Katherine Fugate
Katherine Fugate (born July 14, 1965) is an American film and television writer and producer. Biography. She graduated with a B.A. in Theatre Arts and a minor in Journalism from University of California, Riverside. Fugate and her aunt, the actress Barbara Eden, are direct descendants of Benjamin Franklin. Her cousin was the late Matthew Ansara, son of Barbara Eden. Career. Fugate will make her feature directorial debut on the movie "Christy Martin" based on her script. Fugate is the creator and executive producer of the TV series, "Army Wives". Fugate is a frequent guest on "The Stephanie Miller  Show" on Sirius XM: Progress, often speaking out on racism, domestic violence and bigotry. She is the leader of "First They Came," an activist group and member of the Action Group Network standing up for equality and fairness for all. She appears on the show alone and also with her daughter, Madeleine, who is referred to as the Official Child Pundit of "The Stephanie Miller Show". Her piece on growing up with domestic violence and the link of domestic abuse to mass shootings was documented in "Nobody Would Have Been Surprised If I Had Died" and earned a spot on  Sports Illustrated"s Best of Journalism, 2017" list. Prior to that, she wrote "When The Racist Is Someone You Know And Love," which was translated into several languages and recorded into a podcast, and "White People Are Broken" about systemic racism. All her pieces can be found on Medium.com. She also wrote the screenplays for the 2010 film "Valentine's Day" and the 2011 follow-up, "New Year's Eve". Both films were directed by Garry Marshall and featured all-star ensemble casts. Fugate has been an active leader in the Writers Guild of America (WGA) for a number of years . She was a strike captain in the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike, then won a two-year seat on the Board of Directors for the WGA, West (WGAw) in 2008. Fugate was re-elected to the WGAw Board of Directors in 2010, 2012, and 2014. In 2008, she created The Writers Fund, an anonymous group of WGA writers who financially help other WGA writers in times of need. She was a member of the 2011 WGA Negotiating Committee. In 2011, Fugate was invited to the White House to participate in the "Joining Forces" military family awareness campaign of  First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Jill Biden. She hosted an event starring Mrs. Obama at the Writers Guild Theatre to further shine a light on military issues to the entertainment community. She has appeared on MSNBC, CNN and numerous radio shows and talks shows concerning posttraumatic stress disorder and other struggles of the military. She wrote a pro bono script for a Public Service Announcement starring Steven Spielberg and directed by Joanna Kerns. She is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. In 2012, she was elected to the Western Council of the Actors Fund, a  non-profit industry-wide charity. Article on Fugate in the February/March 2015 Awards Issue of "Written By" Magazine, discussing the realities of being a female screenwriter in Hollywood, "Can Feminist Values Save Hollywood?" As a board member, Fugate created a series of philosophical discussions on the impact the images created on screen in Film and TV have on real life events. The topics have included Violence In The Media, the Treatment of Women: On and Off Screen and Race In America: On and Off Screen. Awards and honorable recognitions. The Republique of France and La Ministre de la Culture  awarded Madame Katherine Fugate with the distinction of "Commandeur de L'Order des Arts et des Lettres," in Paris, 31 Mai 2018 She received a Gracie Allen Award and a WIN Award for "Army Wives", Season 1. In 2012, she received the Visionary Award for the strong portrayal of female characters in film and television. She was voted one of "Variety" magazine's Women of Impact, 2008. She was chosen by Film France as one of the top 10 screenwriters ("Valentine's Day") in September, 2010 and invited to France for the France Unlimited Access program. Personal life. Katherine Fugate has  never been married. She has been linked with both men and women. She is a single mom and has one child, daughter Madeleine Barbara (born 2006). She is a devoted fan of the New Orleans Saints and brought the team's co-owner, Rita Benson LeBlanc, to the "New Year's Eve" premiere. Fugate was an invited guest on the Krewe of Orpheus float in the Mardi Gras parade, 2011. She was featured in a 2013 episode of House Hunters International titled "Every Little Girl's Dream Comes True in Paris."