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..
Jenji Kohan

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- Name
- Jenji Kohan
- Birth Name
- Jenji Leslie Kohan
- Born
- 5 July 1969
- Birthplace
- Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- Occupation
- Television writer, producer
- Nationality
- United States
- Fields
- television
- Education
- Columbia University · Beverly Hills High School
- Honours
- Writers Guild of America Award · Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety and Music or Comedy Series · John Jay Award
- Languages
- English
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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..
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Jenji Kohan (born 1969) is an American actor, actress and film director, among other activities. The actor was born in New York City.
Jenji Kohan studied at Beverly Hills High School and Columbia University. The actor lived in Los Feliz. Jenji Kohan is active in television.
Languages used include English. The actor received John Jay Award and Writers Guild of America Award.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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wikidata · Q846557 · wikipedia · Jenji Kohan
In this article
Biography
Biography
Jenji Kohan studied at Columbia University and Beverly Hills High School. The recorded working language is English. The field of work recorded is television. Residence is recorded at Los Feliz. Distinctions recorded are Writers Guild of America Award, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series and John Jay Award.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Jenji Kohan • Birth Name — Jenji Leslie Kohan • Born — 5 July 1969 • Birthplace — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Alma Mater — Columbia University • Occupation — Television writer, producer • Years Active — 1994–present • Children — 3 • Parents — Buz Kohan Rhea Kohan • Relatives — David Kohan (brother) Jono Kohan (brother)
Early life
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. • Mother Rhea is a television writer, novelist, and occasional actress. • 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. The two knew each other from childhood and grew up in a New York City settlement house on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Kohan grew up in Beverly Hills, California and graduated from Beverly Hills High School, in 1987. She first attended Brandeis University, then transferred to Columbia University as a sophomore, where she graduated, with a degree in English language and literature, in 1991.
Career
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. After a series of writing jobs on shows such as Mad About You, Tracey Takes On..., and Friends, she collaborated with her brother, David Kohan, writing an outside script for Will & Grace. The siblings also worked together on the sitcom The Stones for CBS, which was ultimately unsuccessful. She has discussed the differences between her and her brother's career saying, "David took the big, commercial, funny route; I was always a little darker personally, and not terrific within the system. I had to make my own way."
Weeds
Weeds
Kohan was the creator of the Showtime dark comedy-drama television series Weeds, which she executive produced as showrunner and head writer at her writing studio, Tilted Productions, in Los Angeles, California throughout its entire eight season airing.
Orange Is the New Black
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.
Producing
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
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
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. They live in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. Kohan and her family are practicing Jews of the Reform denomination.
Television
Television
Numbers in writing and producing credits refer to number of episodes. • Year — Title — Credited as — Notes • Creator — Writer — Producer • 1994 — The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air — (1) — Episode: "Stop Will! In the Name of Love" • Friends — (1) — Episode: "The One Where Underdog Gets Away"; uncredited • 1995 — First Time Out — (1) — Episode: "The Sale Show" • 1996 — Boston Common — (1) — Episode: "Relationship of Fools" • 1996–1999 — Tracey Takes On... — (37) — (47) — Also supervising producer, 2 episodes • 1996–1997 — Mad About You — (3) Story (1) — (24) • 1998 — Sex and the City — Story (1) — Episode: "The Power of Female Sex" • 2000 — Gilmore Girls — (1) — (12) — Writer, episode: "Kiss and Tell" • 2002 — My Adventures in Television — (1) — Supervising (1) • Will & Grace — (1) — Episode: "Fagel Attraction" • 2004 — The Stones — (2) — Executive • 2005–2012 — Weeds — (21) — Executive — Also showrunner • 2013–2019 — Orange Is the New Black — (14) — Executive — Also showrunner • 2017–2020 — GLOW — (1) — Executive — Writer, episode: "This is One of Those Moments" • 2019 — American Princess — Executive • 2020 — Teenage Bounty Hunters — (1) — Executive — Writer, episode: "Our Ham is Good" • Social Distance — Executive • 2021 — Worn Stories — Executive — Docuseries • 2024 — The Decameron — Executive
Unsold TV pilots
Unsold TV pilots
• Year — Title — Credited as • Creator — Writer — Executive Producer • 2002 — My Wonderful Life • 2007 — Me & Lee? • 2009 — Ronna & Beverly • 2010 — Tough Trade • 2015 — The Devil You Know
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1969
Jenji Kohan born at New York City.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Los Feliz
Residences
New York City.
