Michelle Krusiec Named Regents' Lecturer at The UCLA School Of Theater, Film And Television

Brian Kite, interim dean of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television (UCLA TFT) announced today that actor, writer, director and activist Michelle Krusiec (Hollywood, Float) has been named a Regents' Lecturer in the Department of Theater at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Her appointment, for a period of two weeks, will take place Nov. 1-12, 2021.

The Regents of the University of California have established the Regents' Professors and Lecturers Program to permit the appointment, on a visiting basis, of distinguished leaders from fields outside the traditional boundaries of the academic world to enrich the university's instructional program and increase students' exposure to a diverse range of successful professionals, artists and others.

On Friday, Nov. 12 at 3:00 p.m. PT, Krusiec will participate in a frank and funny livestream conversation with Dean Kite, "Playing with No Consequences: A Conversation with Michelle Krusiec," about the lessons of invisibility and how it forces individuals to delve deeper into their work as storytellers. This event is sponsored by the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television with support from the UCLA Center for the Study of Women, the UCLA Asian American Studies Center and the UCLA Department of Asian American Studies. This free event will stream from UCLA TFT's Darren Star Screening Room. RSVP on Eventbrite.

"I am so pleased that UCLA Chancellor Gene Block has extended an invitation for Michelle to serve as a Regents' Lecturer," says Kite. "Our students will greatly benefit from her knowledge as an artist who has advocated for underrepresented people throughout her career. I am looking forward to hearing her perspective."

"UCLA TFT is a such an incredible leader in developing storytellers," Krusiec says. "I'm honored to be sharing my process with this community in the hopes that they gain a little more insight on career sustainability and how to stay resilient in light of both success and failure."

Krusiec's extensive credits as an actor in both television and film include the iconic movie legend Anna May Wong in Ryan Murphy's Netflix project Hollywood and a recurring role on CBS' Hawaii Five-0. Her work in Saving Face, directed by Alice Wu, brought her the distinction of being the only Asian American actress to be nominated for a Best Actress Golden Horse Award, Taiwan's equivalent to the Academy Award. On stage, she starred in Wild Goose Dreams at The Public Theater, directed by Leigh Silverman.

As a filmmaker, Krusiec is dedicated to creating narratives that place API and marginalized groups at the center of their own narratives. Krusiec's work as an advocate for API causes has been honored by The White House, the State of California and the Museum of Chinese in America. She launched her writing career with the critically acclaimed solo show Made in Taiwan and is the co-writer of the upcoming feature film Tiger Mom.

Krusiec is one of eight directors in the 2021 AFI Directing Workshop for Women, was a Screenwriting Fellow at the Center for Asian American Media and holds a certificate in screenwriting from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television's Professional Programs.

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