LOS ANGELES, CA – In a meaningful move for representation behind the camera, Salli Richardson-Whitfield has signed a new two-year overall deal with HBO and HBO Max, world-today-news.com has learned. The extension solidifies her position as a leading director and executive producer,building on a career that has already broken barriers in the television industry.

The deal, finalized on november 21, 2023, will see Richardson-Whitfield continuing to develop and executive produce exclusive content for both platforms.She initially signed her first overall deal with HBO in 2020, quickly becoming a key creative force.

Richardson-Whitfield made history in 2022 when she became the first Black woman nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series at the Primetime Emmy Awards for her work on HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. The series,chronicling the iconic 1980s Lakers,garnered critical acclaim and further highlighted her directorial talent. She also served as an executive producer and director on the critically acclaimed period drama, The Gilded Age, which recently concluded its third season on November 26, 2023.

Her contributions to the Gilded Age were also recognized with a 2024 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama series. In the same year, she received two Gracie Awards for her work on both Winning Time and The Gilded Age, cementing her status as a multi-award-winning director. She is currently in pre-production on Task, a new drama series from creator Brad Ingelsby starring Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey, slated for a late 2024 release.

Richardson-Whitfield’s transition to directing was heavily influenced by Ava DuVernay, and she began her directorial journey with episodes of OWN’s Queen Sugar in 2018. Her directing credits now include episodes of Hulu’s Reprisal (filmed in New Orleans, Louisiana), Apple’s See (shot in Vancouver, British Columbia), Netflix’s Dear White People, Marvel’s The Punisher, and Netflix’s Altered Carbon, as well as Starz’ American Gods. She has directed a total of 32 episodes across 11 different television series.

Prior to her directorial success, Richardson-Whitfield enjoyed a prolific acting career, appearing in over 20 films including The Great White Hype (1996), Antwone Fisher (2002), and I Am Legend (2007). Her television roles included appearances in Eureka, Family Law, and Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom. She is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield is represented by More/Medavoy Management (Los Angeles),Kaplan-Stahler Agency (New York),and Innovative Artists (Los Angeles).