Birth place
Awards and nominations
• Primetime Emmy Awards • Year — Category — Series — Result — Ref. References • 1996 — Outstanding Variety Series — Tracey Takes On... • Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series — Tracey Takes On... • 1997 — Outstanding Comedy Series — Mad About You • Outstanding Variety Series — Tracey Takes On... • Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series — Tracey Takes On... • 1999 — Outstanding Variety Series — Tracey Takes On... • 2009 — Outstanding Comedy Series — Weeds • 2014 — Outstanding Comedy Series — Orange is the New Black • Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series — Orange is the New Black • 2015 — Outstanding Drama Series — Orange is the New Black • Producers Guild of America Awards • Year — Category — Series — Result — Ref. References • 2006 — Best Episodic Comedy — Weeds • 2008 — Best Episodic Comedy — Weeds • 2009 — Best Episodic Comedy — Weeds • 2014 — Best Episodic Comedy — Orange is the New Black • 2018 — Best Episodic Comedy — GLOW
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Rose, Lacey. 'Orange' Showrunner Jenji Kohan on Hollywood's Pay Inequality, 'F--- You' Money and Her 'Friends' Regrets. The Hollywood Reporter. 6 August 2014.
- 2.Dekel, Jonathan. Q&A: Jenji Kohan on nudity, racism and homosexuality in Orange is the New Black. Canada.com. Postmedia Network Inc. 15 July 2013.
- 3.Berrin, Danielle. Jenji Kohan: Smoking the Stereotypes. JewishJournal.com. 20 May 2009.
- 4.Martinson, Connie. Connie Martinson Talks Books: Rhea Kohan interview. The Drucker Institute. Claremont Colleges Digital Library. 14 July 1981.
- 5.Berrin, Danielle. Rhea Kohan: No one spits in her kids' Kasha. Jewish Journal. 3 May 2011.
- 6.Aushenker, Michael. Queen of Laughter: Rhea Kohan reigns as mistress of ceremonies at Jewish functions in Los Angeles. Jewish Journal. 27 March 2003.
- 7.Buz Kohan Biography (1933-). Film Reference.
- 8.Rhea Kohan biography. IMDb.
- 9.Berrin, Danielle. Smoking the Stereotypes: 'Weeds' creator Jenji Kohan delights in tipping over Judaism's sacred cows. Jewish Journal. 20 May 2009.
- 10.Kustanowitz, Esther. 'Weeds' Creator, 'Tara' Producer, and the Hebrew Mamita Take on Images of Jewish Women in Media. Beliefnet. April 2009.
- 11.Emmy TV Legends Interview: "Buz Kohan on how he got his nickname" retrieved October 10, 2015
- 12.Martineau, Kim. Alumni Profiles: Jenji Kohan '91 Finds Humor and Truth In Life's Darker Moments. Columbia College Today. Spring 2014.
- 13.NPR. 'Weeds' Creator Delivent Product. Fresh Air. 16 June 2008.
- 14.Goldberg, Lesley. Jenji Kohan, Mary-Louise Parker Say Farewell to 'Weeds'. The Hollywood Reporter. 14 September 2012.
- 15.Gross, Terry. 'Orange' Creator Jenji Kohan: 'Piper Was My Trojan Horse'. Fresh Air. NPR. 13 August 2013.
- 16.Gross, Terry. Behind 'The New Black': The Real Piper's Prison Story. Fresh Air. NPR. 12 August 2013.
- 17.Fienberg, Daniel. Interview: 'Orange Is The New Black' creator Jenji Kohan talks prison, Netflix and Jodie Foster. HitFix. 10 July 2013.
- 18.Wilson, Stacey. Comedy Showrunners Roundtable: Chuck Lorre, Jenji Kohan, Mike Judge on Ejaculation Shots, Awful Pitch Meetings and Salary Negotiations. The Hollywood Reporter. 4 June 2014.
- 19.Fienberg, Daniel. 11 Things We Learned From the 'Orange Is The New Black' PaleyFest Panel. HitFix. 15 March 2014.
- 20.Lewis, Hilary. 'Orange Is the New Black' Creator Jenji Kohan: Netflix 'Cryptic' About Show's Popularity. The Hollywood Reporter. 27 December 2013.
- 21.Andreeva, Nellie. Jenji Kohan Inks Overall Deal With Netflix. Deadline. 2017-11-17.
- 22.Andreeva, Nellie. The Decameron: Netflix Orders 14th Century Soapy Drama from Kathleen Jordan & Jenji Kohan. Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. August 18, 2022.
- 23.Barragan, Bianca. HBO Writers Moving Into Westlake's Historic Hayworth Theatre. Curbed (L.A.). 13 March 2014.
- 24.Nussbaum, Emily. Jenji Kohan's Hot Provocations. The New Yorker.
- 25.Chavez, Nicole. 'Orange Is the New Black' creator Jenji Kohan says her late son was her 'best work'. CNN. 5 January 2020.
- 26.David, Mark. Weeds Creator Jenji Kohan Gets a New Nest. Variety. 23 February 2009.
- 27.Television Academy. Orange Is The New Black.
- 28.Tapley, Kristopher. 'Gone Girl,' 'Nightcrawler,' 'Whiplash' score PGA. HitFix. January 5, 2015.
References
Citations
References
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reference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q846557: Jenji KohanWikimedia Foundation
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Jenji Kohan received Writers Guild of America Award, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series and John Jay Award. Recorded as film director, television producer, manufacturer, showrunner and television writer.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 15 August 2026.
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