Community hub
0 subscribers7 pages, 0 posts
Recent from talks
All channels
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Contribute something
Welcome to the community hub built to collect knowledge and have discussions related to Randi Mayem Singer.
Nothing was collected or created yet.
Randi Mayem Singer
View on Wikipediafrom Wikipedia
Randi Mayem Singer is an American screenwriter, producer and showrunner best known for writing the screenplay to the 20th Century Fox blockbuster comedy Mrs. Doubtfire starring Robin Williams and Sally Field.
Key Information
Professional career
[edit]Randi Mayem Singer earned her undergraduate degree in political science at the University of California, Berkeley, before pursuing a career in broadcast journalism. Before selling her first script, Singer worked as a news reporter for KMEL San Francisco and as a news anchor for LA radio stations KRLA, KRTH and KFI, using the pseudonym Randi Allison.[1]
While working at KFI, Singer took a screenwriting course at UCLA and began her first screenplay, a quirky romantic comedy called A 22¢ Romance. That script won the inaugural UCLA Diane Thomas Screenwriting Award in 1987, a competition judged by such Hollywood luminaries as Steven Spielberg, James L. Brooks, Michael Douglas, and Robert Zemeckis. A 22¢ Romance sold in a bidding war to Orion Pictures, and, although the script has never been produced, it was listed in the Los Angeles Times' “'The Best' Still On Paper” article in 1992.[2]
Due to the buzz from that script, Twentieth Century Fox tapped Singer to write the screen adaptation of children's novel Alias Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine. Released in 1993, Mrs. Doubtfire grossed $441 million worldwide, earned an Academy Award for Best Makeup, Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and placed 67th in the American Film Institute's list of the 100 funniest movies of the last century, AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs.
Randi Mayem Singer continues to work in both television and film. Other credits include creating and executive producing the sitcom Hudson Street (1995), creating and executive producing the comedic drama TV series Jack & Jill (1999–2001) for The WB, and co-writing the Fox comedy the 2010 film Tooth Fairy, starring Dwayne Johnson, Julie Andrews and Billy Crystal.[3]
Singer is currently writing Disney's upcoming fantasy/comedy Wish List, set to star Reese Witherspoon with Paul Feig directing, as well as the movie version of I Dream of Jeannie for Sony Pictures.[4][5]
Singer also frequently works as an uncredited “script doctor,” reworking and polishing movie scripts prior to production. She has taught screenwriting for UCLA's graduate screenwriting program and has guest lectured at USC's School of Cinematic Arts, Writers Boot Camp[6] and AFI.
Screenwriting credits
[edit]Films
[edit]- Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
- Tooth Fairy (2010)
- Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015)
Television
[edit]- Hudson Street (1995–1996)
- Jack & Jill (1999–2001)
- Why Women Kill (2019)
- Mad About You (2019)
References
[edit]- ^ "~Los Angeles Radio People, Where Are They Now?a". laradio.com. Retrieved 2019-03-08.
- ^ Marx, Andy (January 19, 1992). "A look inside Hollywood and the movies. : HOLLYWOOD UNDERCOVER : As You Ponder the Movies in Sneaks '92, Consider 'The Best' Still on Paper". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (September 23, 2008). "Billy Crystal joins Fox's 'Tooth Fairy'". Variety. PMC. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 1, 2011). "Reese Witherspoon Joins Disney's 'Wish List'". Deadline. PMC. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
- ^ Kit, Borys (April 4, 2012). "'Bridesmaids' Director in Talks for Reese Witherspoon Comedy 'Wish List' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
- ^ "Writers Boot Camp". Writersbootcamp.com.
