Ellen Ancui

Ellen is a middlescent, neuro-diverse, gluten-free writer for TV, film, theater, and animation who hails from Long Island and lives in Pasadena. Her edgy traumedies focus on sexual irreverence and female protagonists who feel like imposters and are desperately trying to fit in, much like her own life! Ellen’s Catholic, Sicilian mom converted for her German, Jewish dad but would sneak ham sandwiches to the kids in the garage. It’s no wonder Ellen loves storytelling and food.

In NYC, Ellen was a private chef for Oscar-winning writer Horton Foote, who liked to watch her cook while they’d chat about writing. “It’s all about the characters,” he would say, and that stuck with her. Ellen founded a performance space, Solo Arts Group, in NYC, and provided the first home for the original Upright Citizens Brigade (Amy Poehler, Ian Walsh). Conan O’Brien saw them there and the rest is history.

Ellen transplanted to LA after the success of her one-woman shows, and was staffed on the sitcom, MALCOLM & EDDIE. After one season, Ellen embarked on her biggest production to date, the adoption of her Chinese daughter. She also fulfilled her parents’ dream by working in law for almost twenty years. Now, Ellen is developing several TV and feature projects, has written two episodes for the Netflix animated show, BROWN & FRIENDS, is in pre-production for her short film, FOUND, and is writing a tantalizing and cheeky cookbook called Saucy!