Marta Kauffman

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Marta Kauffman's path to co-creating *Friends* began in the Philadelphia suburbs, where she was raised in a conservative Jewish household. She attended Marple Newtown High School, where she was a thespian and student director of the school play *Our Town* in 1974. Kauffman went on to Brandeis University, earning a BA in theater in 1978, and was a sister of Sigma Delta Tau sorority. She also studied acting at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater in New York City before moving to Sherman Oaks, a suburb of Los Angeles. Her partnership with David Crane, a longtime friend, led to the creation of *Friends*, a show that drew from their own experience of being in a friend group with four other people. Kauffman married Michael Skloff, who composed the *Friends* theme song, and the couple have three children. She is a registered Democrat.

In Their Own Story

In January 2020, Kauffman's production company Okay Goodnight—headed by partners Kauffman, Robbie Rowe Tollin, and Hannah KS Canter—signed a multi-year first-look agreement deal with Fox 21 Television Studios, starting with *The Dreamers* novel adaptation, with The Littlefield Company also in the deal. This marked a new chapter in her career, building on her earlier work as an executive producer on *Related* from 2005 to 2006 and as a producer on *Veronica's Closet* and *Jesse*. Her creative partnership with David Crane extended beyond *Friends* to the HBO series *Dream On*, which both writers created. Later, without Crane, she co-created the Netflix series *Grace and Frankie*.

Reader's Guide

Kauffman's role as co-creator and executive producer of *Friends* placed her at the center of one of television's most beloved sitcoms. Alongside David Crane and executive producer Kevin S. Bright, she helped guide the show through its ten-season run. The series' success was built on the chemistry of its six leads, a dynamic that mirrored Kauffman and Crane's own friend group of four other people. Kauffman's background in theater—from high school productions to her BA from Brandeis and acting studies at The Neighborhood Playhouse—informed her approach to character and dialogue. Her production company Okay Goodnight, formed with partners Robbie Rowe Tollin and Hannah KS Canter, secured a first-look deal with Fox 21 Television Studios in 2020, beginning with an adaptation of *The Dreamers*. Kauffman's personal life also intersected with her professional work: her husband Michael Skloff composed the iconic *Friends* theme song.

Did You Know?

• Marta Kauffman was born on September 21, 1956.
• She was a student director of the school play *Our Town* in 1974 at Marple Newtown High School.
• Kauffman was a sister of Sigma Delta Tau sorority at Brandeis University.
• Her husband, Michael Skloff, composed the *Friends* theme song.
• She co-created the Netflix series *Grace and Frankie* without David Crane.