Fellowship Profile: Regina Hicks

The following is one installment of a series recognizing alumni and friends who will be honored at the 2023 Grady Salutes celebration on April 28, 2023. For more details, please see our posts about our Fellowship honorees, Alumni Award recipients and Dean’s Medalist.

Congratulations to Regina Hicks (ABJ ’85, MFA ’90) who has been named to this year’s class of Grady Fellowship inductees.

Hicks is a writer, producer and showrunner, working on some of the industry’s most popular series and made-for-TV movies. She is currently an executive producer and showrunner for “The Upshaws,” a sitcom she co-created that is launching its second season this year on Netflix.

Most recently, Hicks wrote and co-executive produced “The LWord – Next Gen,” a drama about lesbian women on Showtime and “Insecure,” on HBO.  Previously, Hicks was part of the writing staff for the ABC sitcom “The Mayor” and NBC’s sitcom “Marlon.” Her writing credits also include “Girlfriends,” “Sherri,” “State of Georgia,” “Instant Mom” and the recent 2015 TV remake, “Uncle Buck.”

Hicks has co-scripted several made-for-TV movie  including “Jump In,” “Camp Rock” and “Camp Rock 2” for the Disney Channel, as well as the “ Drumline 2 – A New Beat,” for VH1.

Hicks was the recipient of the King-Tisdell Cottage Foundation Fine Arts Award in Savannah, Georgia in 2007, and was nominated for an NAACP Image award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy for “Girlfriends” and“Instant Mom.” She has also served as a governor for the Television Academy.

She graduated with a degree in telecommunications (now Entertainment and Media Studies) and returned to UGA a few years later to earn an MFA in drama.

Hicks is currently scripting the new “Sister Act 3” for Disney.

Following are rapid-fire answers to questions posed about her career journey:

Grady College: What class at Grady College did the most to prepare you for your current career?

Regina Hicks: Screenwriting

GC: What experience during your time at Grady College had the biggest influence on where you are today?

RH: Dr. Barry Sherman suggested I write for TV.

GC: What skills and/or values and/or circumstances do you attribute to your success?

RH: Tenacity, Determination, Preparedness, Faith

GC: What advice do you have for today’s young professionals?

RH: Be ready. Be prepared for opportunities you may only get one that counts.

GC: What would you tell your 20-year-old self?

RH: Keep doing what you’re doing.

Tickets to Grady Salutes: Celebrating Achievement, Leadership and Commitment on April 28, 2023, are available for purchase. Register here.