Maurissa Tancharoen
Encyclopedia
Maurissa Tancharoen Whedon is an American actress, singer, dancer, television writer and lyricist.
She co-wrote Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
and appeared onscreen as Groupie
#1, as well as on the DVD audio track "Commentary! The Musical," in which she sings about the scarcity of non-stereotyped roles in television and film for actors of Asian
origin.
She provided Zelda's singing voice in the season 2 episode "The Musical" of The Legend of Neil
, a spoof based on the video game The Legend of Zelda
, and performed backing vocals and danced in the video for the The Guild
parody song "(Do You Wanna Date My) Avatar
" released August 17, 2009. Tancharoen is a writer and story editor for Drop Dead Diva
.
She was also a writer for the program Dollhouse
and the short-lived sitcom Oliver Beene
. Tancharoen also played a brief acting role in Dollhouse as the active Kilo (like the other Los Angeles actives named from the NATO phonetic alphabet
), and co-wrote and performed lyrics for "Remains" with Jed Whedon for the Dollhouse episode "Epitaph One
".
Tancharoen's first paid script came in 2001 when she sold Revolution Studios
an untitled pitch in which two Asian American
FBI agents investigate a gang in South Central
Los Angeles
by working undercover
as Korea
n grocery store clerks. Her production credits include working as assistant to producer Mark Tinker
on NYPD Blue
and to William M. Finkelstein
on Brooklyn South
, as well as being co-executive producer
of the series DanceLife
.
She is currently a writer on the Starz series Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
and is credited as co-writer of the first two episodes together with Jed Whedon
.
origin. She attended Occidental College
, where she wrote two plays that won the Argonaut & Moore literary award. Her father, Tommy Tancharoen, is a transportation coordinator for Hollywood movies. Her brother Kevin Tancharoen
is a director, whose feature film debut is 2009's Fame
. On April 19, 2009, she married co-writer Jed Whedon
, brother of Joss Whedon
.
In her younger years, Tancharoen was a member of the girl band Pretty in Pink. Before 'making it big', the band broke up and shortly after Tancharoen was diagnosed with lupus
.
Sometimes goes by the name of Mo.
.
She co-wrote Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is a 2008 musical tragicomedy miniseries in three acts, produced exclusively for Internet distribution. Filmed and set in Los Angeles, the show tells the story of Dr...
and appeared onscreen as Groupie
Groupie
A groupie is a person who seeks emotional and sexual intimacy with a musician or other celebrity. "Groupie" is derived from group in reference to a musical group, but the word is also used in a more general sense, especially in casual conversation....
#1, as well as on the DVD audio track "Commentary! The Musical," in which she sings about the scarcity of non-stereotyped roles in television and film for actors of Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
origin.
She provided Zelda's singing voice in the season 2 episode "The Musical" of The Legend of Neil
The Legend of Neil
The Legend of Neil is a comedy web series distributed by Comedy Central's partner Atom.com and is a parody of the Nintendo game The Legend of Zelda. Sandeep Parikh of The Guild fame directs the series. Tony Janning writes for the series, and acts as the title character Neil...
, a spoof based on the video game The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda, originally released as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Nintendo, and designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Set in the fantasy land of Hyrule, the plot centers on a boy named Link, the playable protagonist, who aims to collect the eight fragments...
, and performed backing vocals and danced in the video for the The Guild
The Guild
The Guild is an American comedy web series created and written by Felicia Day, who also stars as Cyd Sherman . It premiered on YouTube on July 27, 2007. Subsequent webisodes premiered on Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace, Zune Marketplace, and MSN Video. The webisodes were later made available on...
parody song "(Do You Wanna Date My) Avatar
(Do You Wanna Date My) Avatar
" Avatar" is a 2009 song created and performed by the cast of the web series The Guild, with lead vocals by singer-actress Felicia Day...
" released August 17, 2009. Tancharoen is a writer and story editor for Drop Dead Diva
Drop Dead Diva
Drop Dead Diva is an American legal comedy-drama/fantasy television series that debuted on Lifetime on July 12, 2009. The hour-long series, which was created by Josh Berman, is produced by Sony Pictures Television...
.
She was also a writer for the program Dollhouse
Dollhouse (TV series)
Dollhouse is an American science fiction television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon under Mutant Enemy Productions. It premiered on February 13, 2009, on the Fox network and was officially cancelled on November 11, 2009. The final episode aired on January 29, 2010...
and the short-lived sitcom Oliver Beene
Oliver Beene
Oliver Beene is an American sitcom that premiered on Fox on March 9, 2003. The show was created by Howard Gewirtz. Set in 1962 and 1963, the show chronicled the trials and tribulations of the 11-to-12-year-old Oliver Beene , in first person perspective...
