Maurissa Tancharoen is the co-creator, show runner and Executive Producer of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC. The series recently aired its seventh and final season.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Maurissa Tancharoen has taken an unusual path to her work in television. With a background in music and dance, she’s performed with the likes of Michael Jackson and Chaka Khan, and toured the country as a member of a pop group with Motown Records.  At Occidental College, she became heavily involved in theater and wrote several award-winning plays. She then went on to write on Oliver Beene for FOX, and co-created and executive-produced the MTV series Dancelife with Jennifer Lopez.

With her husband and writing partner, Jed Whedon, she created and appeared in the Emmy-award winning musical, Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog. Together, their credits also include such shows as Dollhouse, Drop Dead Diva, and Spartacus.

As an Asian-American female showrunner, her advocacy for diversity and representation is reflected in her work.  Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is not only touted as one of the most diverse shows on television, but as a show that celebrates layered, intelligent, powerful women.

Maurissa is no stranger to adversity as she has been living with Lupus since she was fifteen years old. She is heavily involved in raising awareness and funds for those also suffering from this devastating illness.

Maurissa still takes the occasional hip-hop class, makes music with Jed, and constantly marvels at their little superhero – their daughter, Benny Sue.