External links
[edit]
Randi Mayem Singer
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Early life and education
Upbringing
Randi Allison Mayem, known professionally as Randi Mayem Singer, was born and raised in Palos Verdes, California.[9][10] Her family provided a supportive environment that encouraged creative pursuits, before her father, Leonard Mayem, died in 2007.[10] By age 12, Singer had developed a strong passion for writing and storytelling, beginning with bad poetry and honing her skills in creative pretense due to severe nearsightedness that left her without glasses for much of her early years.[9] This period marked the start of her imaginative exercises, where she learned to vividly describe scenes and narratives to compensate for her vision challenges, laying the foundation for her storytelling abilities.[9] Around age 13, inspired by the film All the President's Men, Singer decided to pursue writing as a career, aspiring to emulate journalists like Bob Woodward or Carl Bernstein, though she was initially unaware of opportunities in screenwriting.[9] Her family's encouragement during this formative time allowed her to explore these interests freely, shaping her early commitment to narrative crafts.[4]Education
Randi Mayem Singer earned her undergraduate degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley.[3][11] She later earned a master's degree from the University of Missouri's Columbia School of Journalism.[9] During her time at Berkeley, she joined the Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi sorority, which she has described as one of her best decisions for building community at the large university.[4] building on an early interest in storytelling nurtured during her upbringing in Palos Verdes, California.[4]Professional career
Journalism and early writing
Randi Mayem Singer began her professional career in broadcast journalism after earning a master's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri's Columbia School of Journalism. She started as a news reporter at KMEL in San Francisco, using the professional pseudonym Randi Allison, before moving to Los Angeles to anchor news at radio station KFI.[9][4] After several years in the field, Singer recognized the inherent limitations of journalism, which bound her to reporting factual events rather than inventing narratives. This realization prompted her transition to screenwriting, allowing greater creative freedom to craft original stories focused on character development, themes, and emotional arcs. While anchoring afternoon drive news at KFI, she enrolled in a UCLA Extension screenwriting course, marking the beginning of her pivot from broadcast to entertainment writing.[4][9] Singer's entry into screenwriting gained early momentum when she won the 1987 UCLA Diane Thomas Screenwriting Award for her original screenplay A 22¢ Romance, a romantic comedy that remained unproduced but attracted a four-studio bidding war. The award, established in memory of the Romancing the Stone screenwriter, highlighted her emerging talent and provided crucial validation during her shift from journalism.[12][9] The demands of broadcast journalism, with its emphasis on concise, deadline-driven reporting, honed Singer's expedient writing style, a skill that proved invaluable for meeting the rigorous timelines of screenwriting production. This foundation in quick, clear communication under pressure enabled her to adapt effectively to the fast-paced demands of Hollywood script development.[4][9]Breakthrough in screenwriting
Randi Mayem Singer achieved her breakthrough in screenwriting with the adaptation of Anne Fine's 1987 novel Alias Madame Doubtfire into the screenplay for the 1993 comedy-drama film Mrs. Doubtfire, produced by 20th Century Fox. Hired by the studio in 1990, Singer penned the initial drafts, drawing from the novel's premise of a divorced father disguising himself as a nanny to spend time with his children, though she shared final credit with Leslie Dixon following Writers Guild arbitration. Directed by Chris Columbus and starring Robin Williams as the protagonist Daniel Hilliard, the film marked Singer's first produced feature screenplay, building on her earlier recognition from winning UCLA's inaugural Diane Thomas Screenwriting Award for her spec script A 22¢ Romance.[1][13] Singer's contributions extended beyond the initial script; she departed the project amid disagreements over a clichéd Hollywood ending but returned in 1992 for uncredited revisions, reshaping the conclusion for greater emotional resonance and tailoring elements to suit Williams' improvisational style, including shifting the setting from Chicago to San Francisco. These adjustments enhanced the film's humor and character development, particularly in scenes blending slapstick comedy with heartfelt family interactions. Through the cross-dressing narrative, Singer helped shape the story's exploration of post-divorce family dynamics, parental longing, and fluid gender roles in caregiving, transforming the novel's darker tones into a more uplifting tale.[1] Mrs. Doubtfire was a massive commercial success, grossing $441 million worldwide against a $25 million budget, making it one of the highest-grossing films of 1993 and cementing its status as a blockbuster comedy. Critically, it received praise for its blend of humor and sensitivity toward family themes, earning the Academy Award for Best Makeup for the transformative prosthetics on Williams' character and the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. The film's impact elevated Singer's career, leading to a multi-picture deal with Fox and establishing her as a key voice in family-oriented screenwriting.[14][2][15]Television work
Randi Mayem Singer created and served as an executive producer on the ABC sitcom Hudson Street, which premiered in 1995 and ran for one season.[16] The series starred Tony Danza as Tony Canetti, a divorced detective in Hoboken, New Jersey, who co-parents his son and navigates romantic entanglements.[16] Singer's script for the pilot episode introduced winning characters and humor centered on family dynamics and professional reinvention, though the show faced typical network pressures and concluded after 22 episodes.[16][17] Building on her feature film experience, Singer transitioned to television by creating, executive producing, and showrunning Jack & Jill for The WB from 1999 to 2001.[9] This romantic comedy-drama followed a circle of young adults in New York City as they grappled with post-collegiate relationships, career ambitions, and urban independence, starring Amanda Peet, Ivan Sergei, and Sarah Paulson. The series spanned two seasons and 32 episodes, exploring themes of romantic uncertainty and personal growth through serialized storytelling.[9] More recently, Singer contributed as a writer and producer to series including Why Women Kill (2019) and the revival of Mad About You (2019).[8][18] Singer's move from film to episodic television involved adapting her character-driven screenwriting approach—honed on projects like Mrs. Doubtfire—to collaborative writers' rooms and structured episode arcs, a shift she navigated while producing both series.[17] Successes included crafting relatable ensembles that captured everyday transitions, such as career pivots in Hudson Street and relational complexities in Jack & Jill, though challenges arose in broadening narratives to maintain viewer engagement amid network demands.[16]Later film projects and script doctoring
