Meet Lauren Bridges | Comedy TV Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauren Bridges and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauren, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Ever since I was a little kid growing up in suburban Philadelphia, I’ve loved reciting lines from my favorite shows and movies. At first it was just Mary Kate & Ashley movies, but thankfully, I’ve evolved. As I evolved, I learned that there were some lucky people out there whose job it was to write those lines that I loved reciting so much. Now, I’m one of those people. I love writing because it’s therapeutic. It gives me an outlet to express myself and make sense of my thoughts, experiences, and feelings. I can’t imagine how lost I’d feel if I had to keep all of that bottled up inside me. Also, it’s fun. As a comedy television writer, I get to sit in a room with a group of smart, hilarious people, and create story lines and jokes for people out there to enjoy. As a black female who grew up mostly watching shows without people who looked like me, I aim to write shows that feature underrepresented groups, so that whoever is watching can recite lines from it so often that their older sisters yell at them to stop, just like mine did.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a black woman who grew up in a predominantly white suburb and later joined a Jewish sorority in college, I know what it’s like to be the “token.” What I’m most proud of is how I was able to use my life experience to write a pilot script literally entitled “Token.” With the help of this script, I was able to get a manager, agents, get accepted as one of two comedy writers from a pool of over 2,500 applicants for the Warner Brothers Writers Workshop, get my first writing job as a Staff Writer on Call Me Kat (Fox), and now, my second writing job as a Story Editor on Ghosts (CBS).

For many years, I was an assistant – to agents, directors, producers, and showrunners – and it was during that time I discovered that writing is my true passion. Being an assistant was extremely challenging at times. During one assistant job, I was so exhausted and defeated by my boss that I would often cry to and from work. But I kept working hard, developed thick skin, and luckily, found a way to pursue writing.

Writing has brought its own challenges, but each challenge has brought a lesson. I know now how important it is to find friends and colleagues I can trust to give me notes on my writing, and to write as often as possible, so that I can always improve. I have also learned that I’m not going to get every job I go out for and that’s okay – it’s not always personal. As a television writer, there will naturally be periods when I’m not employed, but that’s also okay, because I can use that time to write something new and go home to the east coast to see my family and friends.

My goal is to one day be the creator and showrunner of an awesome comedy television show. Whether that be Token or something new I write down the line, I love telling stories about the odd person out, since that’s who I’ve always been.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite thing to do while exploring a new city anywhere in the world is to walk around. While that’s an unpopular activity in LA, I believe even here, that’s the best way to learn the feel of the city, and see the differences between all the distinct neighborhoods. I’d take her on a walk down Abbott Kinney, Main street in Santa Monica, Melrose in West Hollywood, Hillhurst and Vermont in Los Feliz, Sunset in Silver Lake, and Larchmont Blvd in Hancock Park. I’d also take her on a hike to Runyon Canyon so she can see every LA stereotype, and Temescal Canyon because who doesn’t want to look out onto the ocean? Given she lives in New York and is quick to criticize LA for its “lack of culture,” I’d take her to The Broad and MoCa. We’d also need to spend time at the beach. I’d like to drive down Sunset through the Palisades and sit on the beach in Malibu. On a different day, I’d also want to take her paddle boarding in the Marina, and if we really want to treat ourselves, I’d head down to Terranea for a massage at their ridiculously amazing spa.

Additionally, I’d take her to these places:

To Eat:
Republique
Flake
Waterfront Venice
Cafe Stella
Marvin
Sunset Tower
Katsu-ya
Rose Cafe

To Drink:
Silverlake Wines
Bar Covell
Employees Only
Hotel Erwin at sunset
The Spare Room
Malibu Wines

To Dance:
Davey Wayne’s
The Dime
Tenants of the Trees
The Friend

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to thank my parents, sisters, friends, and boyfriend for always supporting me, encouraging me, reading my scripts, telling me when I’m funny, and more importantly, when I’m not. (Which is never, in my opinion). I’m so lucky to have you all.

I also want to thank the Warner Brothers Writers Workshop, my manager, and my agents, for helping me make a living off my passion.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/londonbridges___/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-bridges-8541ba64/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauren.samantha.54/

Other: THE GIRLS OF GAMMA DELTA – https://vimeo.com/channels/1365903

Image Credits
photo credit for “A Sincere Apology from a Vaccinated Influencer” – Photograph by Fermin Rodriguez / NurPhoto / Getty