|Lizzy.Weiss|
June 6, 2011.
It is 12 years ago today when the long running, Peabody award-winning Freeform series, Switched at Birth premiered. I wish I could say I had planned to post this q&a exactly on this prestigious day. Alas, I am not that clever. But boy, who doesn’t love some good old-fashioned serendipity at play?
Lizzy Weiss is the extraordinary creator and showrunner behind Switched. She’s one of my favorite writers around, but I have to confess… I’m slightly biased.
We met years ago working on a passion project called Life and Deaf. It was based on a true story brought to us (FourBoys Ent. — the pod I was working with at the time) by Marlee Matlin and Jack Jason, Marlee’s interpreter and producing partner. It was actually based on Jack’s wonderful life story — one of which you could visualize immediately as a series. It had everything I love in a show. Humor, emotion, texture — along with unique & surprising characters that populated the world. Unfortunately, it didn’t get past the finish line, but it was a joy to work on. And if that wasn’t enough…
And what a powerful female team at the forefront: Patricia Heaton. Marlee Matlin. And Lizzy… A writer with integrity, strength, and vision.
RS: Describe yourself in a logline.
LW: Hmm. I’ll just spew a bunch of the first words that come to mind. Feminist, writer, mom, small, strong, fast talker, fast walker, Jewish, married, well-parented, A.D.D., lucky.
RS: As a writer, what has become like second nature and what do you still struggle with?
LW: I love a good writers’ room; there is truly nothing better. On the flip side, there’s nothing worse than being stuck with someone toxic or entitled or rude. I’ve run three rooms that I adore, which I define by saying I never once came home from those rooms without having laughed hard – usually at some insane pitch that we are pretty sure we can make work.
The strike is dealing with very real issues of compensation and respect – and I am 100% for creators being given our fair share as everything starts on the page – EVERYTHING. That all being said, what is also true is that I think I have the best job in the world. To sit around with a bunch of creative folks shaping stories? THE BEST.
RS: How did Switched at Birth come to you?
LW: I heard a podcast about two women who discovered that they were switched at birth and how that turned their lives upside down even though they were in their 50s. At the time, I was five months pregnant with my second kid – so babies in hospitals were very much on my mind – and it just grabbed me. “What if someone told me right now that my 18-month-old son in the next room wasn’t actually mine and someone could take him away? Wait, but that would mean that my biological son was out there somewhere being raised by someone else?”
Then I thought, “How would I feel if I were fifteen and already questioning everything?” I was doing yoga listening to the podcast – and it was so pressing, so “lightning bolt” that I stopped my practice, got out my laptop, and started to type.
RS: The deaf angle added such depth and texture to the story. Was that always baked into the character? Did someone pitch that to you?
LW: The deaf addition to Daphne’s character came after I sold the pilot. Brooke Bowman (the executive at ABC Family) suggested it might be interesting if the girl who was raised by the working-class single parent had some kind of difference that made the wealthier parents feel like if they had raised their own daughter, she might have turned out differently. I had taken a class in college called “Theater of the Deaf” in which we had to perform monologues and poems in sign language, so instantly I responded, “What if she is deaf?” And we were off and running.
RS: Describe your most memorable meeting – either with a studio exec, network exec, or talent. What made it memorable?
LW: Well, the truth is that I’ve had some rough ones – oof – but I think I’ll skip those because they involve famous folks and I’m not an idiot. 🙂 On the positive side, I guess I’d say my pitch to Brooke at ABC Family for Switched in 2009.
I was eight months pregnant, I remember the exact black wrap dress I was wearing, it was just me and her — no studio, no producing pod, no stars, no other execs on her end — and a poster board that cost me eight dollars.
I cut out a couple photos – Daphne Zuniga for Regina, Julie Bowen for Kathryn, Selena Gomez for Bay, and I can’t remember who for Daphne – but the whole thing cost me eight dollars at the printing shop. It was the first time I had ever used visuals and it was only because pitching that show is a little confusing with two moms, two daughters, all inter-related in different ways so I needed to point.
I did my whole pitch – about 20-25 minutes – and then I asked if she had any questions and she just smiled and said, “Nope. Thanks so much!” And I was like – uggghhh. Bad sign.
My agent had already told me no other network would hear it (as the leads were young women and it was not based on IP), so I tossed the poster board in the trash on the way out. When she called to ask how it went, I said, “Terrible – she hated it. No questions.” My agent said, “Well, she just bought it.” I was flabbergasted.
So you just never know.
