Lorene Scafaria (born May 1, 1978) is an American filmmaker and actress. She wrote and directed the films Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012), The Meddler (2015), and Hustlers (2019), and wrote the film Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008).
Scafaria's television work includes directing episodes of Succession, New Girl, and I Love LA. She directed the Succession episodes "Too Much Birthday" (2021), "Honeymoon States" (2023), and "Living+" (2023), earning nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for "Too Much Birthday" and "Living+", as well as a nomination for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Drama Series for "Too Much Birthday".
Scafaria is also a singer, songwriter, and pianist who has released two albums of original songs called Garden Party and Laughter and Forgetting. Some of her songs have been featured in films such as Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist and Whip It! (2009).
Early life Scafaria was born in Holmdel, New Jersey, on May 1, 1978, the daughter of Gail (née Kiernan) and Joseph Scafaria (1939–2009). Her mother is a Canadian-American, while her father was an Italian immigrant from Gioia Tauro. She has a brother named Vincent. She became interested in writing when she began making a book report on a fake book every month in order to win Pizza Hut gift certificates from her school. By the age of 17, she had written and staged her first play in Red Bank, New Jersey. At 19, she starred in the independent film Big Helium Dog by Brian Lynch, produced by Kevin Smith. After graduating from Holmdel High School in 1995, she attended Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. Unable to afford the tuition fees, she transferred to Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey, where she earned a BA in English with a minor in theater.
Career Scafaria moved to New York City and wrote, directed, and acted in a play at the Producer's Club Theatre called That Guy and Others Like Him. She had a small role in the acclaimed short film Bullet in the Brain, which won awards at festivals.
Scafaria sent out queries to many agencies, one of whom replied that they would represent her if she moved to Los Angeles. She moved there and became roommates with fellow screenwriter Bryan Sipe, whom she had previously met while making a film in New Jersey. They paired up to write a children's adventure film called Legend Has It, which was purchased by Revolution Studios; however, the project was shelved.
In 2005, Scafaria was hired by Focus Features to adapt the book Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist into a film of the same name. It was her ninth screenplay and her first adaptation. She told MovieMaker, "I grew up in suburban New Jersey, so I immediately identified with the characters, especially Norah. Everything from feeling uncomfortable in my own skin to having a father who's larger than life (even if only in your mind), her plight really spoke to me and seemed like it would speak to a lot of young girls. It wasn't hard to get inside the characters' heads—the authors' voices are so strong."
In 2012, the Fempire (a quartet of writers consisting of Scafaria and her close friends Diablo Cody, Dana Fox, and Liz Meriwether) received the Athena Film Festival Award for Creativity and Sisterhood. Scafaria wrote the Iraq War docudrama Sweet Relief for Paramount Pictures and The Mighty Flynn, a spec script for Warner Brothers. She also wrote the film Man and Wife, which had Gabriele Muccino attached to direct.
During the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, Scafaria recorded an album called Garden Party, featuring original songs she sang and played on the piano; it was not officially released until 2010. The 2009 film Whip It! features her song "28" in the closing credits. She released her second album Laughter and Forgetting in April 2010.
Scafaria wrote and directed the post-apocalyptic romantic comedy film Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012), making her directorial debut. She said of the film, "Two people at the end of the world—all the chaos that's around them—some people are just mowing their lawn and other people are doing heroin... I like intimate stories of people and how they relate to each other."
In 2013, Scafaria had a role in Jim Byrkit's micro-budget sci-fi film Coherence, which became a cult classic in the vein of Primer.
Scafaria next wrote and directed the comedy-drama film The Meddler (2015). It follows a mother and daughter trying to move on with life after the loss of their husband and father. Scafaria told The New York Times, "There's a reason that it's all from [the daughter]'s perspective because I never wanted to get a break from [the mother]. More than anything I wanted it to inspire empathy for people who might find themselves in this situation." That same year, she was an executive producer on Ricki and the Flash written by her friend Diablo Cody and starring Meryl Streep.
Scafaria next wrote and directed the crime drama film Hustlers (2019), which was based on a 2015 New York article by Jessica Pressler. The film was a critical and commercial success. Scafaria said of the real story, "There are a lot of movies that I think have touched upon these themes—The Wolf of Wall Street or movies like The Big Short—which explain [financial downturns] from the bullpen. But I'm really interested in seeing the impact that the 2008 recession had on these women who worked in Wall Street's backyard." When mentioning the relationship between the characters of Destiny and Ramona, she said, "It felt like there was something more in between the lines—the story of these two women who became friends and formed this business together, and then here they are being interviewed separately years later." Rosie Keo, the stripper on whom one of the characters was based, praised Scafaria and said that the film portrayed events accurately.
In 2021, Scafaria directed the Succession episode "Too Much Birthday", which earned her nominations for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Drama Series and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. In 2023, she directed the episodes "Honeymoon States" and "Living+", with the latter earning her another nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series.
In 2025, Scafaria executive produced and directed the pilot for HBO's I Love LA created by and starring Rachel Sennott. She also directed episodes 6 and 7 of season 1.
Personal life Scafaria lives in Los Angeles. She was in a relationship with musical comedian Bo Burnham from 2013 to 2022.
Filmography Film Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes 2008 Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist Song: "12 Gays of Christmas"2009 Whip It Song: "28" 1045 Mercy Street Short film 2012 Seeking a Friend for the End of the World 2015 Ricki and the Flash The Meddler 2019 Hustlers 2023 Under the Boardwalk
Acting roles Year Title Role Notes 1999 Big Helium Dog Chastity 2001 A Million Miles Jodi Mayhem Motel Abby Bullet in the Brain Eager Student Short film 2004 Unbound Girl Short film 2007 The Nines Game Night Guest 2008 Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist Drunk Girl in Yugo 2013 Coherence Lee 2022 Jennifer Lopez: Halftime Herself Documentary
Television Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes 2010 Childrens Hospital Episode: "Show Me on Montana" 2012 Ben and Kate Writer ("Career Day")Consulting producer (3 episodes)Soundtrack writer (2 songs) 2013–2014 New Girl 3 episodes 2021–2023 Succession 3 episodes2025I Love LA 3 episodes
As herself Made in Hollywood (2012) (1 episode)
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result 2012Athena Film Festival Athena Award 2016 Alliance of Women Film Journalists Best Woman ScreenwriterThe Meddler Women's Image Network Awards Film Written by a Woman2019Chicago Film Critics Association Best Adapted ScreenplayHustlers Dublin Film Critics' Circle Best DirectorBest ScreenplayGotham Awards Best FeatureSan Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Best Adapted Screenplay2020 Alliance of Women Film JournalistsBest Adapted ScreenplayBest Woman ScreenwriterAustin Film Critics Association Best Adapted ScreenplayIndependent Spirit Awards Best DirectorGeorgia Film Critics Association Best Adapted ScreenplayHollywood Critics Association Best Female DirectorBest Adapted ScreenplayOnline Film Critics Society Best Adapted Screenplay2022Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series SuccessionPrimetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series 2023Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
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