Draft:Moira McMahon Leeper
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Moira McMahon Leeper is an American screenwriter and story consultant.
Early life and Education
[edit]Moira McMahon Leeper grew up in Evanston, Illinois, where her upbringing fostered an early passion for storytelling.[1] She attended undergrad at Trinity University, where she earned a BA in English.[2] Following graduation, she moved to Los Angeles and attended the USC School of Cinematic Arts, earning an MFA in Writing for Screen and Television. While at USC, she developed a strong foundation in screenwriting, structure, and character development, which would later shape her professional career.
Career
[edit]Television Writing
[edit]Leeper began her career in television as a medical researcher for Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice (ABC), where she contributed to breaking medical stories, attending production meetings, and ensuring script accuracy. Her writing debut came with the Private Practice episode "Love and Lies"(2012), which was named a "What to Watch" by Entertainment Weekly.
She later joined the writing team for MTV's Teen Wolf, contributing to the episode "Silverfinger" (2014) as a staff writer. In the animation space, she wrote for DC Super Hero Girls (Warner Bros.) and Gabby's Dollhouse (DreamWorks), expanding her work across multiple genres and audiences.
Feature Films
[edit]Leeper wrote the independent feature film A Light Beneath Their Feet (2015), which starred Taryn Manning (Orange Is the New Black) and Madison Davenport (Sharp Objects).[3] The film received critical acclaim and won multiple festival awards, including:
- MVFF Audience Favorite, Gold Award – 2015 US Cinema Indie – Mill Valley Film Festival[4]
- Audience Award – Best Feature Narrative Film, 2016 San Luis Obispo International Film Festival
- Stubbornly Independent Award, 2015 – Tallgrass Film Festival
- Alliance of Women Film Journalists EDA Award, Best Female-Directed Narrative Feature, 2015 -Whistler Film Festival
- Rising Star Award (Madison Davenport) – Vail Film Festival[5]
RogerEbert.com praised her writing, stating "McMahon finds just the right note for each new scene, never overwriting moments that could've easily dribbled off into expositional overkill... 'A Light Beneath Their Feet' is a triumph of empathetic filmmaking."[6]
Development and Story Consulting
[edit]In addition to writing, Leeper has developed original pilots and feature scripts. Her television pilots "MADDOX" (NBC), "TARZANA" (Southpaw Entertainment), and "SHAW" (Steel Springs Pictures) have been optioned for development. On the feature side, her script "Perfect Mandy" was optioned by Water's End Productions, and "Home School Prom" was optioned by PHD Productions.
Leeper is also a story consultant, working with writers, directors, and production companies to refine scripts, oversee story progression, and facilitate communication between creative teams. Through her consulting business, StoryPath with Moira, she has mentored showrunners, novelists, and industry professionals in screenwriting and storytelling.
Academic Career
[edit]Leeper has held teaching positions in screenwriting and storytelling, including serving as:
- Director of the Screenwriting Division at USC's School of Cinematic Arts
- Adjunct Professor at DePaul University's School of Cinematic Arts, where she taught half-hour comedy writing
She continues to teach private classes in prose writing, pilot development, and screenwriting structure through StoryPath by Moira.
Personal life
[edit]Leeper is passionate about exploring themes of mental health, resilience, and transformation in her work. She resides in Los Angeles, California, where she balances writing, consulting, and mentoring emerging screenwriters.
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Private Practice | [Writer] | Episode: "Love and Lies" |
| 2014 | Teen Wolf | [Writer] | Episode: "Silverfinger" |
| 2020 | DC Super Hero Girls | [Writer] | Episode: "The Minus" |
| "Gabby's Dollhouse | [Writer] | Episode: "Toolbox" | |
| 2015 | A Light Beneath Their Feet | [Screenwriter] |
References
[edit]- ^ Lundin, Carey. "Writer Leeper's first feature filming in Evanston". Reel Chicago. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
- ^ Anchondo, Carlos. "Writing a Light English alumna pens a Hollywood feature film about the power of family". Trinity University. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
- ^ Indie Outlook. "MADISON DAVENPORT ON "A LIGHT BENEATH THEIR FEET"". Indie Outlook. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
- ^ "THAT'S A WRAP: THE 38TH MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL CONCLUDES" (PDF). Mill Valley Film Festival.
- ^ Vail Daily Staff Report. "Vail Film Festival announces Rising Star tribute, opening and closing films". Vail Daily. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
- ^ Fagerholm, Matt. "A Light Beneath Their Feet". Rogerebert.com. Retrieved May 6, 2016.