Jenji Kohan

Jenji Leslie Kohan (born July 5, 1969) is an American television writer and producer. She is best known as the creator and showrunner of the Showtime comedy-drama series Weeds and the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black. She has received nine Emmy Award nominations, winning one as supervising producer of the comedy series Tracey Takes On....

Early life Kohan was born to a Jewish family in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Rhea Kohan and Alan W. "Buz" Kohan. She is the youngest of three siblings; the other two are twins Jono and David. Much of the family is in show business: Father Buz is an Emmy Award-winning television writer and producer, as well as a music composer. Kohan says that her father was the "king of variety television in his day," writing and producing the Oscars and other variety shows. Brother David is an Emmy Award-winning television producer. Kohan's paternal grandparents were Charles Kohan, who was born in Romania in 1902, and May E. Charles, who was born in New York City, to parents from Russia.

Kohan grew up in Beverly Hills, California

Career

Kohan's first job in the industry was with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, of which Kohan wrote one episode, and later said was a "rough entrance" to the business.

Orange Is the New Black Kohan created the Netflix comedy drama Orange Is the New Black, an adaptation that was inspired by Piper Kerman's memoir Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison about her experiences in a minimum-security women's prison. Kohan's executive producing duties as showrunner and head writer consists of running the writer's room, which is located at her writing studio, Tilted Productions, in Los Angeles, California. Principal photography takes place in New York.

Netflix, as a streaming service distribution model of TV and movie content, is unique in that it does not provide ratings information, so Kohan does not know exact ratings for Orange Is the New Black, which has been characterized as the most watched original series on Netflix, in a new distribution model where binge viewing is enabled by full seasons of shows being made available at once.

Other projects

Producing Kohan has an overall deal with Netflix. She served as Executive Producer on the Netflix series Teenage Bounty Hunters and The Decameron.

Hayworth Theatre Kohan owns the historic Hayworth Theatre in Los Angeles. One floor is used for production and two for postproduction. She plans on turning the auditorium into a venue for performances.

Personal life Kohan has three children. The oldest was her son Charlie, who died in a skiing accident on December 31, 2019; the middle child is her daughter Eliza, and the youngest is her son Oscar. Kohan and her family are practicing Jews of the Reform denomination. Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Orange is the New Black Outstanding Drama Series Orange is the New Black

Producers Guild of America Awards Year Category Series Result Best Episodic ComedyWeeds Best Episodic ComedyWeeds Best Episodic ComedyWeeds Best Episodic ComedyOrange is the New Black Best Episodic ComedyGLOW