Kay Cannon is a screenwriter, actress, and producer who was born in Illinois on August 22, 1974. She is best-known as the writer of the ‘Pitch Perfect’ films but is also known as a writer and producer for the series ’30 Rock’, ‘New Girl’, and ‘Girlboss’. Despite her talents, there are plenty of things that people do not know about this woman. Here are five facts that you probably didn’t know about Kay Cannon.
1. She Has an MA in Education
Cannon was raised as one of seven children in Custer Park in Illinois. After graduating from Reed-Custer High School in Braidwood, Illinois, Kay Cannon went on to study at Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois. She first achieved her BA in Theater and then received an MA in Education.
2. ‘Blockers’ Was Her Directorial Debut
Kay Cannon made her directorial debut with ‘Blockers’, which was released on April 6, 2018, by Universal Pictures. The film was co-written by Jim Kehoe, Hayden Schlossberg, Jon Hurwitz, and Eben Russell. It stars John Cena, Ike Barinholtz, and Leslie Mann. The movie is about three sets of parents who are trying to stop their daughters from losing their virginity on prom night. So far, the film has received positive reviews from critics.
3. She Has Been Married Twice
Kay Cannon has been married twice. Her first husband was American comedian Jason Sudeikis. They married in 2004 after dating for five years. Sadly, the relationship did not last and they separated in 2008 before divorcing in 2010. She then married her second husband Eben Russell, a comedy writer. In October 2013, their daughter was born. They named her Evelyn Rose ‘Leni’ Russell.
4. Tina Fey is Partly responsible for Kay Cannon’s Success as a Screenwriter
Kay Cannon has achieved such success because of her own talents. However, she was helped at the beginning of her career by actress Tina Fey who supported her in getting her foot on the first rung of the ladder to begin her career as a screenwriter. Cannon met Fey while she was performing around Chicago and it was at the time when Fey was creating the hit NBC series ’30 Rock’. She got Cannon a job as a staff writer on the series. Cannon then rose up the ranks to become supervising producer. For her work on this series, Cannon won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedic Series on three occasions and also won the Peabody Award in 2008.
5. She Had a Cameo Role in ‘Pitch Perfect 2′
Although Cannon is better-known for her work behind the cameras, she has made several on-screen appearances as an actress. She had a cameo role in ‘Pitch Perfect 2′, which is a film she wrote and produced. She starred in the independent film ‘The Little Tin Man’ and in 2016, she appeared in the comedy film ‘How to Be Single’. Cannon has made guest appearances on ’30 Rock’, ‘New Girl’, and ‘Cristele’. These three series are all aired on NBC. In the earlier stages of her career, she performed improv and sketches in a variety of theaters in Chicago, New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.
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