RS: How did that show change you?
LW: The show changed my life in so many incredible ways, but I’ll talk specifically about one aspect which is that I was opened up to an entire world of disability issues – accessibility, rights, concepts like “deaf gain” (which refers to all of the things you gain from being deaf – like a community, a culture, a language, an identity, plus four heightened senses) – instead of focusing on loss. I found all of that totally fascinating and in turn, see the world totally differently myself. I am friends with lots of deaf people and I feel privileged to be part of that community.
RS: Name your biggest pet peeve both in life and as a writer.
Lizzy:
I hate cliches.
LW: I used to tell my Switched writers no jokes about girls being “on the rag” or about women eating ice cream in bed while depressed after a break-up. Another one that people might be surprised at is I had a strict “no hugs” policy on Switched unless someone from set called me to approve it. That meant I did not want people hugging unless it was earned. Don’t throw those moments around! You gotta earn your emotion and then it’s gold.
RS: How do you decompress?
LW: I do a lot of walking in my neighborhood listening to podcasts and books on tape and music. Biking, but I don’t do it in LA, because y’know, I value my life, but I do so love biking. Finally, playing with our Boxer Dolly, and watching great TV.
RS: What’s the first thing you think of when your eyes open in the morning?
LW: Coffee. Dog. Kids. Wordle.
RS: In what ways do you continue to redefine yourself as a writer?
LW: I will always primarily be a character-driven family drama writer – and “family” can mean anything, not necessarily parents and kids but all of the kinds of families we create at different phases of our lives. But I have expanded into half-hour dramedies. I love that genre as both a viewer and a creator.
I’ll mention Reservation Dogs, One Mississippi, Catastrophe, Feel Good, This Way Up, Heartstopper, Better Things. Such a great combination of genres and the ones that are done well pretty much always make me cry.
RS: What’s an adjective you would not use to describe yourself?
LW: Toxic, political, ego-driven. I say those three words because I hear them the most when writers complain about showrunners and one of the things I am most proud of is creating a happy work environment for six years for over a hundred people – leadership that let people know, “We aren’t going to yell here, we aren’t going to belittle people, we aren’t going to panic and stress out and give people hives. “It’s just a TV show, let’s have some fun.”
RS: How do you go about writing? Do you have a set routine?
LW: I can be hyper-focused in the early morning if there’s total quiet but for the rest of the day, I like a little bit of chaos around me – i.e., busy cafes or a puppy running around me chasing a squeezy ball. As a showrunner, I thrive on a bunch of things happening at once – I can spin plates, in fact, I’d say spinning plates is somewhat energizing for me.
RS: What was your most enjoyable experience in a writer’s room and why?
LW: I absolutely adored Switched – our room shifted a bit over time but it was always a delight – happiest years of my life. I also ran a mini room a couple years ago for MTV for a sex dramedy called, “Undressed” and I am so proud to say that we put together the most diverse room I have ever seen. We had a trans woman writer, three Black writers (one African), two queer writers, a Muslim writer, and one straight white man – and together, we came up with the greatest stories about sex and sexuality and had so much fun.
And most recently, I ran a room for a family drama about rodeo and I loved that room too – we were all totally respectful of each other (three Canadians, so y’know, that’s built in) – I think we just genuinely liked each other.
RS: On Twitter, you describe yourself as a, “Lover of lockets, toast, and jumpsuits.” Why did you choose those specific adjectives to describe yourself?
LW: Those are things that make me happy. Crisp, buttery, salty toast is the perfect comfort food. Lockets are old-fashioned but timeless and I love carrying photos of my kids as little guys around my neck. Jumpsuits make me happy to be a woman.
RS: You describe yourself as a sign language student. What do you feel you’ve yet to learn?
LW: I have this strange situation where I know hundreds of words, so I can pretty much express anything I want to say but I have a super hard time understanding other people’s signs quickly enough – I cannot figure out why my brain works in one direction when it comes to ASL but it does.
I love it so much – I just want to give a shout out to sign language – everyone in the world should learn it – not just for accessibility for deaf and HOH folks, but also for (hearing) people to communicate across crowded rooms, at a loud concert, underwater, when you or your parents grow old and lose hearing – it would be incredible!
RS: When taking on new projects, what are you drawn to?
Lizzy:
I tend to be drawn to issues of class and gender and adolescence and parenthood and nature vs. nurture.
LW: I have to be passionate about it or I can’t sell it. I truly can’t fake it. So I have to find something in it that makes me super excited to dive in and I have to believe I am the only one who can do it right.
