Female Screenwriters

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 1 
Emma Thompson
(British Actress, Screenwriter and the Only Person to Win Academy Awards for Both Acting & Writing)
Emma Thompson
5
Birthdate: April 15, 1959
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Paddington, London, England

One of the most celebrated British actresses, Emma Thompson has received plaudits for her work in films, television and stage. Her film credits include Howards End, The Remains of the Day as well as Sense and Sensibility which she also wrote. Her television appearances include miniseries Angels in America. The award winning actress is also an author, activist and comedian.

 2 
Rebel Wilson
(Australian Actress and Comedian)
Rebel Wilson
4
Birthdate: March 2, 1980
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia

Australian actress, Rebel Wilson, started her acting career with television in Australia and then gained wider recognition after appearing in Hollywood films. Struck by Lightning, Bachelorette, Isn't It Romantic, The Hustle, Cats and Jojo Rabbit are some of the notable films she has acted in. She received critical appreciation for the 2012 film, Pitch Perfect, and subsequently acted in its two sequels.

 3 
Michelle Rodriguez
(Actress and Screenwriter Best Known for Her Role as a Boxer in the Film ‘Girlfight’)
Michelle Rodriguez
5
Birthdate: July 12, 1978
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: San Antonio, Texas, United States

The quintessential action queen of Hollywood, Michelle Rodriguez is known for appearing in many successful action films, including the Fast & Furious franchise. Regarded as a Hollywood bad girl, Michelle has had many brushes with the law. An openly bisexual actress, she also serves as an inspiration to the LGBT community.

 4 
Melissa Mathison
(Screenwriter)
Melissa Mathison
4
Birthdate: June 3, 1950
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: November 4, 2015

Melissa Mathison was a screenwriter and an activist for the Tibetan independence movement. She attended the University of California, Berkeley, for a while but quit before graduating. She was acquainted with Francis Ford Coppola who encouraged her to pursue a screenwriting career. She was once married to actor, Harrison Ford, and had two children.

 5 
Phoebe Waller-Bridge
(Actress and Screenwriter Best Known as the Creator, Head Writer of the BBC Sitcom ‘Fleabag’)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge
5
Birthdate: July 14, 1985
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: London, England

Phoebe Waller-Bridge is credited with creating and writing one of the greatest TV series of the 21st century, Fleabag. She is also famous for contributing as the executive producer and head writer of another highly-acclaimed TV series, Killing Eve. In 2020, she was named in Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people in the world.

 6 
Ali Wong
(Actress)
Ali Wong
5
Birthdate: April 19, 1982
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, USA
 7 
Greta Gerwig
(Actress and Director Known for Her Films: 'Lady Bird', 'Little Woman' and 'Frances Ha')
Greta Gerwig
4
Birthdate: August 4, 1983
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Sacramento, California, United States
Known as an “it girl,” Greta Gerwig has been a major part of mumblecore films and has been seen in many of Joe Swanberg’s and Noah Baumbach’s films. Named to TIME 100, she has also earned Academy Award nominations for her directorial work in Lady Bird and Little Women
 8 
St. Vincent
(Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who was a member of the Polyphonic Spree as well as a collaborator with Andrew Bird, Arcade Fire, and Kid Cudi)
St. Vincent
4
Birthdate: September 28, 1982
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
 9 
Zoe Kazan
(American Actress Known for Her Role in the TV Series 'Olive Kitteridge')
Zoe Kazan
5
Birthdate: September 9, 1983
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States

Born to screenwriters Nicholas Kazan and Robin Swicord, Zoe Kazan is also the granddaughter of director Elia Kazan and thus was never a stranger to show business. Now a regular on Broadway and in films, she also bagged an Emmy nomination for her role in the miniseries Olive Kitteridge.

 10 
Alex Borstein
(Best Known for Voicing ‘Lois Griffin’ on the Animated Comedy TV Series ‘Family Guy’)
Alex Borstein
4
Birthdate: February 15, 1971
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Highland Park, Illinois, United States
Alexandrea Borstein is best known as the voice of Lois Griffin in Family Guy and as Susie Myerson from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, both of which fetched her Emmys. She also appeared on MADtv, both as a writer and a performer, and wrote for Casper and Pinky and the Brain.
 11 
Shelley Duvall
(Actress)
Shelley Duvall
5
Birthdate: July 7, 1949
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Fort Worth, Texas, United States
 12 
Whitney Cummings
(Comedian)
Whitney Cummings
4
Birthdate: September 4, 1982
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Georgetown, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
 13 
Iliza Shlesinger
(Actress)
Iliza Shlesinger
5
Birthdate: February 22, 1983
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
 14 
Emily Mortimer
(Actress Known for Her Roles in 'Lovely and Amazing' and 'The Newsroom')
Emily Mortimer
5
Birthdate: October 6, 1971
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Hammersmith, London, England

Emily Mortimer is an English-American screenwriter and actress. Mortimer, who started her acting career in stage productions, went on to establish herself as a bankable actress in the British film and TV industry. In 2010, she became an American citizen and has since been playing important roles in American films.

