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Toni Graphia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Toni Graphia
Born (1960-05-11) May 11, 1960 (age 64)[1]
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
NationalityAmerican
EducationLouisiana State University (attended)
University of California, Santa Barbara (B.A.)
Occupation(s)Television producer and writer
Years active1989–present[2]
TelevisionChina Beach, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Battlestar Galactica

Toni Graphia (born May 11, 1960) is an American writer and television producer.

Early life and education

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Graphia was raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the daughter of Anthony J. "Tony" Graphia, a prominent 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

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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 promoted into a screenwriting role.[4][6][7] The two worked on additional 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 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]

Awards and honors

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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

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Graphia is based out of Los Angeles, and she 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

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  1. ^ Birth reference results at FamilySearch.org
  2. ^ a b 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. 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. ^ a b c d e f Swoboda, Ron (February 1, 1997). "The making of Orleans the series". New Orleans Magazine. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  5. ^ "LaBTA BOARD MEMBERS". labta.louisiana.gov. Louisiana Board of Tax Appeals. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Word Farm 2010: Word Farm Bios" (PDF). filmandmedia.ucsb.edu. University of California, Santa Barbara. January 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  7. ^ a b c "Scripting with Toni Graphia". gcu.ac.uk. Glasgow Caledonian University. May 20, 2014. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  8. ^ Collins, Monica (January 7, 1997). "Too hot to handle? - Hagman's spicy 'Orleans' premieres". Boston Herald. Boston. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  9. ^ McCabe, Bruce (January 5, 1997). "He's a 'good times' judge". The Boston Globe. Boston. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  10. ^ Bowles, Jennifer (January 8, 1997). "Hagman takes gamble as judge in 'Orleans'". Indiana Gazette. Vol. 93, no. 136. Indiana, Pennsylvania. p. 20. Retrieved March 17, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  11. ^ Bowles, Jennifer (January 8, 1997). "Hagman takes gamble as judge in 'Orleans'". Indiana Gazette. Vol. 93, no. 136. Indiana, Pennsylvania. p. 20. Retrieved March 17, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  12. ^ "Toni Graphia IMDB profile". imdb.com. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  13. ^ "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (SCI FI) 2005". peabody.uga.edu. Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Archived from the original on June 10, 2010 – via Wayback Machine.
  14. ^ Warn, Sarah (December 22, 2006). "Best. Lesbian. Year. Ever. 2006". afterellen.com. AfterEllen.com and TheBacklot.com. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  15. ^ Hernandez, Greg (February 23, 2006). "Gay TV writers share stage". Los Angeles Daily News. Los Angeles. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
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