RS: Are there certain projects you’ll always say no to?
LW: People often think of me for YA and there is a whole genre of “rich kid” (Gossip Girl) but I don’t excel in that universe.
RS: What’s something you are good at that might surprise people?
LW: Oh man, I wish I had a super cool answer for this! But I do not do origami or miniatures or skateboarding. Let’s see, I am extremely flexible? I’ve been stretching since I was 11 and doing yoga since I was 28 and I can still do handstands and cartwheels and such.
RS: Describe your perfect getaway.
LW: I know this one! A bike trip through any country that I’ve never been to with gorgeous, safe roads, and evenings spent meeting interesting folks from all over the world. When the kids go to college, I have my eye on Croatia, Japan, and South Africa.
RS: When on set, is there a job that intimidates you?
LW: I wouldn’t say it intimidates me but I’m always so incredibly impressed with both the ADs and the line producers – so many balls to juggle, so many personalities and rules and things to keep in mind – whew, it’s a lot. In addition, I’m impressed by anyone on the crew who takes their job very seriously.
On Switched, we had a prop master named Scott Buckwald who just absolutely loved props and enjoyed every part of the process, and I find that delightful. I also have a ton of respect for TV directors who change worlds week after week and have to lead but also be a collaborator – and the ones who do it effortlessly are a joy.
RS: If you could give an emerging writer one piece of advice, what would it be?
Lizzy:
Take Notes Well.
LW: Recently, a young writer took a set of somewhat big notes extremely well – she was professional, she dived back in without attitude or pushback, she was eager to learn – and I really respect that. On the other hand, I was in a room once where someone got big notes on their outline and they quit.
Same deal with everyone on the crew, actually – one of my favorite things about my costume designer on Switched – Courtney Stern – is that she could take notes with a great attitude, a collaborative spirit, and just joy in the job – and that makes me want to work with those people again and again.
RS: What’s your opinion in regard to LookBooks? Do you think visuals help writers with development?
LW: I think they can be helpful but aren’t always necessary and I wouldn’t get too bogged down in them. They can be a time suck and execs are smart enough to ignore the fancy deck and focus on the story, characters, and package, so I find all those hours pulling the perfect photo can be a waste.
RS: What inspires you?
LW: Shows like Heartstopper or Reservation Dogs where they try something different, they commit, and it’s authentic and perfect. Who cares if it is a hit? Not everything can be. What a disaster if that’s all we cared about (that’s pretty much what happened to studio movies). The most moving experiences I have had watching a show or a film have usually been stories that are not massively popular but felt completely honest.
RS: What question do you wish I would have asked? What question are you glad I didn’t?
Lizzy:
About Motherhood! I love telling young women that yes, you absolutely can be a showrunner and a mom.
LW: My show was green lit when my kids were three years old and one year old, and we made it work. Sure, it involves having great partners at home and at work but it is absolutely possible and I am so lucky and grateful that I was able to birth and nurture kids and a show that I hope lives on after me.
I’m glad you didn’t ask whose career I wish I had or anything like that. I try not to compete with anyone and the longer I do this, the more I believe that working with people you respect on material you enjoy is the #1 priority. Sure, we’d all love to go to the Emmys and be on “fancy” shows but honestly, that often comes at a price I am not sure I am willing to pay. My family wants to have me around – not miserable or tense but proud and content – so running a show that allows that is key.
And there you have it! The illuminating and light-filled, Lizzy Weiss.
Happy 12th Anniversary, Switched at Birth! The number 12 might not be as sexy as the other well known anniversary years such as the spritely 10th or solid 20th or stealthy 50th or the elusive 100th! That said, there are many lovely things the number 12 represents. 12 signs in the zodiac, a beautiful dozen of your favorite flowers. And hello? Two favorites in my household: The 12-days of Christmas as well as the occasional Saturday morning treat; a dozen delicious donuts that I may or may not partake in.
I’ll leave that to your imagination to figure it out.
For more q&a’s, go to: www.rebecca-stay.com/blog
Bio:
Lizzy Weiss created and executive produced Switched at Birth, which ran on Freeform for over 100 episodes and won the Peabody. She also wrote the surf girl flick Blue Crush, and ran Sorry For Your Loss on Facebook. Currently, she is running a show on Hallmark, which is awaiting a season two pick-up, so she isn’t technically supposed to mention it but she has faith in it so she is! She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two kids, and her Boxer, Dolly.