Mara Brock Akil

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Mara Brock Akil
Akil in 2013
Born
Mara Brock

(1970-05-27) May 27, 1970 (age 54)
Compton, California, U.S.
Alma materNorthwestern University
Occupation(s)Screenwriter, producer
Years active1993–present
Spouse
​
(m. 1999)​
Children2

Mara Brock Akil (born May 27, 1970) is an American television producer, screenwriter and director. She became the youngest

African American female showrunner when she created the sitcom Girlfriends (2000–2008), airing on UPN and The CW, and the first African American female showrunner to have two series concurrently on broadcast network television when she created its spin-off The Game (2006–15) on The CW before moving to BET.[1]

She created Being Mary Jane (2013–19), which was BET's first drama series, and The Game sequel series (2021–22) on Paramount+. She co-created Love Is (2018) on OWN and executive produced the DC Arrowverse series Black Lightning (2018–21) on The CW with her husband. She was a writer on South Central (1994) on Fox, and a writer and producer on Moesha (1996–99) on UPN, The Jamie Foxx Show (1999–2000) on The WB, Cougar Town (2010) on ABC and theatrical film Sparkle (2012). Together with her husband Salim Akil, the creative duo founded Akil Productions in 2000. She founded Story27 with Netflix in 2021.

Brock Akil is the only African American showrunner or

Black sitcoms concurrently on broadcast network TV during the 2000s. Her scripted series were two of only three in 2007 and 2008 and was one of only two in 2009 with a predominantly Black cast on broadcast network TV.[2][3]

Early life and education

She was born Mara Brock in 1970 in

high school sweethearts. Her brother William "Bill" Brock III was three years old at the time and their younger sister Kara Brock was born four years later. Her paternal grandmother was Candida Brock, her maternal grandfather was Johnn Fullmore and her maternal grandmother is Helen Fullmore.[5][6] Mara lived her early childhood in Baldwin Hills in South Los Angeles,[7][8] and lived her preteen and teenage years in and around Kansas City, Missouri,[9] after her parents divorced when she was eight years old in 1977.[10][5]

Her mother left with the children and moved to the Kansas City metropolitan area where she worked her way up from an entry-level position to a computer programmer at Marion Laboratories while raising Mara and her siblings as a single mother.[10] At age 11, Mara saw a 17-year-old Whitney Houston as a cover model on the November 1981 issue of Seventeen magazine—more than three years before she became a popstar—which, Mara says, gave her hope that "things are possible."[11] She graduated in 1988 from Raytown South High School where she decided she would pursue a career in writing. She opted against going to the University of Missouri like many of her classmates were and applied to only one college, Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois in the Chicago metropolitan area, hoping to attend the Medill School of Journalism. She was accepted and went on to join the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.[12][13]

In her freshmen year, Mara volunteered to help some friends in the campus' Black sketch comedy group Out Da Box. When a member encouraged her to write a sketch, she initially resisted before writing a parody of Mike Tyson and Robin Givens' marriage. "The first laugh was a high I will never forget," she later recounted. She took two courses with professor Njoki McElroy in 'Performance of African-American Literature' that focused on directing and performing. She performed in two theatrical productions for McElroy, including playing the lead in The Colored Museum. She had a college internship at The Grand Rapids Press in Michigan that changed her approach to storytelling; "I was thinking I got this story, and you realized very quickly that your stories did not matter. I remember the amount of hustle it took just to get a couple stories on. So, my senior year I decided 'I'm going to tell the truth through fiction.'"[14][15]

She tried out for the job of an

MTV VJ when an open audition was held on campus in February 1991.[16] She made her decision to work in the television industry after meeting professor Delle Chatman at an 'Organization of Black Screenwriters' seminar and went on to petition Chatman to get into her screenwriting course.[15][17] Mara Brock graduated in 1992 and applied for Hollywood writing apprenticeships but never received any. She worked for a year as an assistant manager at a Gap clothing store before deciding to move to Los Angeles.[18][19]

Career

1993–2000

In 1993, Mara Brock performed as an actor in a minor speaking role in the feature film

