The Business
Revisiting Gloria Calderón Kellett on 'One Day at a Time'
When Norman Lear decided to reboot the classic sitcom One Day at a Time, this time with a Latino family, he wanted a writer-producer who could offer an authentic voice to the project. He found that person in Gloria Calderón Kellett, who incorporated much of her own background into the show, including making the family Cuban.
For the holiday weekend, we’re revisiting our conversation with TV writer-producer Gloria Calderón Kellett. She wasn’t necessarily looking to work on a reboot, but then she got a call from Norman Lear. She tells us how her first meeting with the TV legend led to shaping the new version of One Day at a Time on Netflix to focus on a Cuban family living in Echo Park. She also talks about her past struggles as an actress who was told she didn’t look “Latino enough” and the experience of often being the sole “diversity hire” in a writers’ room.
One Day at a Time (Netflix)