Jill Twiss
{{Short description|American writer}}
Jill Twiss is an American writer best known for her work on the HBO show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hbo.com/last-week-tonight-with-john-oliver/cast-and-crew|title=Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Cast and Crew|website=HBO|language=en|access-date=March 22, 2018}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/17/opinion/jill-twiss.html|title=Jill Twiss|last=Murphy|first=Kate|date=April 16, 2016|work=The New York Times|access-date=March 24, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}} She is a senior writer on the show and she portrays its "Janice from Accounting" character.{{Cite web|url=http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/linda-from-hr/261736/fox-headhunts-linda-from-hr-from-john-olivers-last-week-tonight|title=Fox Headhunts Linda From HR From John Oliver's Last Week Tonight|last=Marks|first=Andrew|date=January 27, 2017|website=Den of Geek|language=en|access-date=March 23, 2018}} She authored a children's book called A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo about a fictional day in the life of Marlon Bundo (Vice President Mike Pence's pet rabbit), as part of a Last Week Tonight sketch, which went on to be a best seller.
Early life
She was born in Redmond, Oregon, and grew up in six different U.S. states due to her father's reassignments as part of the U.S. Forest Service.{{Cite web|url=https://www.redmondspokesman.com/news/6306027-151/emmy-winning-best-selling-author-was-born-in-redmond|title=Emmy-winning, best-selling author was born in Redmond|last=Folsom|first=Geoff|date=June 20, 2018|work=Redmond Spokesman|access-date=March 22, 2018}} While Twiss was studying public policy and music in the College of William & Mary, her parents moved to Custer, South Dakota, and there she got interested in theater. After graduating in 1998,{{cite web|url=https://advancement.wm.edu/news/2017/w-m-alumni-honored-at-69th-emmys.php|title=W&M alumni honored at 69th Emmys|date=September 25, 2017|first=Mona|last=Sharaf|publisher=College of William & Mary| access-date=March 22, 2018}} Twiss performed at the Black Hills Playhouse during the 1999 and 2000 seasons. After graduating, Twiss got accepted into a law school in New York City, but instead joined a touring children's theater troupe, and only moved to New York in 2001 with hopes of furthering her acting career.{{cite web|url=https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/south-dakota-humor-charms-new-york-audience/article_48e8b91b-47e8-5106-8ce8-954f46145c79.html|title=South Dakota humor charms New York audience|first=Lynn|last=Taylor Rick|date=February 26, 2004|work=Rapid City Journal| access-date=March 22, 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://carrieonthearts.com/2017/09/23/twiss-family-shines-at-the-emmys/|title=Twiss family shines at the Emmys|date=September 23, 2017|author=Moore, Carrie|publisher=Carrie on the Arts|access-date=March 22, 2018|archive-date=October 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028055414/http://carrieonthearts.com/2017/09/23/twiss-family-shines-at-the-emmys/|url-status=dead}}
Career
While doing acting and stand-up comedy gigs in New York, Twiss sought writing jobs. As she learned about HBO preparing Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and recruiting writers through blind auditions, Twiss sent them sample segments, which in turn led to a demand for a second batch, and after an interview with John Oliver himself she was hired.{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2014/08/john-olivers-search-for-new-voices-in-late-night-206120/|title=John Oliver's Search for New Voices in Late Night|first=Inkoo|last=Kang|date=August 8, 2014| access-date=March 22, 2018}}
As a member of the writing staff for Last Week Tonight, Twiss has won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series multiple times.