TV pilot, so she began writing scripts she hoped for them to read. Once she got a minute of Farquhar's time, she told him: "Let me not waste it on why I need you. That's obvious. Let me spend it on why you need me." She was given the position of a WGA Writer's Trainee on the forthcoming series South Central. The comedy drama, centered on divorcee single mother Joan Mosley and her three children, aired for one season spanning 10 episodes from April 5 to June 7, 1994 on Fox.[11][20][21]

In 1995, after an 18-month unemployment period and working as a production assistant on CBS sitcom Dave's World,[22][23] Mara Brock received a call from Farquhar and soon began working on Moesha as a writer on the first four seasons and then also as a producer on the fourth which ended in August 23, 1999. The sitcom, starring Brandy Norwood, was created by Farquhar, Vida Spears and Sara Finney-Johnson. Moesha aired for six seasons spanning 127 episodes from January 23, 1996 to May 14, 2001, becoming the biggest hit on the fledgling UPN. Brock Akil recounts of her experience working for Farquhar: "I really appreciate the way he ran Moesha and that he gave access to us and taught us how to [...] not just write script, but how do you produce that [...] I wanted to learn from him. He learned from Garry Marshall, and so all that legacy is within me."[11][21] Brock Akil next worked as a supervising producer and writer on the fourth and fifth seasons of The Jamie Foxx Show where her episodes aired between September 24, 1999 and October 29, 2000. The sitcom co-created by its namesake and Bentley Kyle Evans aired for five seasons spanning 100 episodes from August 28, 1996 to January 14, 2001 on The WB.

2000–2009

In May 2000, Brock Akil created Girlfriends after she went to UPN and sold her idea for the series days before her 30th birthday.[2][24] She shopped the series around to studios to start the filming process but, even though the show sold to a major network, no studio wanted to take project. She struck a deal with Kelsey Grammer, and his involvement with Paramount Pictures was able to sign on as an executive producer for the show.[25] Girlfriends premiered on September 11, 2000, and became a part of UPN's Monday night prime time lineup. Chronicling the life of Joan Clayton, played by Tracee Ellis Ross, and her three friends, the show ran for eight seasons, lasting through the production switch from UPN and the launch of The CW network. The show's two-part series finale aired on the CW on February 11, 2008.

She also created and executive produced a spin-off to Girlfriends, The Game, along with her husband Salim Akil.[26][11] In 2009, Brock Akil became a consulting producer and writer for the ABC suburban sitcom Cougar Town.[27]

Following the launch of the CW network, Brock Akil created a spin-off series to her first show that follows the life of Joan's cousin, Melanie Barnett, played by Tia Mowry. She places her dreams of being a doctor on hold and moves to San Diego to be a supportive backbone to her boyfriend, professional football player Derwin Davis, played by Pooch Hall. The series ran on the CW network for three seasons until its abrupt ending in 2009. The show was canceled for about two years until it was picked up by BET and began production in Atlanta. The Game brought in 7.7 million viewers in its Season 4 premiere on BET.[28] After adding six more seasons to the series, the network released a statement on its website stating that the show would conclude after production of the seventh and eighth seasons.

2009–2020

She is the creator of

Warner Bros. Television which went into effect in May 2016.[29]

In March 2017, Brock Akil left ICM Partners to join Creative Artists Agency (CAA).[30]

The Akils created and executive produced a scripted superhero series, Black Lightning, based on DC Comics' Black Lightning series.[31] The show premiered on January 16, 2018.[32][33]

2020–present

On January 7, 2020, it was announced that Brock Akil had signed a script deal with Fox Entertainment to develop a series for the Fox broadcast network.[34] On September 9, it was announced that she had signed a multi-year overall deal with Netflix to produce new content.[35]

On September 27, 2021, she announced the launch of her new production company Story27 under her Netflix deal and the titles of three series and one documentary being developed.[36]

