Liesl Tommy is a Tony® nominated, award-winning international theater, TV, and film director.  

She is known in the theater world for her development of exciting new works as well as her innovative interpretation of classics. She is the first Black woman ever nominated for a Tony Award® for Best Direction of a Play, which she earned for Eclipsed by Danai Gurira starring Lupita Nyong’o. Liesl has directed over 50 productions throughout the world, including the first stage adaptation of Frozen as a multimedia extravaganza for Disneyland and her production of Les Miserables for Dallas Theater Centre, both of which she shifted casting to center people of color. Tommy has also enjoyed a successful career directing episodes of television including Queen Sugar, Insecure, The Walking Dead, and Mrs. Fletcher. She recently directed the feature film Respect, based on the life of music icon Aretha Franklin, starring Jennifer Hudson as the Queen of Soul with Forest Whitaker, Audra McDonald, and Mary J. Blige.