Screenwriter, Executive Producer, Showrunner, Author
Los Angeles, CA
Janet “JT” Tamaro is a showrunner, screenwriter, and author who began her career as a television correspondent. She created the TNT drama Rizzoli & Isles, which ran for seven seasons and continues in syndication worldwide. JT has written and produced for Lost, Bones, Law & Order: SVU, CSI: NY, and Sleeper Cell. Her work has received an Emmy nomination, a Gracie Allen Award, and a Writers Guild of America Award. JT has been named one of The Hollywood Reporter’s “Top 50 Showrunners” multiple times.
She came to screenwriting through journalism – earning a BA from UC Berkeley and an MS from Columbia, then reporting for ABC News, Inside Edition, and America’s Most Wanted. She covered crime, law, medicine, mental health, and public policy. Her investigative work continues to shape JT’s storytelling; she’s known for grounded, character-driven stories that explore the ache of being human.
JT is the author of the bestselling parenting book, So That’s What They’re For! Breastfeeding Basics. She has taught screenwriting and producing at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She is currently writing feature films and completing a crime novel.
At Stanford’s Distinguished Careers Institute, JT plans to immerse in the science of early childhood development and attachment, trauma, loneliness, and intergenerational connection.
A lifelong athlete, she hikes and travels whenever possible. JT has two adult daughters—a journalist and a chef—which means dinners are never boring. She bakes a respectable sourdough.