Karen Leigh Hopkins
Karen Leigh Hopkins is an American screenwriter, director, and producer known for her work in film and television. She wrote the screenplays for Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael (1990), Stepmom (1998), and Because I Said So (2007). Hopkins also wrote and directed Miss Meadows (2014), a dark comedy starring Katie Holmes that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.[1]
Early life and career
[edit]Hopkins grew up in Sandusky, Ohio.[2] While working as an actress, Hopkins was cast in The Breakfast Club but her scenes were cut from the final film.[3] Her first screenplay,The Kindness of Strangers, was written in 12 days and sold to Paramount Pictures by an executive who recognized her name from The Breakfast Club, creating an unexpected bridge from her acting to her screenwriting career.[4]
Film and television
[edit]Hopkins' first produced feature was Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael (1990), directed by Jim Abrahams and starring Winona Ryder and Jeff Daniels.[5] She later co-wrote the screenplay for Stepmom (1998), a drama about blended families starring Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon.[6] She also wrote the romantic comedy Because I Said So (2007), featuring Diane Keaton and Mandy Moore. [7]
In 2014, Hopkins wrote and directed Miss Meadows, a film about a prim schoolteacher who leads a secret life as a vigilante. Miss Meadows was Hopkins’s directorial debut and was filmed in and around Cleveland, Ohio in just under three weeks.[8] The movie starred Katie Holmes and premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.[9] [10]
She served as a consulting producer and co-wrote two episodes of the Apple TV+ series Little Voice, which was created by her Stepmom co-writer Jessie Nelson with original music by Sara Bareilles.[11] [12]
Awards
[edit]Hopkins received a Humanitas Prize in the Children's Live-Action category for co-writing the teleplay Searching for David's Heart, which aired on ABC Family in 2005. [13] She also received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing in a Children's Special for the Showtime TV movie What Girls Learn.[14]
Current projects
[edit]According to interviews, Hopkins is developing multiple original projects, including a horror feature titled lil holly o, a film for Sony called Twisted Sister, and a series with Netflix titled Aqua Tofana.[14]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael | Writer, Executive Producer | |
| 1998 | Stepmom | Screenwriter | Co-writer |
| 2007 | Because I Said So | Screenwriter | |
| 2014 | Miss Meadows | Writer, Director, Executive Producer | Premiered at Tribeca Film Festival |
| 2020 | Love Is Love Is Love | Screenwriter | Segment: "Late Lunch" |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | What Girls Learn | Teleplay | Lifetime TV movie |
| 2001 | A Woman's a Helluva Thing | Writer, Director | Made-for-TV movie starring Penelope Ann Miller |
| 2004 | Searching for David's Heart | Co-writer | Won Humanitas Prize (Children's Live-Action) |
| 2020 | You Can't Take My Daughter | Writer, Producer | Lifetime TV movie |
| 2020 | Little Voice | Writer, Consulting Producer | Apple TV+ – 2 episodes written, 9 episodes produced |
Acting Roles
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Going Berserk | Aerobics Leader | |
| 1984 | Cloak & Dagger | Receptionist | |
| 1987 | The Running Man | Brenda | |
| 1994 | Corrina, Corrina | Liala Sheffield | |
| 1995 | Dillinger and Capone | Ragtop Blonde | |
| 2007 | Because I Said So | Milly's Staff #2 | Cameo |
In Development
[edit]| Title | Role(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aqua Tofana | Creator, Writer | Netflix series based on a 17th-century Italian poisoner |
| Twisted Sister | Writer | Feature film in development with Sony Pictures |
| lil holly o | Writer, Director | Horror feature in development |
References
[edit]- ^ Sneider, Jeff (April 17, 2014). "Katie Holmes on Playing 'Miss Meadows' Gun‑Toting Vigilante". TheWrap. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- ^ Eidelstein, Eric (April 14, 2014). "Meet the 2014 Tribeca Filmmakers #5: Karen Hopkins on Trusting That Her Feature 'Miss Meadows' Would Happen". IndieWire. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- ^ Coggan, Devan (April 5, 2017). "Karen Leigh Hopkins reveals her cut role in 'The Breakfast Club'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- ^ Bender, Kelli (March 26, 2015). "Karen Leigh Hopkins Recalls the Pain of Being Cut from 'The Breakfast Club'". People. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- ^ "Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael – Film Review". Variety. December 31, 1989. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- ^ McCarthy, Todd (December 8, 1998). "Stepmom – Film Review". Variety. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- ^ Harvey, Dennis (February 1, 2007). "Because I Said So – Film Review". Variety. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- ^ Michaud, Chris (April 23, 2014). "Katie Holmes plays an armed dainty vigilante in satirical 'Miss Meadows'". Today. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- ^ Rapold, Nicolas (November 13, 2014). "Review: In 'Miss Meadows,' Prim, Proper and Extremely Dangerous". The New York Times. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- ^ THR Staff (April 23, 2014). "'Miss Meadows': Tribeca Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- ^ "Karen Leigh Hopkins – Credits". TV Guide. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- ^ Horgan, Tim (July 14, 2020). "'Little Voice': Jessie Nelson & Sara Bareilles On Bringing Genuine Storytelling To Apple TV+". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- ^ "Prize Winners". Humanitas Prize. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- ^ a b "Karen Leigh Hopkins (Writer‑Director‑Producer) – StoryBeat Podcast Episode 207". StoryBeat. June 21, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
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