= ''A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo'' =
{{Main|A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo}}
In March 2018, as a writer on Last Week Tonight, Twiss authored a children's book called A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo about a fictional day in the life of Marlon Bundo, the real-life pet rabbit of the Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence. The story details the same-sex romance between Marlon Bundo and another rabbit named Wesley. It was written in response to Pence's staunch opposition to same-sex marriage and support of conversion therapy advocate James Dobson.{{cite news|url=https://www.avclub.com/john-oliver-hijacks-homophobe-mike-pences-bunny-book-wi-1823879129|title=John Oliver hijacks homophobe Mike Pence's bunny book with a better one in A Day In The Life Of Marlon Bundo|last=Perkins|first=Dennis|date=March 19, 2018|work=AV Club|access-date=March 19, 2018}}
Twiss conceptualized the book as a loose parody of Marlon Bundo's: A Day in the Life of the Vice President, written by Charlotte Pence and illustrated by Karen Pence (Mike Pence's daughter and wife, respectively). Their book also tells about a fictionalized day of the Pence family's pet rabbit, but without the LGBT themes.{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/19/politics/marlon-bundo-book/index.html|title=John Oliver is trolling Pence with a book about a gay bunny|last=Klein|first=Betsy|date=March 19, 2018|work=CNN|access-date=March 19, 2018}} Rather than a straight-up parody of the Pences' book, A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo is an actual children's story about marriage equality and democracy.{{Cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/john-oliver-mike-pence-bundo-book_us_5aaf3ac3e4b0337adf8520a7|title=John Oliver Wants Your Help Telling Mike Pence To 'Go F**k Himself'|last=Mazza|first=Ed|date=March 19, 2018|work=Huffington Post|access-date=March 19, 2018|language=en-US}}{{Cite magazine|url=http://ew.com/tv/2018/03/19/john-oliver-mike-pence-marlon-bundo/|title=John Oliver's gay bunny 'Marlon Bundo' book is now No. 1 on Amazon|last=Rosen|first=Christopher|date=March 19, 2018|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=March 19, 2018|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/a-day-in-the-life-of-marlon-bundo|title=A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo - Book Review|last=McMahon|first=Regan|date=March 20, 2018|work=Common Sense Media|access-date=March 20, 2018|publisher=Common Sense|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180321063156/https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/a-day-in-the-life-of-marlon-bundo|archive-date=March 21, 2018|url-status=dead}} It nevertheless contains some stabs at Mike Pence.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2018/03/19/john-oliver-takes-vice-president-mike-pence-and-his-pet-rabbit-marlon-bundo/YV9ax1vgkIYBNta9PphIxN/story.html|title=John Oliver takes on Vice President Mike Pence — and his pet rabbit, Marlon Bundo|last=Schick|first=Martha|date=March 19, 2018|work=The Boston Globe|access-date=March 19, 2018}}
On the day of release, John Oliver promoted the book on Last Week Tonight at the conclusion of an episode mainly dedicated to Pence and his positions on LGBT issues; it became a bestseller and the #1 book and e-book on Amazon the following day, receiving notable praise and selling much better than the crew of Last Week Tonight had expected. All profits from the book are being donated to The Trevor Project and AIDS United.{{Cite news|url=http://ew.com/tv/2018/03/19/john-oliver-mike-pence-marlon-bundo/|title=John Oliver's gay bunny 'Marlon Bundo' book is now No. 1 on Amazon|work=EW.com|access-date=2018-03-19|language=en}}{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs2RlZQVXBU|title=Mike Pence|date=March 18, 2018|last=Oliver|first=John|publisher=HBO|author-link=John Oliver|accessdate=March 18, 2018|via=YouTube|df=mdy-all}}
= ''The Someone New'' =
Twiss authored The Someone New, which was subsequently published in June 2018. The story revolves around Jitterbug, a chipmunk fearful of change. When a snail named Pudding moves into the woods, Jitterbug learns to overcome her fear with the help of her animal-friends.{{Cite web|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-06-29337-4-4|website=www.publishersweekly.com|access-date=2019-12-01|title=The Someone New}}
As part of the books premise of practicing kindness for strangers, Twiss partnered with the charity KIND (Kids in Need of Defense) on her book, and both she and her publisher, HarperCollins made donations to the charity.{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/4fef59256d354a0fad6cfd08737f868a|title=Team that spoofed Pence book has new picture story|date=2019-01-16|website=AP NEWS|access-date=2019-12-01}}
Twiss and the book's illustrator EG Keller released a second book about voting through the publisher HarperCollins called "Everyone Gets a Say" on August 25th 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062933751/everyone-gets-a-say|title=Everyone Gets a Say - Jill Twiss - Hardcover|website=HarperCollins Publishers: World-Leading Book Publisher|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-01}}
Awards and nominations
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.jilltwiss.com/ Official Website]
{{EmmyAward ComedyVarietyMusicWriting 2010s}}
{{EmmyAward ComedyVarietyMusicWriting 2020s}}
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Category:People from Redmond, Oregon
Category:Actresses from Oregon
Category:Comedians from Oregon
Category:Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Category:American children's writers
Category:American women children's writers
Category:College of William & Mary alumni
Category:People from Custer, South Dakota
Category:21st-century American comedians
Category:21st-century American women
Category:Writers Guild of America Award winners
Category:American women television writers