On February 4, the Hewitt School’s International Thespian Society (ITS) hosted a visit from Jill Goodwin, former writer for The Late Show With David Letterman. The Upper School had the opportunity to hear about Goodwin’s experiences being a comedy writer and one of the only female writers working on the Late Show. Goodwin discussed the unorthodox path she took to working in a male dominated field and shared advice to students considering the same path.

Jill Goodwin speaks to the Hewitt Upper School
Jill Goodwin speaks to the Hewitt Upper School

Goodwin’s road to becoming a comedic writer was untraditional yet was one that got her to where she desired. Goodwin had always wanted to be creative, but, in college, she felt it best to earn a business degree out of practicality. A fan of the Late Show, Goodwin applied for an internship in the show’s financial department. After working as an intern for the Late Show, Goodwin was offered the job as a receptionist. When Goodwin discovered that the show accepted joke submissions from the entire staff, she began to submit her own jokes and eventually worked her way up to staff writer. Reflecting on her experience, Goodwin said, “It worked out for me, but I wouldn’t recommend going the way I went.”

As for being female in a male-dominated industry, Goodwin struggled, but she shared that two female bosses supported her along the way. Goodwin admits that “some days it was fine” being the only woman, but some days “it was very difficult.” This experience made Goodwin realize that different perspectives make the comedy more well-rounded. “Find a way to make the room diverse” Goodwin said, “because it makes the comedy funnier.”

As for students who are interested in the entertainment field, Goodwin suggests finding an internship in the field that you want to work in. Though her own experience was not traditional, Goodwin shared some advice that could apply to anyone. “If you’re an intern, be really great at the job you’re hired to do,” Goodwin said, “and people will see that you take that seriously and then will assume you will be really good at what you want to do.”

 

 

 

 

Leave a Reply