Tracey Wigfield

Tracey Wigfield was an American comedy writer who found great success and acclaim under the tutelage of some of modern comedy's most famous women, including Tina Fey and Mindy Kaling. Born in Wayne, NJ, Wigfield was interested in comedy from a very young age, spending many a weekend recording skits with friends on her family's video camera. After graduating from Boston College in 2005 with a degree in theater and English, Wigfield took an internship at CNN. After that internship ended, she became a page on the set of the "Late Show with David Letterman" (CBS, 1993-2015), then a production assistant on the short-lived sitcom "The Knights of Prosperity" (ABC, 2007). While writing and performing with the Upright Citizens Brigade theater, Wigfield met Tina Fey, who hired the 23-year-old as a staff writer on her groundbreaking sitcom "30 Rock" (NBC, 2006-2013). Wigfield ended up being one of the longest-running members of the writer's room, eventually moving her way up to lead writer, and finally, producer. She and Fey co-wrote the series finale, which won them each an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. Following the end of "30 Rock," Wigfield joined the writing staff of "The Mindy Project" (Fox/Hulu, 2012-17), and was eventually named executive producer alongside the show's creator and star, Mindy Kaling. She would also occasionally appear on the show, playing Dr. Lauren Neustadter. In 2017, Wigfield created her own series, the workplace comedy "Great News" (NBC, 2017-). Executive produced by Fey (who occasionally cameoed on the show as well), the series dealt with an up-and-coming news producer (Briga Heelan), whose overbearing mother (Andrea Martin) becomes an intern on her show. "Great News" premiered to rave reviews and strong ratings on April 25, 2017, and was renewed for a second season less than a month later. Wigfield guest starred on the series as the news program's sociopathic meteorologist Beth, wearing an absurdly long braid as a never-mentioned character trait.