a sophomore. She graduated with a degree in English language and literature in 1991.