Personal life

Brock Akil is a fan of the

matcha latte later in the day; she begins intermittent fasting after 8 PM or 9 PM, excluding Fridays and Saturdays; she likes to cook baked chicken with vegetables and brown rice for her family on Sundays; and she loves to journal, especially before bedtime.[38][39][40]

Family and religion

Mara Brock Akil is one of six siblings consisting of William Brock III, former actress

Columbia College Hollywood. They began dating before getting married in April 1999.[41][42][43] She had her first pregnancy in 2004 but may have suffered a miscarriage.[17] The couple have two children together: Yasin Ali Akil (born 2007) and Nasir Lukmon Akil (born 2009). Salim has an older daughter and an older son predating his marriage and is a grandfather.[11]

She and her husband are

Sufi Muslims.[10][44] Mara Brock had been born into a Muslim household that followed the Nation of Islam. After her divorcee mother Joan Fullmore left California with her children and relocated to Missouri, they practiced Christianity—at first following the United Methodist Church, attending Emanuel Cleaver's congregation, and later following the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Mara Brock reverted to Islam at some point before or during her relationship with Salim Akil.[10] In their semi-autobiographical TV series Love Is, the character of Nuri is depicted as being a non-practicing Muslim at the time she began dating Yasir, a practicing Muslim.[45][46]

In 2006, Staci Robinson filed a $40 million lawsuit against Brock Akil and The CW, accusing Brock Akil of stealing the concept of her TV series The Game from Robinson's then-unpublished novel Interceptions from when she allegedly showed it to her in 2001. Robinson argued she had thought of the show first because her novel chronicles the life of Stefanie Porter, a senior studying law at

UCLA, who ceases her hopes of becoming a lawyer to support the dreams of her boyfriend, star football player Ricky Powers.[47]

The Akils created Love is, which was based on their relationship, but was canceled after a woman accused Salim of domestic violence in an alleged extramarital affair, as well as copyright infringement by using her screenplay as the basis for the series.[48][49] A statement made by Akil's lawyers denied all allegations.[50][51]

Filmography

Films

Year Title Producer Writer Notes
1994 With Honors No No Actress
2012 Sparkle Yes Yes
2015 The Start Up Yes No Television film
2023 Stamped from the Beginning Yes No Documentary

Television

Year Title Creator Producer Writer Director Notes
1993–1994 The Sinbad Show No No No No Production assistant
Also actress: "Keep the Faith"
1994 South Central No No Yes No
1995 Dave's World No No No No Production assistant
1996–1999 Moesha No Yes Yes No Producer: 22 episodes
Writer: 9 episodes
Also story editor: 9 episodes
1999–2000 The Jamie Foxx Show No Yes Yes No Supervising producer: 24 episodes
Executive producer: 1 episode
Writer: 4 episodes
2000–2008 Girlfriends Yes Yes Yes No
2006–2009,
2011–2015 		The Game Yes Yes Yes Yes Director: "Dust in the Wind"
2009 Leading Women No No No No Documentary; Self: Episode 2
2010 Cougar Town No Yes Yes No Consulting producer: 22 episodes
Writer: 2 episodes
2013–2015,
2017, 2019 		Being Mary Jane Yes Yes Yes No
2015 Reed Between the Lines No Yes No No Executive producer: 3 episodes
2018 Love Is Yes Yes Yes Yes Director: 2 episodes
2018–2021 Black Lightning No Yes No No Executive producer
2020 Make It Work! No No No No Television special; Self
2021
On Story
 		No No No No Season 12, episode 9
History of the Sitcom No No No No Documentary
Self: 3 episodes
2021–2023 The Game Yes Yes No No
2023 See It Loud: The History of Black Television No No No No Documentary
Self: 3 episodes

