Megan Amram talks An Emmy For Megan

Megan Amram. Courtesy of Megan Amram

Megan Amram, a writer for The Good Place, recently spoke to Solzy at the Movies in an interview about season two of An Emmy for Megan.

It feels like you came out a winner after the first season of An Emmy for Megan because the Television Academy was forced to change the rules. Would you agree?

Megan Amram: Absolutely. Literally hundreds of millions of people each year win Emmys, but only I have ever made a web series that ostensibly forced the Academy to reconsider some of their rules.  This is why I consider myself well on my way to an EGOT (Emmy rule-change, Grammy, Oscar, Tony).

Did last year’s Emmy Awards begin to lay the ground for the second season?

Megan Amram: Yes. I have stewing in my loss for a year now, gaining and losing over 400 pounds in total due to the stress. The rest of my life fell to the wayside as I planned my revenge. But now I’m back, better than ever and ready to fight.

Season two features quite the guest stars including the likes of Patton Oswalt and Nick Offerman to name a few. Will this be enough to take the series over the line?

Megan Amram: Patton Oswalt gave a tour-de-force performance in season two of An Emmy For Megan. We are pushing hard for him to receive an Emmy nomination. As devastating as it would be for me personally to lose again, I would be so honored if Patton could walk away with a trophy this year for AEFM.

After playing violin last year in The Good Place and singing during an appearance on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, will A Grammy for Megan be next?

Megan Amram: Absolutely. Once I get the Emmy, I intend on slapping some strings on the sucker and turning it into a new type of musical instrument with which I can record a Grammy-winning album. I am always thinking ahead.

Is an EGOT the ultimate goal?

Megan Amram: I would love to change the rules of every single award. It would be like an EGOT but specifically for rule changes. I don’t think anyone has ever done that before.

It was recently announced that the upcoming season of The Good Place will be the last. How much of a joy has it been to work on this series?

Megan Amram: Working on The Good Place has been the most wonderful, fulfilling experience of my professional career (don’t tell the people who made An Emmy For Megan). I am going to miss all my co-writers terribly and intend on trying to work with them on other things for the rest of my life.

In addition to The Good Place and An Emmy for Megan, you wrote a few episodes of The Simpsons this past season. How much of an honor was it to work on the long-running series?

Megan Amram: The Simpsons is literally why I got into writing—I was a super-fan as a kid growing up in Portland, Oregon (where Matt Groening is from, so it felt extra special). It is truly surreal. I can’t believe I actually got to meet Bart! He was such a gentleman. So much plastic surgery, though.

You also signed an overall deal with Universal Television.  Is this as exciting as it sounds?

Megan Amram: Yes! I will be working on developing new content for Universal Television, which is a great honor. I’m so excited to make An Emmy For Megan into an hour-long, 16 season long television drama like NCIS. Am I kidding? No way to know.

You broke through in a big way through writing jokes on Twitter.  How did you first get an interest in comedy?

Megan Amram: I truly don’t remember. I was a deadly serious child and didn’t make a good joke until I was like 18. Some people might say I still haven’t made a good joke! And you know what I say to that? I’d say you’re entitled to your opinion! I appreciate that you and I might have different tastes, and that’s okay! I love you!

What’s your writing process like?

Megan Amram: Writing two words, checking twitter, doing a crossword puzzle, crying, filling out an online interview. Repeat til done.

What do you feel is the reason why so many Jewish people turn to comedy?

Megan Amram: I can only speak for my own Jewish family, but we definitely don’t have the muscle tone to become athletes, and my job options were either comedy writing or the WNBA, so here I am!

What are people like me supposed to do without The Good Place when it ends?!?

Megan Amram: Again, I can only speak for myself, but I will be crying for two weeks straight. I love The Good Place. <3

An Emmy for Megan is available to watch online.  The Good Place will return on September 26, 2019.

Danielle Solzman

Danielle Solzman is native of Louisville, KY, and holds a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and a MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. Living less than a mile away from Wrigley Field in Chicago, she is an active reader (sports/entertainment/history/biographies/select fiction) and involved with the Chicago improv scene. She also sees many movies and reviews them. She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote/Flicksided. From April 2016 through May 2017, her film reviews can be found on Creators.