How Lena Waithe Is Taking Her Power Back From the Entertainment Industry

Having created a long-running, hit series like The Chi, earned an Emmy for her work writing on Master of None, and written/produced buzzy blockbusters like Queen & Slim, among many other projects, Lena Waithe has just about conquered Hollywood. Now, she has her sights set on Broadway.

On this week's episode of the Marie Claire podcast "Nice Talk," Waithe speaks candidly about how the shifting entertainment industry landscape can make creators feel "powerless" and how she's trying to take control of that by turning her talents to theater.

"I think a lot of us feel powerless right now in our industry," says the writer, producer, and actor who recently launched the "Legacy Talk" podcast with Lemonada Media. "I feel so bad for a lot of creatives who are trying to sell projects...with these streamers and these mergers, no one can get anything across the finish line."

"What I'm doing is trying to take my power back," Waithe continues, noting that she's doing so by writing a play.

The star explains on "Nice Talk" what a positive experience she's had in the theater world thus far, having previously produced Ain't No Mo', for which she received a Tony nomination for Best Play in 2023. She says, "What has brought me back to life is talking to these folks in theater and working with them. They will embrace anyone with open arms, like, 'Come on. This is for all of us.'"

"[Theater] is always exciting, but it's even more exciting now," Waithe adds. "You don't need a studio exec to say yes. There's playhouses all over the country, actors wanting to be challenged, and audiences looking for something that they can feel."

The writer/producer also shares that what she loves about theater is that, while there isn't as much money as film and TV, it's "such a gift" because the performers and audience can experience something together in real time. "I think if you put something on stage that gets enough buzz, you could write the next Hamilton," says the founder of the production company Hillman Grad.

"I'm not running away from Hollywood," Waithe says. "I'm still very much making TV shows and working on movies and things like that, but the theater world has brought me back to life in a way that has been so amazing."

On this week's installment of "Nice Talk," Waithe also opens up about what it was like creating her first TV series, The Chi, speaking to icons from Black TV shows and cinema on her new podcast "Legacy Talk," uplifting others in her field, and more. The episode is out now wherever you listen to podcasts.