Awards and nominations

Award Date Category Nominee Result
American Black Film Festival March 3, 2024 Industry Visionary Award Herself Won
BET Comedy
Awards 		September 28, 2004 Outstanding Comedy Series Girlfriends Nominated
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Girlfriends Nominated
September 27, 2005 Outstanding Comedy Series Girlfriends Nominated
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Girlfriends Won
Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association November 13–17, 2024 Trailblazer Award Herself Won
Black Girls Rock! October 26, 2013 Shot Caller Award Herself Won
Black Reel
Awards 		February 7, 2013 Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted Sparkle Nominated
February 13, 2014 Outstanding Screenplay (Original or Adapted), TV Movie or Mini-Series Being Mary Jane Nominated
February 23, 2018 Outstanding Drama Series
(shared with Salim Akil, Greg Berlantir, Adam Giaudrone, Sarah Schechter, Jennifer Lence, Carl Ogawa, Melora Rivera, Joanie L. Woehler, Bonnie Weis) 		Black Lightning Nominated
Black Women Film Network March 5, 2022 RainmakHER Award Herself Won
Primetime Emmy Awards September 7, 2024 Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking
(shared with Alisa Payne, Roger Ross Williams, David Teague, Ibram X. Kendi) 		Stamped from the Beginning Nominated
Essence Black Women In Hollywood Awards February 21, 2013 Visionary Award Herself Won
NAACP Image
Awards 		March 3, 2002 Outstanding Comedy Series Girlfriends Nominated
March 8, 2003 Outstanding Comedy Series Girlfriends Nominated
March 6, 2004 Outstanding Comedy Series Girlfriends Nominated
March 19, 2005 Outstanding Comedy Series Girlfriends Nominated
February 26, 2006 Outstanding Comedy Series Girlfriends Nominated
March 2, 2007 Outstanding Comedy Series Girlfriends Nominated
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series Girlfriends
(For "After the Storm") 		Nominated
February 14, 2008 Outstanding Comedy Series Girlfriends Nominated
February 12, 2009 Outstanding Comedy Series The Game Nominated
February 17, 2012 Outstanding Comedy Series The Game Nominated
February 1, 2013 Outstanding Comedy Series The Game Nominated
February 17, 2012 Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
(shared with Salim Akil) 		The Game
(For "Parachutes...Beach Chairs") 		Won
February 22, 2014 Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series The Game
(For "Blueprint Part 1" and "Blueprint Part 2") 		Nominated
February 6, 2015 Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series Being Mary Jane
(For "Über Love") 		Nominated
February 5, 2016 Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series
(shared with Jameal Turner, Keli Golf) 		Being Mary Jane Nominated
National Association of Television Program Executives January 22, 2019 Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award Herself Won
NAMIC Vision
Awards 		April 15, 2009 Comedy The Game Nominated
April 24, 2012 Comedy The Game Nominated
July 11, 2013 Comedy The Game Nominated
SHINE Awards October 26, 1999 Comedy Episode Moesha
(For "Birth Control") 		Won
October 24, 2001 Comedy Episode Girlfriends
(For "The Burning Vagina Monologues") 		Won
October 18, 2003 Comedy Episode Girlfriends
(For "The Pact") 		Nominated
Series Storyline Girlfriends
(For "AIDS Documentary") 		Nominated

