Vanessa Alexander is an award-winning writer and producer best known for her work on The Great (Hulu/Stan) and Vikings: Valhalla (Netflix). She was recently nominated for Best Comedy Series and Best New Series at the Writers Guild of America Awards and was made a Co-Executive Producer of season 2 of Vikings: Valhalla. Her work in the UK includes also includes writing scripts for Tin Star and Executive Producing a documentary series for Netflix. With a great love of poorly-behaved but endearing female protagonists and broad knowledge of history and science, Vanessa loves the collaborative process of writing across many genres.
In 2018, Vanessa was nominated for an Australian Writers Guild Award for her work on the comedy/drama series The Wrong Girl. She also wrote on the Australian drama for Love Child. Prior to this, Vanessa worked extensively in New Zealand where she also won many awards, including one for comedy writing. She was the lead director of the acclaimed series Outrageous Fortune, the Executive Producer of Taika Waititi’s Oscar-nominated short, Two Cars, One Night and her teen show Being Eve received an International Emmy nomination.
Outside of her screen work, Vanessa has a B.A. in English Literature, a P.G. Dip in Directing, a Masters in Film and Television Theory and a Ph.D in Creative Writing. With five children, one foster son, two ex-husbands and a mid life crises at clown school in Paris, Vanessa is rarely short of inspiration for a story.
Television
VIKINGS: VALHALLA Netflix (Forthcoming)
Season 2
Co-Executive Producer
Writer of 2 x 60’ episodes
VIKINGS: VALHALLA Netflix (2022)
Season 1
2 x 60’ episodes
Writer
THE GREAT MRC/Hulu (2021)Season 2Story Editor
THE GREAT MRC/Hulu (2020)
Season 1
Staff Writer
TIN STAR Sky Atlantic (2020)
1 x 60′ episode
Writer
SECRET DAUGHTER 2 Screentime (2017)
1 x 60’ episode
Writer
LOVE CHILD Playmaker Media (2017)
2 x 60’ episode
Writer
THE WRONG GIRL Series 1 & 2 Playmaker Media (2016-7)
2 x 60’ episode
Writer
AGENT ANNA Great Southern Television (2012)
6 x 30’ episodes
Producer Rachel Gardner
Winner of Best Comedy Script NZWG Awards 2013
Creator/Writer/Director
THIS IS NOT MY LIFE GRST, Desert Rd, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment & TVNZ (2010)
13 x 60’ episodes
Script Producer/Storyliner with Gavin Strawhan and Rachel Lang
POWER RANGERS Disney Studios (2007-9)
3 series
9 x 30’ episodes
Director
BURYING BRIAN Eyeworks & TVNZ & NZOA (2008)
TV Drama – 6 x 1 hour series
Storyliner with Gavin Strawhan and Maxine Fleming
THE PRETENDER Great Southern Television (2006)
Producer Rachel Gardner
Script Producer – 6 x 30’ episodes
Writer – 2 x 30’ episodes
MADDIGAN’S QUEST BBC Television, South Pacific Pictures &TV3 (2005)
2 x 30’ episodes
Director
N.Y. FESTIVAL – Winner of Certificate for BEST DIRECTION 2006
OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE South Pacific Pictures & TV 3 (2005)
2 x 60’ episodes
Director
Nominated for Qantas Media Award for Best Director 2006
Nominated for New Zealand Screen Awards Best Director 2005
BEING EVE Series 1 & 2 Nickelodeon, South Pacific Pictures & TV 3
(2001-2003)
26 x 30’ episodes
Producer/ Director/Story Producer
Winner of New Zealand Screen Award for BEST OVERALL SERIES 2003
N Y Festival – Winner of Gold Medal YOUTH PROGRAMMES 2003
N Y Festival – Winner of Silver Medal YOUTH PROGRAMMES 2004
Winner of GRAND PRIX at Danube Television Festival 2004
Winner of TELLY AWARD for CHILDREN’S SERIES 2004
Winner of New Zealand Screen Award for BEST CHILDREN’S SERIES 2005
Nominated for International Emmy Award for YOUTH PROGRAMMES 2003
Film
MAGIK AND ROSE Kahukura Productions, NZFC and Essential Films Distribution (2001)
Writer/Director
Winner of Jury Prize Oporto Film Festival
Winner of Spada New Filmmaker of The Year
Nominated for New Zealand Screen Awards – Best Writer 2001
Nominated for New Zealand Screen Awards – Best Director 2001
Additional Information
Vanessa has studied extensively, including most recently with Joan Sheckel (Transparent), attending her intensive series drama course in LA, and previously with renowned theatre director and comedy expert Philippe Gaulier in Paris and as a trainee director for Steven Bochco on Murder One and NYPD Blue in LA.
Vanessa has been a Board Member of the NZ Film Commission, and Chair of Script-to- Screen (the NZ Writers Foundation) and the Director of Screen Production at University of Auckland. She has also lectured in Sydney and Paris.
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