Toni Graphia

Toni Graphia
Born (1960-05-11) May 11, 1960[1]
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
Residence Los Angeles, California, United States
Nationality American
Education Louisiana State University (attended)
University of California, Santa Barbara (B.A.)
Occupation Television producer and writer
Years active 1989–present[2]
Home town Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
Television China Beach, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Battlestar Galactica

Toni Graphia (born 1960) is an American television producer and writer.

Early life and education

Graphia was raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the daughter of Anthony J. "Tony" Graphia, a prominent Louisiana judge and current Chairman of the Louisiana Board of Tax Appeals.[3][4][5] She attended Woodlawn High School before going to college.[4]

Graphia attended Louisiana State University for two years as an English major before moving west.[6] She enrolled at the University of California, Santa Barbara and graduated with a B.A. in communications.[6] She also studied journalism at Santa Barbara City College.[6]

Career

Graphia got her start as part of a Writers Guild of America apprenticeship program where she "...went from opening fan mail to selling scripts in just a few years..."[2] Her first work was as a researcher on the television series China Beach, where she met co-creator John Sacret Young, and was eventually promoted into a screenwriting role.[4][6][7] The two would work on further projects together, including Quantum Leap, Cop Rock, and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.[4]

Through her history with Young, Graphia created, produced, and wrote Orleans with him, which aired on CBS in 1997.[4] The show was based on Graphia's family and life growing up in New Orleans, with the character Judge Luther Charbonnet, played by Larry Hagman, modeled after her father.[4][8][9][10] Hagman was the first actor that Graphia thought about after creating the role of Charbonnet.[11]

Subsequent projects saw her produce and/or write for Roswell, Carnivàle, Battlestar Galactica, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Mercy, Alcatraz, Grey's Anatomy, and Outlander.[6][12]

Honors and awards

Graphia's work as screenwriter and producer was cited when R&D TV, in association with NBC Universal Television Studios, won the 2005 Peabody Award for the 2005 season of Battlestar Galactica, noting "...plotlines that are deeply personal and relatable, while never compromising their affinity and passion for science fiction."[13]

Personal life

Graphia is based out of Los Angeles, California and has been openly lesbian since February 2006 after coming out in a "public way" at a Writers Guild of America panel.[7][14][15]

Graphia has taught classes at her alma mater, the University of California, Santa Barbara, as well as at the University of Southern California, University of California, Los Angeles, and Emerson College.[6][7]

References

  1. ↑ Birth reference results at FamilySearch.org
  2. 1 2 Bernstein, Sharon (February 18, 1990). "The Women of TV's Vietnam : Females on front lines of 'Tour of Duty' and 'China Beach' wage battle against male-dominated network TV". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  3. ↑ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (October 14, 2003). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present. New York City: Ballantine Books. p. 892. ISBN 9780345455420.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Swoboda, Ron (February 1, 1997). "The making of Orleans the series". New Orleans Magazine. Retrieved March 16, 2015 – via HighBeam Research. (subscription required (help)).
  5. ↑ "LaBTA BOARD MEMBERS". http://labta.louisiana.gov. Louisiana Board of Tax Appeals. Retrieved March 16, 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Word Farm 2010: Word Farm Bios" (PDF). http://www.filmandmedia.ucsb.edu. University of California, Santa Barbara. January 2010. Retrieved March 16, 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  7. 1 2 3 "Scripting with Toni Graphia". http://www.gcu.ac.uk. Glasgow Caledonian University. May 20, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  8. ↑ Collins, Monica (January 7, 1997). "Too hot to handle? - Hagman's spicy 'Orleans' premieres". Boston Herald. Boston, Massachusetts. Retrieved March 16, 2015 – via HighBeam Research. (subscription required (help)).
  9. ↑ McCabe, Bruce (January 5, 1997). "He's a 'good times' judge". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. Retrieved March 16, 2015 – via HighBeam Research. (subscription required (help)).
  10. ↑ Bowles, Jennifer (January 8, 1997). "Hagman takes gamble as judge in 'Orleans'". Indiana Gazette. 93 (136). Indiana, Pennsylvania. p. 20. Retrieved March 17, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ Bowles, Jennifer (January 8, 1997). "Hagman takes gamble as judge in 'Orleans'". Indiana Gazette. 93 (136). Indiana, Pennsylvania. p. 20. Retrieved March 17, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Toni Graphia IMDB profile". http://www.imdb.com. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved March 17, 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  13. ↑ "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (SCI FI) 2005". http://www.peabody.uga.edu. Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Archived from the original on June 10, 2010 – via Wayback Machine. External link in |website= (help)
  14. ↑ Warn, Sarah (December 22, 2006). "Best. Lesbian. Year. Ever. 2006". http://www.afterellen.com. AfterEllen.com and TheBacklot.com. Retrieved March 16, 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  15. ↑ Hernandez, Greg (February 23, 2006). "Gay TV writers share stage". Los Angeles Daily News. Los Angeles, California. Retrieved March 16, 2015 – via HighBeam Research. (subscription required (help)).
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