Following her breakthrough successes, Randi Mayem Singer wrote the screenplay for The Secret Life of Girls (1999), a coming-of-age comedy. She co-wrote the screenplay for the 2010 family comedy Tooth Fairy, directed by Michael Lembeck and starring Dwayne Johnson as a hockey enforcer sentenced to serve as a tooth fairy, alongside co-writers Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel, Joshua Sternin, and Jennifer Ventimilia.[19] The film, produced by Fox and DreamWorks, blended fantasy elements with humor centered on family dynamics and personal growth, grossing over $110 million worldwide despite mixed reviews. Singer also co-wrote Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015), the fourth installment in the live-action Chipmunks film series.[18] Singer has also contributed extensively as an uncredited script doctor on numerous Hollywood films, where she refines dialogue, strengthens character arcs, and polishes plots to enhance overall narrative flow prior to production.[4] Her revisions often draw from her television experience to inject sharper comedic timing and emotional depth into feature scripts. This behind-the-scenes role has allowed her to influence a range of projects without on-screen credit, leveraging her expertise in character-driven storytelling. In subsequent years, Singer shifted toward developing family-oriented comedies and adaptations, exemplified by her ongoing work on Disney's Wish List, a fantasy comedy she is scripting, with Reese Witherspoon attached to star as a woman whose childhood wishes come true in unexpected ways; the project, announced in 2011 and produced by Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray, remains in development as of 2025.[20] This evolution reflects her affinity for whimsical, heartfelt narratives that appeal to broad audiences, building on her earlier successes in blending humor with relatable family themes.Teaching and mentorship
Randi Mayem Singer has made significant contributions to screenwriting education by serving as an instructor in UCLA's MFA Screenwriting program, where she imparts practical knowledge of the craft to aspiring writers.[9] Her teaching draws directly from her professional experiences, emphasizing the fundamentals of creating compelling narratives in film and television. In addition to her role at UCLA, Singer frequently guest lectures and participates as a panelist at renowned institutions and programs, including the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, the American Film Institute (AFI), and Writers Boot Camp.[9] These engagements allow her to connect with emerging talent, offering guidance on navigating the competitive Hollywood landscape—a path she herself traversed from radio journalism to successful screenwriting. Singer's mentorship style focuses on actionable insights for script development and career progression, informed by her transition from journalism to full-time writing. She advises writers to cultivate a distinctive voice, immerse themselves in studying exemplary screenplays, and master the rhythm of story beats to structure effective scripts.[3] Highlighting the importance of persistence, she shares how quality material ultimately finds its audience and recounts her decision to leave a secure job at a Los Angeles radio station to write professionally, illustrating the risks and rewards of industry entry.[3] Through these efforts, Singer has influenced a new generation of writers by stressing the value of bold creative choices and disciplined practice, fostering resilience in those facing the challenges of breaking into screenwriting. Her lectures, such as one delivered to students at the University of Michigan, underscore her commitment to demystifying the process and empowering others with strategies honed from her own career trajectory.[3]Personal life
Marriage and divorce
Randi Mayem Singer married Richard Edward "Rich" Singer, whom she met during her time as a television news reporter when he called in to one of her broadcasts and proposed on air.[9] The marriage occurred prior to her major career breakthrough with the 1993 screenplay for Mrs. Doubtfire, though exact details of the wedding and early years together have been kept private. Singer filed for divorce from Rich Singer on January 5, 2015, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, initiating marriage dissolution proceedings.[21] The couple later divorced, but the specific reasons for the separation have not been publicly detailed.[9] During the divorce proceedings, Singer maintained her demanding schedule as a screenwriter, including completing work on the screenplay for Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip, released in December 2015.Children and family
Randi Mayem Singer is the mother of two sons, Cary Singer and Alec Singer.[10] Her family has provided a strong support system, as evidenced by her father Leonard Mayem's 2007 obituary, which fondly mentions his two grandchildren, Cary and Alec, alongside his daughter Randi and her then-husband Rich Singer.[10] Following her divorce, Singer and her ex-husband have emphasized their shared pride in raising their sons.[9] In her personal writings, Singer injects humor into reflections on family-oriented values, such as crediting herself with finding homes for two homeless dogs—a lighthearted nod to her nurturing side.[9] Singer maintains privacy regarding her family's personal details, with no public information available on her sons' professions or current status as of 2025.Filmography
Feature films
Randi Mayem Singer's credited work in feature films spans screenplays for produced comedies and unproduced scripts, as well as projects in development.| Year | Title | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | A 22¢ Romance | Screenplay (unproduced; winner of the UCLA Diane Thomas Screenwriting Award)[12] |
| 1993 | Mrs. Doubtfire | Screenplay (co-written with Leslie Dixon; based on the novel Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine)[22] |
| 2010 | Tooth Fairy | Screenplay (co-written with Joshua Sternin and Jeffrey Ventimilia; story by Jim Piddock)[23] |
| 2015 | Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip | Screenplay (co-written with Adam Sztykiel)[24] |
| 2020 | Las píldoras de mi novio | Screenplay[25] |