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Home · Entertainment

Lena Waithe Pens Multi-Project Deal With Audible To Create Original Podcasts

The Emmy-award-winning screenwriter and actress is now stepping into audio production to tell original Black stories.
Lena Waithe Pens Multi-Project Deal With Audible To Create Original Podcasts
By Rivea Ruff · Updated October 11, 2021

Lena Waithe is continuing her takeover of Hollywood, this time dipping into the audio market. In a just-announced development deal, the screenwriter will be teaming up with Audible, Amazon’s premium audio storytelling service, via her company Hillman Grad Productions.  

Founded by Waithe and longtime collaborator Rishi Rajani, Hillman Grad Productions currently helms multiple episodic projects such as The Chi on Showtime, Twenties on BET and Them on Amazon Prime. 

Lena Waithe Pens Multi-Project Deal With Audible To Create Original Podcasts
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 09: Lena Waithe attends the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 09, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic)

Waithe’s first podcast project under the Audible deal will be an original scripted comedy audio series inspired by the life of actress and comedienne Kym Whitley. Currently in production, Kym stars and is executive produced by Whitley herself and will feature stories and anecdotes from her personal life as she navigates motherhood and her Hollywood career. 

If you’ll recall, Whitley portrayed Waithe’s loving aunt Joyce on her award-winning ‘Thanksgiving’ episode of Master of None. 

Lena Waithe Pens Multi-Project Deal With Audible To Create Original Podcasts
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – AUGUST 06: Actress Kym Whitley poses backstage during the ​Black Women OWN the Conversation at Piedmont Park Greystone on August 06, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

“We’re so excited to be expanding into the podcast space in collaboration with Audible and continuing our mission to tell human stories,” shared Waithe and Rajani in a joint statement to Variety. “We are really grateful to Kym, for sharing not only her story but her signature voice with us. Kym Whitley has always been one of the funniest women in the business, and we’re so glad she’s finally going to take center stage!”

In addition to the new podcast deal, Waithe’s Hillman Grad company is in development on new productions at BET; a dramedy series at the BET plus streaming platform entitled Birth of Cool and a new aftershow for Season 2 of Twenties, hosted by popular media personality B. Scott.

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