This week we are debuting a new addition to our entertainment column. As I’m sure many of you know, because we all probably know at least one person ourselves, there’s a bunch of Rochesterians who have moved out to LA and had some great successes in the business. We thought what better way to celebrate entertainment and our hometown pride than profiling them in here!
Our first profile is former Rochesterian and HF-L class of 2007 grad Mackenzie Dohr. After Mackenzie stayed local (relatively speaking) and attended Ithaca College (they have some stellar alumni including yours truly) where she studied Culture and Communications with a concentration in film. Last year she was named on The Tracking Board’s “Young and Hungry List 2015 – The Top 100 Writers on the Verge!”
Hollywood Scoop:What made you decide to move to LA?
Dohr: I loved Ithaca and the small town feel of the campus, but I knew I really wanted to live in a big city after graduation. I studied abroad in London my junior year and loved it. LA was a natural choice since I wanted to work in entertainment and I had family out here. Plus I was excited to finally live somewhere WARM!
Hollywood Scoop: What was your first job?
Dohr: I got a job working at Imagine Television, which is a company run by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. It was an amazing experience – I learned so much about the industry very quickly. I got to work on shows like “Arrested Development” and “Empire” and it was during my time there when I really started to see television writing as a career.
Hollywood Scoop: Where are you currently working?
Dohr: For the past two years, I’ve worked for a writer and producer named David Hemingson. He’s been writing TV for 20 years and is truly a master. He’s been my mentor and has taught me so much about comedy writing and what it takes to succeed in this business.
Hollywood Scoop: What’s your career end-goal?
Dohr: I don’t have a real end-goal in sight. At this point, I want to continue writing and see where it takes me. I’ve written a couple films which I have also really enjoyed doing. It’s a really exciting time for TV right now. There are many different places you can watch amazing content and there is so much great stuff out there. Which is good for me because there’s an appetite for new material. I really just want to write good, funny stuff that people want to watch. I’ve always been drawn to comedy and my goal is really just to make people laugh. Which is harder than it seems! Dramatic movies and television usually get more notoriety and critical acclaim but comedy is HARD. It’s completely subjective and that makes it very difficult. But that’s another thing I love about it. I have a lot of respect for great comedians and comedy writers. I know how hard they work.
Hollywood Scoop: I know you sold your first script last year, can you talk about that process?
Dohr: I wrote a script called “Suffragette City” that was a period comedy set during the 1910s. I wrote it with the intention of having a great sample to send to producers and networks but it ended up getting a lot of heat. I sold it to a studio last summer and was completely blown away by the process. It happened insanely fast. One minute I was questioning whether anyone would even think it was funny and the next I was talking to a lawyer who was negotiating a deal. It was actually kind of surreal. Mainly because things like that rarely happen. Hollywood can be frustrating and depressing and I always had the attitude that things happen very slowly, over many years and I would have to work a long time before selling something. But then of course it happened overnight. I got very lucky and I was in the right place at the right time. Plus, I have a great manager who helped me develop the script and got me in front of the right people. It was very exciting and heartening but at the same time – you can’t rest on your laurels. I’m continuing to write and work hard so that an opportunity like that will hopefully come again.
Hollywood Scoop: Is there anything you learned back in Rochester that you think helped you out in LA?
Dohr: I loved growing up in such a small town. Although I didn’t really appreciate it at the time, having that experience has really helped me in LA. Growing up with such a tight-knit community was a special thing that not everyone has. I also have an amazing family that always encouraged me to be creative and dream big. They sat through many horrible “comedy videos” that I made as a kid and have always supported me. I wouldn’t have survived in LA without them. When I meet people from LA and tell them I grew up in Honeoye Falls, NY, a one-stoplight town, they often don’t believe me. They can’t even picture what that would be like. So I tell them about the Falls and the Festival on the Green and Buff Chick pizza and how I walked to school and then they get jealous. “Your childhood sounds idyllic.” And when I think about it, it really was. I’m so grateful for that. Some days when the traffic is bad here, I wish I could just ride my bike to Dipper Dan’s and get a chocolate and vanilla twist. People love frozen yogurt here which I don’t understand. Nothing will ever beat Dipper Dan’s.
Hollywood Scoop: What’s your favorite thing about LA?
Dohr: LA often gets a reputation as being superficial but I’ve found it to be the exact opposite. People are kind and tolerant and vibrant and interesting. What’s funny is that the majority of the people I meet are from other places. They come to LA to pursue their careers or to experience something new but it really is one giant melting pot. What I love most about it is how much there is to explore and experience. Hollywood is just one small part of this city and I’m always finding new things to do. Also, people say the weather in LA is overrated but after living through 21 Rochester Winters I can tell you that no, it is not. It’s amazing.
Hollywood Scoop: Tell us about the Young and Hungry List. (Oh, BTW, congrats on that!)
Dohr: Oh yeah! So it’s a list that comes out every year and I was on it this year! Here is the blurb from the website. “Every year, a new Young & Hungry List is compiled from across the industry, proudly showcasing those writers most eager to stake their claim. Voted on by Hollywood’s most influential players, each list distinguishes a fresh slate of up-and-coming creatives preparing to take the next step in their careers. Whether it be a newcomer making their first big splash, a sophomore writer coming into their prime, or an established veteran returning to their roots, they all share one thing: the unrelenting drive to make their mark.”
Hollywood Scoop: Any piece of advice for someone who aspires to work in the entertainment industry?
Dohr: The best part about the entertainment industry is that it’s constantly growing and changing. People love being entertained and there will always be a need for it. My biggest advice is to work hard and be patient. No one wants to hear that the work is hard and the hours are long, but it’s a difficult industry. However, if you love it, you’ll do the work and you’ll keep pushing through because that’s the only way to get what you want. If you are a writer or a performer or an artist, just keep working at it. Just keep doing it every day and not stopping. A lot of people dream about things, but if you want to achieve the dream you have to do. That is the best lesson I’ve learned working in this industry and it has gotten me this far. And don’t get discouraged and give up! If you have a dream and a desire to do something, don’t hold yourself back. Keep going.
Hollywood Scoop: We’ll end with a fun question: What’s your favorite TV show on right now?
Dohr: I have many but my favorites right now are “Veep”, “Broad City” and “Orange is the New Black.”
