TV Drama writer Thomas Wong receives Writers Guild Honor

April 5, 2013

Hollywood

Thomas Wong is the recipient of the Writers Guild of America, West's 2013 Writer Access Project (WAP) honor. The Writers Guild will showcase Wong's work in drama to industry decision-makers.

Wong joins nine other honorees who were selected for outstanding talent in the areas of drama and comedy.

The winners were selected from the results of judges scores who read written entries and judged on a blind submission basis.

Writers Guild members with extensive showrunning and writer-producer experience served as judges, including award-winning screenwriter, producer and director Shonda Rhimes, creator of Grey's Anatomy and Scandal and screenwriter of The Princess Diaries.

A reading of selections of the honorees' original pilots will be held this month to industry representatives.

Photo credit: Michael Jones, WGA.org  
2013 WAP Honorees, Standing (L-R): Thomas Wong, Michael DiGaetano, Dawn Comer Jefferson, Joey Manderino, Joseph Neustein, Leslie Valdes. Seated (L-R): Sherry Carnes, Geetika Lizardi, Lena Waithe, Margaux Froley Wong's bio states that he always dreamed of becoming a television writer, but, "as the first-born son in a traditional Chinese family, such fanciful notions were downright un-American." Wong earned a degree in English at Williams College, then attended NYU School of Law, "like any good child shouldering the weight of his family’s expectations would."

After several years immersed in labor and employment, divorce, immigration, and criminal defense, Thomas gave up law for a stint selling luxury real estate to Manhattan's rich and famous before finally moving to Los Angeles to pursue his childhood dream.

2013 WRITER ACCESS PROJECT HONOREES DRAMA (L-R) Leslie Valdes, Dawn Comer Jefferson, Margaux Froley, Sherry Carnes, Thomas Wong, Geetika Lizardi Photo credit: Michael Jones, WGA.orgIn 2009, Thomas won a place in the ABC | Disney Television Writing Fellowship. In 2012, he was selected from more than 300 applicants to be the Fellow for the Fox Writers Intensive Program. Thomas wrote on staff for the ABC dramedy, The Deep End. His pilot, Queen, is currently in development.

About the 2013 Writers Guild of America, West’s Writer Access Program (WAP):

The Writer Access Program aims to provide talented writers with the one opportunity that is regarded as key to success: Access.

WGA issued a statement regarding its 2013 TV Staffing report, "despite incremental gains for women and minorities, diversity in TV staffing remains a serious problem." "We cannot tell the whole story if only half of us write it," said WGAW President Chris Keyser.

“Programs like this one are important because they ensure that all the hard-working and talented voices out there are recognized and given a fair and equal opportunity for employment,” says Writer Access Program judge Shonda Rhimes. For more on the 2013 Writer Access Project click here.