Phyllis Nagy is a director, screenwriter and playwright. Born in New York in 1962, she began her career at the Royal Court in London, where she was writer in residence in the 1990s, with plays such as Butterfly Kiss. She moved back to Los Angeles a decade ago. In 2006, she was nominated for an Emmy for writing and directing Mrs Harris, her screen debut. In 2016 she was nominated for an Oscar for her screenplay for Carol, based on a novel by Patricia Highsmith, who she knew. Now she is directing Call Jane, her feature debut starring Elizabeth Banks, based on the true story of the “Janes”, a group of suburban women who organised a network to provide safe, affordable abortions in the States in the late 1960s, when abortion was illegal.
How did you get involved in Call Jane?
When I was sent the script, I am embarrassed to say I had never heard of the Janes. It got me thinking about how women and minorities don’t learn anything about our heroes. Those are lessons that are not taught.
