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Work Hard


Beth McCarthy Miller

Beth McCarthy Miller

Director

"Saturday Night Live" and the "MTV Video Music Awards"

If you work hard and persevere, I think that you'll be successful in whatever you do.

About Beth

  • Always knew she wanted to work in the entertainment industry.
  • As an intern at MTV, she had directors sit her down and say, "You should be a director."
  • Realized that as a child, she'd always been the "bossy" one, putting on productions, giving her friends directions.
  • Says her internship at MTV was amazing because they were in an experimental phase; she was exposed to shows in all kinds of formats.
  • Held out for the job she really wanted, even though it meant years of working long hours with low pay.
  • "Not every experience is gonna be a 'wow,' but it might open up the doors to something else."
  • Waiting paid off-got a job directing "The Jon Stewart Show", which led to directing "SNL".
  • "SNL" gig led to a plethora of jobs directing comedy shows, among them "30 Rock", "The Mindy Project", "Parks and Recreation".