. Tancharoen also played a brief acting role in Dollhouse as the active Kilo (like the other Los Angeles actives named from the NATO phonetic alphabet
NATO phonetic alphabet
The NATO phonetic alphabet, more accurately known as the NATO spelling alphabet and also called the ICAO phonetic or spelling alphabet, the ITU phonetic alphabet, and the international radiotelephony spelling alphabet, is the most widely used spelling alphabet...
), and co-wrote and performed lyrics for "Remains" with Jed Whedon for the Dollhouse episode "Epitaph One
Epitaph One
"Epitaph One" is the thirteenth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Dollhouse. This episode became available on DVD and Blu-Ray on July 28, 2009...
".
Tancharoen's first paid script came in 2001 when she sold Revolution Studios
Revolution Studios
Revolution Studios is an American production company founded in 2000 by Joe Roth, a former chairman of Walt Disney Studios and 20th Century Fox. Revolution was formerly a strategic partner of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which distributed and marketed Revolution's films. The company's film division...
an untitled pitch in which two Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
FBI agents investigate a gang in South Central
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
by working undercover
Undercover
Being undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information or to gain the trust of targeted individuals in order to gain information or evidence...
as Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n grocery store clerks. Her production credits include working as assistant to producer Mark Tinker
Mark Tinker
Mark Tinker is an American television producer and director. Tinker was an executive producer and regular director on the HBO original series, Deadwood. Prior to Deadwood, Tinker served as a director/producer on NYPD Blue which was co-created by Deadwood writer, David Milch. Tinker has also...
on NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
and to William M. Finkelstein
William M. Finkelstein
William M. Finkelstein is an American screenwriter, television producer, actor and television director. He has worked as a writer and producer on Law & Order, Brooklyn South, Murder One, L.A. Law, Cop Rock and NYPD Blue. He co-created Brooklyn South with frequent collaborators David Milch, Steven...
on Brooklyn South
Brooklyn South
Brooklyn South is an American ensemble police drama series that aired on CBS for only one season during the 1997-98 television season. The series was co-created by Steven Bochco, Bill Clark, David Milch and William M. Finkelstein. Bochco is the creator of many well-known police dramas such as Hill...
, as well as being co-executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
of the series DanceLife
DanceLife
DanceLife is a 2007 dance-oriented US TV reality show, featuring and produced by Jennifer Lopez. The series follows the lives of seven dancers trying to break into the world of professional dance and trying to "make it" in Hollywood...
.
She is currently a writer on the Starz series Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena is a Starz television mini-series and prequel to Spartacus: Blood and Sand, which premiered January 21, 2011. The series follows the character Gannicus , the first gladiator to become Champion of Capua representing Lentulus Batiatus...
and is credited as co-writer of the first two episodes together with Jed Whedon
Jed Whedon
Jed Tucker Whedon is a screenwriter and musician. Jed is from a family of writers: he is the son of screenwriter Tom Whedon, grandson of screenwriter John Whedon, and the brother of screenwriter Zack Whedon and producer/director/writer Joss Whedon...
.
Personal life
Tancharoen is Asian-American and has said that her surname is of ThaiThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
origin. She attended Occidental College
Occidental College
Occidental College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887, Occidental College, or "Oxy" as it is called by students and alumni, is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast...
, where she wrote two plays that won the Argonaut & Moore literary award. Her father, Tommy Tancharoen, is a transportation coordinator for Hollywood movies. Her brother Kevin Tancharoen
Kevin Tancharoen
Kevin Harwick Tancharoen is an American dancer, choreographer, television producer and film director. On September 29, 2011 New Line/Warner Bros have announced that Kevin Tancharoen, will helm a big-screen adaptation of Mortal Kombat to be released sometime in 2013.-Life and career:Tancharoen was...
is a director, whose feature film debut is 2009's Fame
Fame (2009 film)
Fame is a 2009 musical film and a loose remake of the 1980 film of the same title. It was directed by Kevin Tancharoen and written by Allison Burnett. It was released on September 25, 2009 in the USA, Canada, Ireland, and the UK.-Freshman year:...
. On April 19, 2009, she married co-writer Jed Whedon
Jed Whedon
Jed Tucker Whedon is a screenwriter and musician. Jed is from a family of writers: he is the son of screenwriter Tom Whedon, grandson of screenwriter John Whedon, and the brother of screenwriter Zack Whedon and producer/director/writer Joss Whedon...
, brother of Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
.
In her younger years, Tancharoen was a member of the girl band Pretty in Pink. Before 'making it big', the band broke up and shortly after Tancharoen was diagnosed with lupus
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus , often abbreviated to SLE or lupus, is a systemic autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the body. As occurs in other autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks the body's cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage...
.
Sometimes goes by the name of Mo.
Awards
In 2009, Maurissa won a Streamy Award for Best Writing for a Comedy Web Series for Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along BlogDr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is a 2008 musical tragicomedy miniseries in three acts, produced exclusively for Internet distribution. Filmed and set in Los Angeles, the show tells the story of Dr...
.