Writers Guild Foundation Announces 2026 Writers’ Access Support Staff Training Program Participants
EXCLUSIVE: The Writers Guild Foundation announced the 18 participants for the 2026 Writers’ Access Support Staff Training Program on Tuesday morning.
Those selected to participate are: Caroline Hoover, Chase Finney, Chris Dang, Enrique Cruz Torres, Francis Fuster, Frankie Infante, Iman Ahmed, Jackson DeLoach, Juliette Lin, Kenya Robinson, Lei White, Leo Laing, Maame Addae, Matthew Nicholson, Rina O’Malley, Shirley Yip, Victor Adame, and Zaelyna “Zae” Beck.
According to the foundation, applications were reviewed by a committee of more than 66 television creators, executive producers, showrunners, and writers including Jonathan Hurwitz (Cobra Kai), Courtney Lilly (Black-ish), Nicole Yorkin (The Killing), Tucker Cawley (Everybody Loves Raymond), Kristina Woo (A Million Little Things), Peter Murrieta (Wizards of Waverly Place), and Rae Benjamin (The Witcher).
“We are thrilled to welcome this new cohort of aspiring writers,” WGF Executive Director Julie Lacouture said in a statement. “This program is an inspiring example of the generosity and community that define the writing community. What began as an idea to help writers break in has grown into a collective commitment to craft, mentorship, and creating real pathways for new and diverse storytellers. This isn’t just a nice thing to do, it’s essential to the future of the industry.”
This year’s Writers’ Access Support Staff Training Program begins in January and will be taught by Debbie Ezer (Based On A True Story) and Clay Lapari (Wonder Man).
Founded in partnership with Tanya Saracho (Vida), Mike Royce (One Day at a Time) and Liz Hsiao Lan Alper (Day of the Dead), the program aims to provide writers who are BIPOC, LGBTQ+, writers with disabilities, and writers over the age of 50, with tools and education to become writing support staff.
Since launching in 2021, graduates have been hired on shows across essentially every major studio including Netflix, Warner Bros, Hulu, Amazon, NBCUniversal, Paramount Television Studios, Nickelodeon Showtime, Sony Pictures, CBS, Disney Television Studios, Apple TV, BET, The CW, and Peacock.
