ABOUT ME

Kate Herron (she/her) is a Writer-Director working in Genre, Comedy and Drama.

She most recently served as Executive Producer and series director on Marvel’s LOKI, led by Tom Hiddleston with Owen Wilson, Sophia Di Martino, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku and Jonathan Majors. The show received international acclaim and is currently streaming on Disney Plus. Kate was recognised in Variety’s 2021 “Top of Their Game” TV Producers Impact Report for her work on the show.

Previously Kate directed season of Netflix Original, SEX EDUCATION, created by Laurie Nunn and produced by ELEVEN FILM. The show stars Asa Butterfield, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey and Gillian Anderson. Kate directed the second half of the series, Episodes 5-8, including the iconic “It’s my vagina” episode. The first four episodes were directed by Ben Taylor (CATASTROPHE).

Hollywood Reporter said of the directing on the show, “Directors Ben Taylor and then Kate Herron craft rhythms in which a lewd-and-breezy joke about a boner or pubic grooming can lull you into easy laughter just in time for something emotionally devastating or impossibly sweet.” 

SEX EDUCATION launched on Netflix on January 11th 2019, to 190 countries. It has been described as, “A standout teen comedy” by Rolling Stone, “Snort out loud funny” by Financial Times and “Horny and Heartfelt” by Entertainment Weekly. It’s first season received a 91% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 81 on Meta Critic.

Other than SEX EDUCATION, Kate directed every episode of FIVE BY FIVE for BBC/GREEN DOOR PICTURES, starring & exec-produced by Idris Elba. The show was a SUNDAY TIMES CRITIC’S PICK OF THE WEEK and is on BBC iPLAYER and AMAZON PRIME. Kate also directed two comedy shorts for SKY COMEDY.

Before working in television, Kate cut her teeth on the independent film circuit making a number of short films. These have played at festivals including LONDON FILM FESTIVAL, PALM SPRINGS SHORTSFEST, ENCOUNTERS and FLICKERFEST. Her work was featured by VIMEO STAFF PICKS, COMEDY CENTRAL and the BFI. There was a RETROSPECTIVE of her shorts at the BFI in 2016 as part of UNDERWIRE FILM FESTIVAL. 

Her shorts also had her featured as a FORBES 30 UNDER 30, a SCREEN INTERNATIONAL STAR OF TOMORROW, BROADCAST HOT SHOT and on the BBC HOT NEW TALENT LIST. She was described as “A huge comedy voice in the years to come” by Sky Comedy.

Kate is currently working on a number of projects she is not allowed to talk about, but can say that she wrote a comic book with her writing partner, Briony Redman (she/they), for Skybound Entertainment (The Walking Dead). It is a horror-comedy and comes out in the summer 2022 as part of their “Afterschool” horror anthology series.

“KATE’S EPISODES OF ‘SEX EDUCATION’ WERE DIRECTED WITH SO MUCH WARMTH, HUMOUR AND NUANCE. SHE HAS AN INCREDIBLE ABILITY TO CREATE TRUTHFUL, COMEDIC PERFORMANCES WITH ACTORS, MATCHED WITH A UNIQUE VISUAL STYLE THAT ALWAYS MAKES HER WORK STAND OUT AS FRESH AND VISIONARY. SHE IS AN UNDENIABLE TALENT WHO I AM CERTAIN IS ON THE PATH TO BEING ONE OF THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER FILM AND TELEVISION WRITER/DIRECTORS BOTH IN THE UK AND INTERNATIONALLY.” – LAURIE NUNN (CREATOR OF ‘SEX EDUCATION’)

“I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH DIRECTOR KATE HERRON; SHE WAS GREAT AT WORKING WITH ACTORS. BRINGING ON A TALENTED AND UP-AND-COMING DIRECTOR WAS IMPORTANT FOR THE PROJECT, AND IT WAS A CHALLENGING ASK - TO HELM A SERIES MADE UP OF FIVE VERY DIFFERENT EPISODES USING MULTIPLE ACTORS AND LOCATIONS. BUT HER ENERGY, PASSION AND AMBITION - AND THAT OF EVERYBODY ELSE INVOLVED IN FIVE BY FIVE - HAS PAID OFF" - IDRIS ELBA (ACTOR AND EXEC PRODUCER OF FIVE BY FIVE, BBC DRAMA AND GREEN DOOR PICTURES).

"KATE HAS CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATED A GIFT FOR WORKING WITH TALENT THAT IS FURTHER EVOLVED THAN MANY OF THE VETERAN COMEDY DIRECTORS I WORK WITH IN BROADCAST TELEVISION. IN THE COMEDY WORLD, REAL CONFIDENCE - IN THE MATERIAL AND THE AESTHETIC - IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TRAIT A DIRECTOR CAN OWN; YOU NEED TO *SELL* THE JOKE TO WIN THE AUDIENCE'S TRUST. SUCCESS IN THAT AREA IS A SIGN OF MATURITY THAT CAN TAKE YEARS TO CONQUER. KATE'S WORK TACKLES THIS WITH PRENATURAL CONVICTION - SHE'S GOING TO BE A HUGE COMEDY VOICE IN THE YEARS TO COME." - BEN BOYER (COMMISSIONING EDITOR AT SKY COMEDY)

"ONE OF THE MOST TALENTED, CREATIVE, IMAGINATIVE AND INSTINCTUAL DIRECTORS EITHER OF US HAVE EVER COME ACROSS. SHE IS ALSO HILARIOUS, A DELIGHT TO WORK WITH, DILIGENT, PROFESSIONAL, AND A CHAMPION NETWORKER. EVERYONE WHO COMES ACROSS KATE WANTS TO WORK WITH HER AGAIN. A SERIOUSLY IMPORTANT TRAIT IN THIS INDUSTRY." - SCREENWRITERS JESSICA AND HENRIETTA ASHWORTH (SCREEN INTERNATIONAL STARS OF TOMORROW 2013 & BROADCAST HOTSHOTS 2012)

"WE MEET A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE DIRECTORS BECAUSE THEY THINK IT'S A COOL JOB, OR THEY WANT TO BE FAMOUS. KATE'S A DIRECTOR BECAUSE SHE WAS JUST BORN TO BE: SHE HAS A CLEAR, DISTINCTIVE VOICE AS A FILM-MAKER, SHE HAS A STRONG SENSE OF STORY AND CHARACTER, AND SHE MAKES WORK THAT CONNECTS INSTANTLY WITH AUDIENCES WITHOUT EVER PANDERING TO THEM."  - JONATHAN WAKEHAM (CO-FOUNDER AND PROGRAMMER AT THE LOCO LONDON COMEDY FILM FESTIVAL)

"KATE SUCCESFFULY BLENDS HER USE OF CHARACTER COMEDY AND SOCIAL SATIRE TO CREATE FILMS THAT PRESENT A REFRESHING TAKE ON THE CHARATERIZATION OF WOMEN IN FILM. WE SPEND MONTHS LOOKING FOR FILMMAKERS WHO HAVE A DISTINCT VOICE AND VISION. FILMMAKERS LIKE KATE MAKE EVERYTHING WE DO AS A FESTIVAL WORTH IT." - SHAWN QUIRK (DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING AT THE BAFTA AND OSCAR-QUALIFYING FLICKERS: RHODE ISLAND FILM FESTIVAL WHERE KATE’S SHORT ‘REST STOP’ WON BEST COMEDY AND WAS NOMINATED FOR OSCAR-QUALIFYING ‘BEST SHORT’)