Katja Blichfeld (born 1979) is an American writer, director, producer and casting director. She is known for co-creating and directing High Maintenance, a Vimeo web series and HBO television series. She won a Primetime Emmy award for Outstanding Casting on a Comedy Series for her work on 30 Rock.[1]
Katja Blichfeld | |
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| Born | Long Beach, CA, U.S. |
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Early life and education
editBlichfeld was born in Long Beach, California in 1979. She was raised as an evangelical Christian and attended Christian schools until graduating.[1] Her parents are first-generation immigrants from Denmark, who moved to the United States in 1970.[2]
Blichfeld was briefly enrolled in Long Beach City College before dropping out and moving to Chicago.[1] In 2004, she moved to New York to pursue a career in casting.[3]
Career
editWhen Blichfeld was nine years old she wrote, filmed, and starred in a short film about the dangers of marijuana.[4]
In 2005, Blichfield began her casting career on Comedy Central's Roast of Jeff Foxworthy as an assistant. The next year, she worked as a casting associate on the mystery-thriller Freedomland.[5] In 2010, she transitioned from film to TV by joining Jennifer McNamara as a casting director for NBC’s 30 Rock.[1] She won an Emmy in 2013 and was nominated for two more in 2010 and 2011 for her work on 30 Rock.[6]
Blichfeld is the co-creator and director of the Vimeo and HBO television series High Maintenance. Blichfeld and her co-creator, Ben Sinclair, initially started the show as a passion project.[7] The pair were the sole writers for 18 of the 19 webisodes, which they produced for less than $1,000 apiece before it was picked up by HBO.[4] Prior to meeting Sinclair, Blichfeld had never professionally written or directed.[3]
Personal life
editIn 2009, Blichfeld met aspiring actor Ben Sinclair at a barbecue in Los Angeles.[8] They began writing together only days after becoming a couple and moved in together in the span of months.[2] In 2010, the pair married.[4] While on a bike ride across the Williamsburg Bridge in New York City, the couple devised the idea for High Maintenance.[2] They launched the show together in 2012.
The couple separated in 2016 following Blichfeld's admission of infidelity with a woman.[2] Their divorce was finalised prior to the commencement of season two of High Maintenance.[4] The pair continued to collaborate on three more seasons of High Maintenance, until the 2021 announcement of the show's indefinite hiatus.[9]
At 37, Blichfeld came out as a lesbian and began to openly date women.[1]
Blichfeld has been open about her struggles with anxiety and depression. A few years into High Maintenance's production, Blichfeld sought therapy and began taking antidepressants.[2] Following her coming out, Blichfeld’s struggles with anxiety began to subside. She no longer takes antidepressants, but still regularly goes to therapy.[2]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Media |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Comedy Central Roast of Jeff Foxworthy | Casting Assistant | TV Special |
| 2006 | Freedomland | Casting Associate | Movie |
| 2007 | Conviction | Casting Associate | TV Series |
| 2008 | Kath & Kim | Casting Coordinator | TV Series |
| 2009 | Warehouse 13 | Casting Department | TV Episode |
| 2010–2013 | 30 Rock | Casting Director | TV Series |
| 2012–2020 | High Maintenance | Creator, Writer, Director, Producer | Web Show/TV Series |
| 2015 | Nasty Baby | Casting Director | Movie |
Awards and nominations
editAt the 2010 Primetime Emmy Awards, Blichfeld was nominated alongside Jennifer McNamara for Outstanding Casting For A Comedy Series for their work on 30 Rock. They were nominated for the same award in 2011 before finally winning in the same category in 2013.[6]
Blichfeld was awarded Stareable Fest's inaugural Creator Achievement Award in 2020 for creating High Maintenance.[10]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Gould, Emily (January 2018). "Katja Blichfeld Gets What She Wants". New York. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f Blichfeld, Katja; Mechling, Lauren (11 January 2018). "How Coming Out Made Me Whole: High Maintenance's Katja Blichfeld Tells Her Story". Vogue.
- ^ a b "Gossamer | Katja Blichfeld". Gossamer. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
- ^ a b c d Frank, Priscilla (February 23, 2018). "How Katja Blichfeld Went from Anxious 'Super Christian' to Queer Stoner Icon". Huffington Post. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
- ^ "Katja Blichfeld | Director, Writer, Producer". IMDb. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
- ^ a b "30 Rock". Television Academy. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
- ^ "High Maintenance Turns 10: An Oral History of the HBO Dramedy". 2022-11-10. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
- ^ Sonia, Saraiya (2019-01-18). "As Season 3 Debuts, High Maintenance Contends with the Harshest Buzzkill of All: Success". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
- ^ Petski, Denise (2021-01-15). "'High Maintenance' Not Returning For Season 5 At HBO". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
- ^ Stareable. "Katja Blichfeld Honored with Inaugural Creator Achievement Award at Stareable Fest 2020 and Well-Known Industry Speakers Officially Announced". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
External links
edit- Katja Blichfeld at IMDb
- Katja Blichfeld – Tumblr blog