Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Fox.
Hi Amy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I’ve always been fascinated by the psychology of people. As a kid, this curiosity led me to creative writing and theater. I played Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker in high school, but I was soon to discover that was the pinnacle of my acting career. In college, I realized I was more interested in writing characters’ stories than performing them. I began writing plays and was fortunate to find two incredible mentors, Connie Congdon and Len Berkman. But it was also in college that I encountered my first roadblock. I developed severe tendonitis that made it nearly impossible to type or write by hand. With the help of physical therapy and early voice dictation software, I kept writing scripts.
I moved to New York in my early 20s to get involved with theaters that were developing new work. I worked as a personal assistant and babysitter to pay the bills and eventually started teaching writing. My plays began to be produced off-Broadway and Merchant Ivory Productions approached me with an opportunity to adapt my play, Heights, into a feature film. The film premiered at Sundance and starred Elizabeth Banks, James Marsden, and Glenn Close. I began teaching screenwriting full-time at NYU’s Graduate Film School and started a family. My next film was Equity, a financial thriller about women on Wall Street, starring Anna Gunn. That project inspired me to continue writing about the challenges women face in male-dominated spaces.
While I was working in film and theater, TV was becoming an increasingly dynamic place for storytellers. I made the transition to writing for television in 2019 when I joined the writer’s room of ABC’s The Conners. Most of my previous scripts had been drama or dramedy, but now I was working with a team of hilarious comedy writers. I loved trading jokes with them and watching audiences laugh during our live tapings. Unfortunately, the pandemic put those tapings on hold, but I continued in the writer’s room over Zoom for 2 more seasons and became a Co-Producer.
These days I’m calling on my diverse range of experience to develop new projects in comedy, psychological thriller, and kids’ television. I’m also continuing to teach and coach writers of all levels, and I’m particularly passionate about increasing opportunities for women and writers from underrepresented backgrounds.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve encountered many challenges on my career journey. When I was 19 years old and was diagnosed with tendonitis in both wrists, both typing and writing longhand triggered my symptoms. My occupational therapist said, “you better pick a career that doesn’t involve writing!”Luckily I was too stubborn to listen to her, and I found a way to get my ideas on paper. But the symptoms never fully healed and I’ve struggled with chronic pain and physical limitation since college. I still do much of my writing with voice software.
A career in the entertainment industry is exciting but always comes with financial risk and uncertainty. You can be wearing a fabulous dress at your movie premiere one day, and babysitting to pay bills the next. There are ups and downs, and moments when you wonder where the next opportunity will come from. I try to stay grounded and not get too invested in the roller coaster of success. And I always keep writing, even between jobs.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m endlessly curious about people and why they behave the way they do, and all my writing comes from that curiosity. I write character-driven stories that range from comedies to thrillers. But whether I’m making you laugh or creeping you out, I want you to fall in love with the characters the way I have. I’m known for creating “authenticity,” stories that feel relatable and honest. I’m particularly proud of the script for my film Equity because I loved creating a gripping financial thriller while examining hard truths about the sexism women face in the workplace.
I still hear from women in a range of careers who watch that film and feel seen and empowered by it. I’m proud of my work on The Conners because it feels great to know you are making people around the country laugh, especially during a challenging time like the pandemic. In my latest script, I wanted to explore the psychological aftermath of the isolation caused by the pandemic. And I found a way to do that by bringing the audience into a juicy and suspenseful Gen-X dinner party.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
Watch my films! Staff me in your writer’s room! Take one of my writing classes! I don’t believe in writing “for myself,” that’s keeping a journal. I write to connect to an audience and open a dialogue.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.amyfox.net
- Twitter: @Amylaurenfox
Image Credits
Zachary Veilleux