 15 
Lake Bell
(Actress, Screenwriter and Director Known for Her Film 'In a World')
Lake Bell
4
Birthdate: March 24, 1979
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States

Lake Bell is an American actress, screenwriter, and director. Also known for her good looks and fashion sense, Bell has been featured on lists like Femme Fatales' 50 Sexiest Women, Maxim's Hot 100, and British Vogue's 10 Best Dressed Women. Apart from being an actress and model, Bell also contributes as an automotive writer and editor to The Hollywood Reporter.

 16 
Kate Siegel
(Actress)
Kate Siegel
5
Birthdate: August 9, 1982
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
 17 
Rachel Bloom
(Actress)
Rachel Bloom
5
Birthdate: April 3, 1987
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
 18 
Jennifer Saunders
(Comedians)
Jennifer Saunders
4
Birthdate: July 6, 1958
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England, UK
 19 
Pamela Adlon
(Actress)
Pamela Adlon
5
Birthdate: July 9, 1966
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
 20 
Kathy Najimy
(Actress & Comedian Known as the Voice of ‘Peggy Hill’ on the Animated TV Series ‘King of the Hill’)
Kathy Najimy
3
Birthdate: February 6, 1957
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: San Diego, California, United States
Kathy Najimy is best known for her Annie Award-winning voice role as Peggy Hill in King of the Hill. She initially gained fame for the play The Kathy and Mo Show. Fans loved her as Sister Mary Patrick in the Sister Act movies. She supports LGBT and women’s rights.
 21 
Kathryn Bigelow
(Film director)
Kathryn Bigelow
4
Birthdate: November 27, 1951
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: San Carlos, California, United States
 22 
Nora Ephron
(Screenwriter, Producer, Director)
Nora Ephron
4
Birthdate: May 19, 1941
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: June 26, 2012

Nora Ephron was an American writer, filmmaker, and journalist. She is known for writing films like Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally... The Nora Ephron Prize was created by the Tribeca Film Festival in her memory. Her life and work inspired the 2016 documentary film Everything Is Copy, which was directed by her son Jacob Bernstein.

 23 
Amber Tamblyn
(Actress)
Amber Tamblyn
5
Birthdate: May 14, 1983
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Santa Monica, California, United States
 24 
La La Anthony
(Television personality)
La La Anthony
5
Birthdate: June 25, 1979
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, USA
 25 
Shannyn Sossamon
(Actress)
Shannyn Sossamon
4
Birthdate: October 3, 1978
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
 26 
Catherine Tate
(Actress)
Catherine Tate
4
Birthdate: May 12, 1968
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Bloomsbury, London, England
 27 
Clea DuVall
(Actress)
Clea DuVall
4
Birthdate: September 25, 1977
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
 28 
Michaela Coel
(British Actress and Screenwriter Known for Her TV Series 'Chewing Gum' and 'I May Destroy You')
Michaela Coel
4
Birthdate: October 1, 1987
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: London, England

Ghanaian-origin British actor and screenwriter Michaela Coel was raised according to Pentecostal faith and took to poetry and acting later. A Guildhall scholar, she won a BAFTA for her sitcom Chewing Gum. With I May Destroy You, she became the first Black woman to win an Emmy for writing.

 29 
Brit Marling
(Actress)
Brit Marling
4
Birthdate: August 7, 1982
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA
 30 
Nancy Meyers
(Director)
Nancy Meyers
3
Birthdate: December 8, 1949
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Pennsylvania, USA
 31 
Dyan Cannon
(First Woman to be nominated for Oscars Both in Front of and Behind the Camera)
Dyan Cannon
4
Birthdate: January 4, 1937
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Tacoma, Washington, United States
Dyan Cannon is best known for her Academy Award-nominated roles in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice and Heaven Can Wait. She has also written, directed, and produced the Academy Award-nominated film Number One. She has appeared in series such as Ally McBeal and Three Sisters, too.
 32 
Abbi Jacobson
(Comedian)
Abbi Jacobson
4
Birthdate: February 1, 1984
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Wayne, Pennsylvania, USA
 33 
Riki Lindhome
(Actress)
Riki Lindhome
3
Birthdate: March 5, 1979
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Coudersport, Pennsylvania, USA
 34 
June Diane Raphael
(Actress)
June Diane Raphael
4
Birthdate: January 4, 1980
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Rockville Centre, Long Island, New York, USA
 35 
Olena Zelenska
(Ukrainian Screenwriter, Architect, and Political Figure)
Olena Zelenska
2
Birthdate: February 6, 1978
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine
 36 
Jackie Collins
(Novelist)
Jackie Collins
4
Birthdate: October 4, 1937
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: London, England, UK
Died: September 19, 2015
 37 
Nia Vardalos
(Best Known for Starring in & Writing the Romantic Comedy Film 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding')
Nia Vardalos
3
Birthdate: September 24, 1962
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Winnipeg, Canada

