Sarah Gertrude Shapiro is a renowned television producer, writer, and director, best known for creating the critically acclaimed series UnREAL. Born in Santa Barbara, California, Shapiro began writing at the tender age of five and declared herself a director at 16. She went on to graduate from Sarah Lawrence College with a degree in Fiction Writing and Filmmaking.
Shapiro's professional journey began in the New York indie film scene, where she interned at Killer Films with Christine Vachon and honed her skills in the experimental film world alongside Miranda July. However, she took an unexpected detour into reality TV, which ultimately led her to flee to Oregon.
After her stint in reality TV, Shapiro returned to Hollywood and developed UnREAL, a fictional behind-the-scenes look at the production of a dating competition program. The series premiered to rave reviews and was included on several "Best of 2015" lists, including those from The New Yorker and Time Magazine.
Throughout the four-season run of UnREAL, Shapiro directed numerous episodes, executive produced every season, and wrote many episodes. She also wrote and directed the spin-off series The Faith Diaries, which follows the character of Faith from UnREAL.
Shapiro is a vocal advocate for women's representation in the entertainment industry and has been a stalwart supporter of the Broad Focus initiative at A+E and Lifetime. She has given a TED Talk on her own journey in Hollywood and has committed to hiring female directors.
