Episode 29: Episode 29 Writers as Vaults of Information: A conversation with writer and producer Vera Herbert.

Acting: Conversations on Craft

One of the things I love about doing this podcast is the opportunity it gives me to talk to experts in the field. This episode, again, did not disappoint. It was such a pleasure to talk to four-time Emmy nominated writer, Vera Herbert, who is best known for her work on THIS IS US. Vera had advice for both writers who want to break into the field and for actors. She said that it’s always a good idea for writers to get a chance to act, even just one line. She says it gives them an understanding of everything that the actors have to juggle while on set. Conversely, she feels it is important for actors to consider the writer’s role. She said it was important for actors to consider the whole of the script or the whole of the story. Actors need to trust that the writers know what they are doing. According to Vera, it is important to know more about everyone else’s job. Why? Because, “it enables you to be more empathetic and more collaborative” and, ultimately will lead to a better project. Vera is a four-time Emmy-nominated writer and producer, most recently known for her work on THIS IS US. She won the 2017 Writers Guild Award for Outstanding Writing for Episodic Drama for her THIS IS US episode “The Trip” and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series for her episode “Still Here” in 2018. Her original screenplay DON’T MAKE ME GO was produced this summer as a feature film for Amazon directed by Hannah Marks and starring John Cho; it is currently in post-production, set to be released in 2022. She started her career as a writer on MTV’s AWKWARD. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and lives in Burbank with her husband. If you would like to learn more about Verahttps://pro.imdb.com/name/nm3418687?s=60bee507-cf25-3a5d-7e1e-08bbc25827be&site_preference=normalIf you want to chat or ask questions about the episode go to FB: https://www.facebook.com/tarmeydanielle/and visit the group site. Follow me on IG @tarmeydanielle and on Twitter @TarmeyDanielleimdb.me/danielletarmey