Nia Vardalos is a Canadian actress, filmmaker, and screenwriter. She is best known for her portrayal of Fotoula Toula Portokalos in the 2002 romantic comedy film My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which she also wrote. For her work in the film, Vardalos received several award nominations. Nia Vardalos is also part of the non-profit collaborative art project, 1 Second Film

 38 
Meaghan Oppenheimer
(Screenwriter)
Meaghan Oppenheimer
4
Birthdate: March 28, 1986
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Tulsa, Oklahoma

As an American movie and television screenwriter, Meaghan Oppenheimer has played an instrumental role in the success of many projects over the years. Some of her screenwriting credits include the 2015 drama film, We Are Your Friends, which became successful at the box office, and The Remains. Meaghan Oppenheimer has also appeared in a couple of films.

 39 
Jillian Bell
(Actress & Comedian Known for Her Role in the Sitcom 'Workaholics')
Jillian Bell
4
Birthdate: April 25, 1984
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Jillian Bell is best known for her performances as Jillian in the series Workaholics and Lorraine in the film Goosebumps. She was nominated for an Emmy for her writing work on Saturday Night Live. Fans also loved her in the films Godmothered and 22 Jump Street, and the sitcom Idiotsitter.
 40 
Caitlin McHugh
(Actress)
Caitlin McHugh
4
Birthdate: May 13, 1986
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Altadena, California, USA
 41 
Michelle Wolf
(Comedian)
Michelle Wolf
4
Birthdate: June 21, 1985
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Hershey, Pennsylvania, U.S.
 42 
Lena Waithe
(Screenwriter)
Lena Waithe
4
Birthdate: May 17, 1984
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
 43 
Lena Dunham
(Actress)
Lena Dunham
4
Birthdate: May 13, 1986
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New York City, U.S.
 44 
Emily V. Gordon
(Writer, Producer and Podcast Host Known for Her Film ‘The Big Sick’)
Emily V. Gordon
4
Birthdate: May 3, 1979
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States

Writer, producer, and podcast host, Emily V. Gordon, is best known for co-writing the romantic comedy film, The Big Sick. She has an MS/EdS in couples and family counseling from the University of North Carolina and practiced as a therapist for several years before beginning her writing career. She often collaborates with her husband, comic Kumail Nanjiani.

 45 
Jemima Khan
(Screenwriter)
Jemima Khan
4
Birthdate: January 30, 1974
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Chelsea, London, England
 46 
Emerald Fennell
(Actress)
Emerald Fennell
4
Birthdate: October 1, 1985
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Hammersmith, London, England, UK
 47 
Jennifer Westfeldt
(Actress Best Known For Her Role In 'Kissing Jessica Stein')
Jennifer Westfeldt
4
Birthdate: February 2, 1970
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Guilford, Connecticut, United States

Jennifer Westfeldt is an American screenwriter and actress best known for her work in the independent romantic comedy film, Kissing Jessica Stein, for which she received a Satellite Award. Also known for her work in theater, Jennifer Westfeldt received a Tony Award nomination in 2004 for her portrayal of Eileen Sherwood in the popular musical, Wonderful Town.

 48 
Pauline Chalamet
0
Birthdate: January 25, 1992
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
 49 
Rachel Ward
(Actress and Director)
Rachel Ward
3
Birthdate: September 12, 1957
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom

English-born Australian actress, director, and screenwriter, Rachel Ward, has been active in the entertainment industry for over 40 years. She attended the Byam Shaw School of Art in London for some time but quit midway to start her career as a model. Following a successful stint as a model, she began acting and screenwriting.

 50 
Sally Phillips
(English Actress, Television Presenter, and Comedian)
Sally Phillips
4
Birthdate: May 10, 1969
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Hong Kong