References

  1. The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original
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  3. ^ "In the game". Chicago Tribune. October 11, 2006. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  4. ^ Lennon, Christine (September 14, 2022). "How an L.A. Writer Created the Kind of Workplace You Thought Only Existed on T.V." Sunset. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
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  13. ^ a b "Mara Brock Akil - Medill - Northwestern University". medill.northwestern.edu. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015.
  14. ^ Dawkins, Breajna (October 14, 2022). "Showrunner Mara Brock Akil (BSJ96) talks career successes and life lessons with Dean E. Patrick Johnson". Communication.Northwestern.edu. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
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  16. ^ "They Want Their MTV To Want Them". Chicago Tribune. February 11, 1991. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024.
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  19. ^ Golding, Shenequa (March 24, 2015). "First Take: Mara Brock Akil's Blueprint For Running Your Own Show". Vibe. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
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  21. ^ a b Finley, Taryn (February 5, 2021). "Mara Brock Akil Broke the Mold for Black Characters on TV — And She Isn't Done Yet". HuffPost. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021.
  22. ^ "On Story | A Conversation with Mara Brock Akil | Season 11 | Episode 9 | PBS". PBS.
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  24. ^ "How Mara Brock Akil Plans To Save TV". The Fader. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  25. ^ "Mara Brock Akil Opens Up About A "Girlfriends Movie' On The Breakfast Club: Says She Needs Money To Get Movie Done". Comedy Hype. July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  26. ^ Danielle, Britni (May 19, 2017). "How 'Black Lightning' director Salim Akil co-created the show and why". Andscape. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  27. ^ Tisdale, Stacey (July 27, 2015). "[VIDEO] "Being Mary Jane" Producer Mara Brock Akil Gets Real About Passion and Money". Black Enterprise. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  28. ^ "Exclusive: Mara Brock Akil Talks Ending The Game on BET". BET.com. Archived from the original on October 9, 2014. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  29. ^ "With 'Being Mary Jane,' Mara Brock Akil Specializes in Portraits of Black Women - the New York Times". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
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  31. ^ "Mara Brock Akil's Superhero Drama Is Moving To The CW". Essence.com. February 6, 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  32. ^ 'Black Lightning': Richmond native brings new-look superhero to The CW, Eastbay Times, January 12, 2018
  33. ^ Horne, Karama (November 6, 2018). "Salim Akil talks Black Lightning, Milestone Comics and the Power of Normalizing the Image of the Black Family". theblerdgurl. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  34. ^ Turchiano, Danielle (January 7, 2020). "Mara Brock Akil Signs Fox Entertainment Script Deal". Variety. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  35. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 9, 2020). "Mara Brock Akil Inks Overall Deal With Netflix As Streamer Sets Premiere Date For Her Series 'Girlfriends'". Deadline. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  36. ^ "Mara Brock Akil Launches New Production Company Under Netflix Deal, Hires Susie Fitzgerald". September 27, 2021.
  37. ^ Franco, Ariela (August 4, 2005). "'Four Sisters' Endow New UCLA Scholarship for Film and Television Students to Portray the African American Experience" (Press release). University of California, Los Angeles. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  38. ^ "#MakeItHappen: Mara Brock Akil, Producer & Screenwriter". Veronica Beard. October 31, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  39. ^ "Grey Hair Is Gorgeous, Full Stop". Goop. March 5, 2022. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  40. ^ King, Akili (June 7, 2022). "Esteemed Screenwriter & Producer Mara Brock Akil on the Beauty of Aging". roseinc.com. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  41. ^ Porter, Lauren (October 23, 2020). "Mara Brock Akil Gives A Word About Happy Marriages and The Real Secret To Keeping Your Spouse Interested". Essence. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  42. Vulture
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  43. ^ Mara Brock Akil & Salim Akil Ink Overall Deal With Warner Bros TV, Deadline, August 5, 2015
  44. ^ Harris, Aisha (October 20, 2016). "The Couple Behind Being Mary Jane on What It's Like as Muslims to Watch the Rise of Trump". Slate. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  45. ^ Gelman, Vlada (July 3, 2018). "Love Is___ EP Previews Nuri and Yasir's Post-First Date 'Cocoon Phase'". TVLine. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
    Gelman, Vlada (June 19, 2018). "OWN's Love Is___ Premiere". TVLine. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  46. ^ A. Tinubu, Aramide (June 19, 2018). "Mara Brock Akil And Salim Akil Talk Their Seductive New Show Love Is ___ With Series Leads Will Catlett & Michele Weaver". ShadowAndAct.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021.
  47. ^ "TV Barn". October 18, 2006. Archived from the original on October 18, 2006. Retrieved May 12, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  48. ^ Henderson, Cydney. "OWN cancels 'Love Is _' amid domestic violence allegations against producer Salim Akil". USA TODAY. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  49. ^ "Amber Dixon Brenner v. Salim Akil et al". JUSTIA Dockets & Filings. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  50. ^ Patten, Dominic; Ramos, Dino-Ray (December 2, 2018). "'Black Lightning' EP Salim Akil Says Abuse Claims "Totally Untrue"". Deadline. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  51. ^ "AMBER DIXON BRENNER VS SALIM AKIL". Unicourt. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
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