Kay Cannon

Comedy writer and producer, creator of the Pitch Perfect film series

What is Kay Cannon known for?

Kay Cannon, born August 21, 1974, in Custer Park, Illinois, is an acclaimed American screenwriter, producer, director, and actress. Raised as the fifth of seven children in Illinois, Cannon graduated from Reed-Custer High School in Braidwood, Illinois. She furthered her education at Lewis University, where she obtained her BA in Theatre and MA in Education.

Cannon has made her mark in the entertainment industry, writing and producing the successful Pitch Perfect film series (2012–2017). Her directorial debut came with the comedy film Blockers in 2018. She was also a crucial part of the writing and production teams for the NBC comedy series 30 Rock (2007–2012) and the FOX comedy series New Girl (2012–2014).

Kay has an extensive background in acting, having trained at The Second City, ImprovOlympic, and ComedySportz. She has performed in various theaters including Boom Chicago in Amsterdam, The Second City in Chicago and Las Vegas, ImprovOlympic (West and Chicago), and at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles and New York City. Cannon's acting credits include guest roles on NBC's 30 Rock, New Girl, and Cristela. She also made cameo appearances in Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) and the comedy How to Be Single (2016), starring Rebel Wilson and Dakota Johnson.

Her writing career ascended significantly when she met Tina Fey while performing and writing around Chicago. Once Fey began creating 30 Rock, she invited Cannon to join the writing staff, eventually working her way up to supervising producer. Her work on 30 Rock won her the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedic Series three times and a Peabody Award in 2008. She was also nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series in 2010.

In more recent years, Kay Cannon created, wrote, and produced the short-lived Netflix comedy-drama series Girlboss (2017). She continues to be an influential figure in comedy and film.