On Monday, May 15th, at New York City's famed Beacon Theater, Emmy Award-winning comedy writer and BA in Humanities grad Lauren Greenberg ‘06 addressed the NYU SPS Undergraduate Class of 2023 after being awarded the NYU SPS Distinguished Alumni Award. Greenberg recently wrapped up work on the final season of The Late Late Show with James Cordon, for which she received an Emmy in 2019 for her work on the show's Paul McCartney Carpool Karaoke special.
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Greenberg chose NYU because of its location. "I knew from a very young age that I wanted to live in New York City, and out of all the schools in New York, NYU seemed like the best fit for my interests and goals. I also loved the show, Felicity," confesses Greenberg, "which centered on characters attending a fictional university based on NYU. I hoped my life would have the same kind of sexy drama I saw on that series—shockingly, I never had any steamy love triangles my entire time as an undergrad.”
At Convocation, Greenberg shared her journey to becoming a television writer with the graduating class. "I almost gave up on my dreams several times along the way," she notes. "I hope the message that comes through is the value of having a career worth fighting for," says Greenberg, a message underscored by her fight as a Writers Guild of America member, in their recent struggle to win respect and recognition for their contributions to the entertainment industry.
When asked about her early transition from the classroom to comedy, Greenberg adds, "A big part of comedy is about taking risks—so in that respect, the transition was pretty seamless since much of my time in the classroom was spent workshopping ideas and being incredibly vulnerable with the work I shared. My time at NYU challenged me to believe in myself and the work I was presenting, which absolutely helped me transition to life as a comedy writer."
With the final episode of The Late Late Show having aired on April 27th, the Emmy Award-winning writer looks forward to expanding her career in different directions, exploring new opportunities, and having more time to focus on narrative projects.