Close-up of a woman with long blonde hair, green eyes, and red lipstick, wearing a black top, against a dark, textured background.

Who is Julie Benson ?

Hello!

I'm an Emmy-winning TV writer and producer (live-action, animation, comics) and during my 20+ year career, I’ve learned the business from every angle. That’s why I’m confident in passing along not just how to write for TV, but how the entire machine actually works.

See my full Credits and Writing Samples.

Here’s my origin story…

PAYING MY DUES

I cut my teeth in Hollywood working as the Office Manager of Dustin Hoffman’s production company Punch Productions. After a few years, I was promoted to be his personal assistant. Here’s a nice photo of the two of us in his trailer during shooting of “Meet the Fockers.” (Blink and you’ll miss my name flying by in the credits.)

Dustin Hoffman and Julie Benson

From there, I was assistant to Producer Tripp Vinson at Contrafilm on films “The Number 23”, “The Guardian”, and “The Exorcism of Emily Rose”. Here’s a pic of me and Development Executive Gitty Daneshvari at video village for “The Guardian” in 2006.

Gitty Daneshvari and Julie Benson The Guardian

I got pretty darn good at reading scripts, giving notes, and finding new voices that I was hired as the Development Executive for Bauer Martinez… which folded a short year later. But while there, I met uber Producer Cerise Hallam Larkin who started her own company Untold Pictures and she brought me on as the Development Executive. This is us at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008.

Cerise Hallam Larkin and Julie Benson in Cannes

I decided to transition into television and worked at CBS Studios for the brilliant Kim Metcalf and Amy Reisenbach in the Development Department. That was an amazing opportunity to learn how Studio and Network operated as I worked on over 20+ shows for the two powerhouse bosses.

Julie Benson CBS Studios desk

That job inspired me to work with writers, so I made the leap to assist Josh Friedman the “Locke and Key” & “The Asset” pilots, and “The Finder” for FOX. After that, I was an assistant to Showrunner Zack Estrin on ABC’s “Zero Hour” and was promoted to Writers’ Assistant on “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland”. I followed writer Rina Mimoun over to ABC’s “Mistresses” where she was Co-Showrunning with K.J. Steinberg and I got a shot as the script coordinator.

Julie Benson Zero Hour screen credit

This breaks the timeline, but because it wasn’t part of The Benson Sister ventures, I’ll place it here. But in 2019, I was an Executive Producer on the incredible documentary film “Stuntman” for Disney+, but it’s been unceremoniously removed from streaming. (Boo, but hey, we won Audience Award for Best Documentary Film at the LA Film Festival, got Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) to Executive Produce, and I got this cool picture at the premiere.)

Julie Benson Stuntman Premiere red carpet

While I was doing all those jobs, my sister Shawna Benson was also working in Hollywood and at night, we were writing our spec scripts. We finally got our first big break (and an Emmy Award) for the YouTube web series “Emma Approved.” From there, we landed our first staff writing job on The CW's “The 100.” It was 2015 and we were officially WGA writers!

Shawna Benson and Julie Benson Vancouver The 100

After three incredible seasons penning the critically-acclaimed post-apocalyptic series, we jumped to Netflix's action packed “Wu Assassins” as Co-Producers.

Wu Assassins Writers

Then we boldly ventured into animation, writing for “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” and serving as Co-Producers on Nickelodeon's Emmy nominated “Star Trek: Prodigy”. In 2023 we were honored to write for Season Two of “Batman: Caped Crusader”, hopefully out soon on Amazon Prime Video.

Star Trek: Prodigy Writers

While writing for TV, we also dove into the DC Comics universe during their 2016 Rebirth launch. We wrote “Batgirl and the Birds of Prey” (2016-2018) and followed it up with a 7-issue run on “Green Arrow” and “Green Arrow Annual (Volume 6).” We returned to comics in 2023 with “Batgirl and the Birds of Prey - Baewatch” for “G'nort's Swimsuit Edition #1.”

Julie Benson and Shawna Benson DC

WHATNOT

When I’m not sharing the tools, templates, and strategies I've used throughout my Hollywood career (so you don't have to figure it all out from scratch like I did) I’m documenting my journey here on Writing & Whatnot. I have an insatiable curiosity and am currently exploring:

  • Project management (turns out producing TV is basically advanced PM)

  • Mixology (I love learning the origin stories behind liquor brands and craft cocktails.)

  • Theme park design (immersive experiences are the future of narrative and something I’m excited to try my hand someday.)

  • Forgotten women in history (because their stories deserve to be told)

In case it helps, I’m posting the tools I’ve used during my crazy career on my Amazon Storefront. (Affiliate link gives me a tiny commission at no cost to you.)

Thank you for visiting the site and if you read this far, you’re my kind of people, so please check out the contact page and let’s keep in touch.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • I totally did! It was for the webseries “Emma Approved” and the exact award was "Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media - Original Interactive Program". In 2022, “Star Trek: Prodigy” was nominated for an “Outstanding Animated Series” award at the first ever Children’s & Family Emmy Awards

  • I was fortunate to work on Season One of “Star Trek: Prodigy” and penned an episode of “He Man - Masters of the Universe” (no, not the Kevin Smith one) for Netflix. Shawna and I were honored to be writers for Season Two of Bruce Timm’s “Batman: The Caped Crusader.”

  • I worked on: “Zero Hour” for ABC, the Josh Friedman “Locke & Key” pilot, and “The Asset” pilot, “The Finder” for FOX, “Mistresses” for ABC, and was in a mini writers’ room for “Lore” S3. I wrote for: CW’s “The 100”, Netflix’s “Wu Assassins”, and “Emma Approved” which aired on YouTube.

  • Knee-deep, duh.

  • I’m working on it as we speak! Give me your email and I’ll send you the latest and greatest Writing and Whatnot as it drops, oh and I promise not to spam you.

  • You’d have to ask Shawna Benson, my writing partner and sister but I’m sure she’d say I’m full of ideas, great at writing dialogue, and striving to always learn and fine-tune my craft. OK, I lied, she’d probably say I’m little sister bossy or something, but we’ll forgive her.

  • Pretty easily, to be honest. We have similar interests, voices, and it’s worked out pretty good for us so far. Check out thebensonsisters.com for our joint credits. This site is my solo project where I share screenwriting tips, Hollywood war stories, and the "whatnot."

  • I did act in high school musicals, but no, I’m not be confused with actress Julia Benson who was on “Stargate” or the novelist from Texas, Julie Benson. I write with my sister Shawna Benson. Fun fact: I searched and there are at almost 600 other Julie Benson’s out there, we should start a support group.