Emmy and Golden Globe winner Lucia Aniello is a writer, director, producer, performer, and one half of the comedy team Paulilu with her partner, Paul W. Downs.
Aniello and Downs have achieved critical acclaim and commercial success writing, directing, producing and acting in comedies such as HACKS, BROAD CITY, TIME TRAVELING BONG, Nora From Queens, THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB, and more.
Aniello recently wrapped writing, directing, and executive producing the third season of Max’s Original comedy series HACKS starring Jean Smart, which she also co-created alongside Downs and Jen Statsky. Hacks has received 32 Emmy Nominations and six wins, including wins for “Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series” and “Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series” as well as wins for two Golden Globe Awards, three Writers Guild of America Awards, a Peabody Award, and Aniello won a Directors Guild of America Award in the category of “Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Comedy Series.” The series was honored as one of the “Outstanding Television Programs of the Year” at the American Film Institute Awards for both seasons in consecutive years. Hacks has also received various award nominations at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Critics Choice Awards, Producer’s Guild of America Awards, and the Gotham Awards, among others. Season 3 of the show premiered on May 2, 2024 on Max.
Following the release of Hacks in 2021, Aniello and Downs signed a multiyear overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group. Their first project is HOT ROBOT, a half-hour genre comedy written by Genevieve Aniello with Lucia Aniello set to direct. Most recently it was announced that they were developing their second project with the studio, BOYOS. The single-camera comedy stars Downs and Rhys Mitchell, and explores the dynamic of a male friendship based on love, vulnerability and sweet boyo-ness.
Aniello also served as executive producer and director on Comedy Central’s series AWKWAFINA IS NORA FROM QUEENS and Netflix’s THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB starring Alicia Silverstone and Mark Feuerstein. Both shows released their second seasons in the second half of 2021. Aniello previously served as a writer, executive producer, and director on Comedy Central’s critically acclaimed series BROAD CITY, which ran for five seasons. On the big screen, Aniello directed Sony’s ROUGH NIGHT starring Scarlett Johansson which she also co-wrote and produced with Downs. Other past projects include the Comedy Central miniseries TIME TRAVELING BONG, which was created and written by Aniello, along with Downs and Ilana Glazer.
