“Veep” star Tony Hale and “Better Things” creator and star Pamela Adlon will lead a “Spotlight on Comedy” interview at TheWrap’s ninth annual TheGrill conference on June 5 at The London West Hollywood.
Hale is an Emmy-winning star of HBO’s hit political comedy “Veep,” delighting audiences with his portrayal of presidential aide Gary Walsh. Adlon created and stars in FX’s “Better Things,” a semi-autobiographical series about a single mother and working actor trying to raise her three daughters in Los Angeles.
Now in its 10th year, the digital-first news site TheWrap is bringing a new approach to its most prestigious conference, offering three tracks concentrating on technology, innovation and entertainment. Top-tier executives and award-winning journalists will lead deep conversations about the change that is transforming the entertainment and media industries.
Other participants include Lionsgate Vice Chairman Michael Burns, Condé Nast Entertainment President Oren Katzeff, and Hello Sunshine CEO Sarah Harden.
Pamela Adlon is an Emmy-winning multi-hyphenate with one of the most distinct and celebrated voices across today’s comedy landscape. Currently, Adlon is the writer, producer, director and star of the award-winning FX comedy series “Better Things,” which had its groundbreaking third season air this spring.
Currently, Adlon is working on the semi-autobiographical series’ fourth season, which will air on FX in 2020. “Better Things” has received multiple awards and nominations, including a 2016 Peabody Award, a 2018 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and the 2018 Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy. Additionally, the show was named one of the Best Television Shows of 2017 by The New York Times as well as TV Show of the Year by TIME.
Two-time Emmy Award-winning actor and author Tony Hale is best known for his role as Gary Walsh, the downtrodden personal aide to Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s Selina Meyers on HBO’s Emmy Award-winning political comedy, Veep.
Hale won two Emmys for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Veep in 2013 and 2015 and was nominated in the same category in 2014, 2016 and 2017. Veep has racked up a total 177 nominations at 62 wins during the course of the show and the seventh and final season premiered wrapped earlier this month.
Hale has appeared in a wide variety of critically acclaimed television programs and films throughout his career. Prior to Veep, he co-starred as the socially awkward Buster Bluth in the ground-breaking, Emmy Award-winning comedy series Arrested Development, which aired on Fox from 2003 to 2006 and was later picked up for additional seasons on Netflix in 2013. The second half of season 5 premiered on March 15 of this year.
Additional speakers providing expert insights include:
- M&A: Exits, Outcomes and Successes with Jason Rapp, Sarah Harden, and Michael Burns – Thoughts from a builder, a buyer and a banker on the latest mergers and acquisitions.
- Streaming Steps Up with Shelley Zimmerman, Oren Katzeff and Adam Lewinson – The world of content has reached an inflection point as streaming services proliferate, expanding consumer appetite across the board. The CEOs of companies that are leading this consumer sea change debate strategy and how they stand out in this competitive new space.
- Daring Nature: Documenting Extremes – Presented by National Geographic – Creators of high-risk environmental films share the risks and rewards of documenting the planet.
- Diversity Strong: Tearing Down Bias, Building Inclusivity Roundtable presented by Lifetime with Brie Miranda Bryant and Tommy Oliver – A conversation with decision-makers on how to progress diversity from the top down.
- Silicon Beach Roundtable with Raina Kumra, Jeff Berman and Amy Emmerich – A peer to peer conversation between CEOs and Financiers about the challenges and opportunities facing digital entertainment start-ups and not-so-start-ups. Venture and other sources of capital offer their views on the state of the funding marketplace.
- Producers Roundtable with Nina Yang Bongiovi – The industry’s top producers come together to debate how a reconfigured Hollywood is changing the way business gets done.
- Innovators List and Panel – An annual panel that highlights those in entertainment, media and tech industries who have disrupted their fields in the past year and challenged what it means to be an artist or creator in the space.
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