Biography
Jeff Whitty is an American playwright, screenwriter and actor. Born on 30 September 1971 in Coos Bay, Oregon, he trained as an actor, earning an MFA from New York University’s Graduate Acting Program, and has appeared in small roles in films including Shortbus (2006) and Garmento (2002), as well as television series such as As the World Turns.
Whitty is best known as a writer. He won the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for the Broadway hit Avenue Q (2003). His screenplay for the film Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018), co-written with Nicole Holofcener and based on Lee Israel’s memoir, earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, a Writers Guild of America Award and several other honours. He has also written the books for musicals including Bring It On and Head Over Heels, and several plays.
