David E. Talbert

An imaginative auteur breaking boundaries with his pioneering works in theater, film and literature, David E. Talbert is a brilliant force in the entertainment industry.Born into a family of pastors and preachers, Talbert learned early on that comedy and drama were essentially two sides of the same coin. Looking back on the most influential characters in his own narrative, the sermons of his uncle and great grandmother impressed upon him at a young age the power of words and the emotion they can elicit. Talbert’s writing has since been grounded in truth and from a space of hope and inspiration.Talbert’s love of writing began to take shape while attending Morgan State University and later New York University where he graduated from the school’s accelerated film program. While his education opened his mind to creative possibilities, Talbert acknowledges he has learned everything he knows about his craft from doing the work itself.With an invitation to the theater while living in the Bay Area, Talbert was immediately moved by a creative passion to write his own play. Sitting down with an idea that very evening, his first play, Tellin’ it Like it Tiz, opened a year later at Berkeley’s Black Repertory Theatre. The play would go on to tour across the country for two years, beginning Talbert’s nearly 30-year career as one of the highest grossing and most recognizable writers, directors and producers in American theater.Talbert is now heralded as one of the most prolific theater makers in America. He has written and produced 14 national tours, breaking box office records and capturing the hearts of audiences around the world. Talbert has garnered 24 NAACP nominations in which he won Best Playwright of the Year for The Fabric of a Man, and has won the NAACP Trailblazer Award for his contributions and accomplishments in theatre. He has also received the New York Literary Award for Best Playwright of the Year for his musical, Love in the Nick of Tyme.In 2008, Talbert made his directorial debut with the Sony Pictures comedy, First Sunday, followed by the Fox Searchlight feature, Baggage Claim, and in 2015, the Universal Pictures comedy, Almost Christmas. All three films debuted in the U.S. box office as the #1 Comedy in America.Most recently, Talbert wrote, directed and produced the critically-acclaimed Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, Netflix’s first original live-action musical. The ground-breaking film was nominated for 10 NAACP Image Awards and shortlisted by the Academy for Oscar contention. He is currently in development with LeBron James & Maverick Carter’s Springhill for an upcoming project, Better Late, a comedy based on his own life.Recognizing his growing global audience, Talbert recently inked a multi-year first-look deal with Netflix, launching Golden Alchemy Entertainment, a partnership with his wife and producing partner Lyn Sisson-Talbert. The deal includes a mandate to write, direct and produce event films, as well as launch the careers of underrepresented filmmakers through their producing projects.In addition to his work in theatre, film and television, Talbert is also a best-selling author, having written three novels, Baggage Claim (2003), Love on the Dotted Line (2005) and Love Don’t Live Here No More: Book One of Doggy Tales (2006), which he wrote with Snoop Dogg.Grateful to be doing the work that he loves and understanding the challenges many face in the entertainment industry, Talbert recently launched Lights Camera Access (LCA), a mentorship program designed to give underrepresented students in the entertainment industry access, insight and mentorship opportunities.Talbert currently resides in Southern California with his wife and son.