College of Arts and Sciences Commencement Address, Afternoon
Kelly Younger
(MA '96) • Screenwriter, TV writer, and Professor of English, Loyola Marymount University
Kelly Younger (MA ’96) is a screenwriter, television writer, playwright, story consultant, and Emmy-nominated producer whose work spans film, television, animation, and theater. He is currently a writer on the new installment of The Muppet Show, produced by Seth Rogen, directed by Alex Timbers, and starring Sabrina Carpenter. He wrote the Amazon feature film Candy Cane Lane, starring Eddie Murphy and Tracee Ellis Ross and directed by Reginald Hudlin. The film premiered in December 2023 and became the largest domestically produced title in Amazon MGM Studios history.
Younger maintains an ongoing creative partnership with The Muppets Studio, where he co-created and co-executive produced Muppets Now and co-wrote and co-executive produced Muppets Haunted Mansion, winner of the 2022 PGA Award for Outstanding Children’s Programming and recipient of four Emmy nominations, including one win. He also wrote Kermit’s “Kermencement” address to the University of Maryland Class of 2025, later featured in CNN’s “Year in Pictures” and Google’s “Year in Search.”
As a member of the Disney Animation Story Trust, Younger contributed to Ralph Breaks the Internet, Frozen 2, Moana, and Raya and the Last Dragon, and participated in the Pixar Brain Trust on major releases including Coco and Toy Story 4. He has developed projects for Paramount Animation, Warner Animation Group, DreamWorks Animation, Illumination, Apple, Hulu, and Disney. He is currently co-writing a feature film for Skydance Animation, and developing an animated series with Academy Award winning director Bong Joon Ho.
A produced playwright, Younger’s work has appeared Off-Broadway and internationally. His comedy Kalamazoo, co-written with Michelle Kholos Brooks, won the Reva Shiner Comedy Award and is published by Dramatists Play Service.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Younger earned a Master of Arts in Classics from Loyola University Chicago and a PhD in Literature and Drama from University College Dublin. He is a tenured professor of English at Loyola Marymount University.