Alumni Service to CAHSS Award Winner: Paul Keables
The College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences congratulates the 2022 Alumni Award Winners! These distinguished alumni have made positive, lasting impacts on not just CAHSS but within the liberal arts and their communities at large. We are proud to shine a spotlight on the incredible work these alumni have done and we look forward to their continued success.
Hometown
Littleton, Colorado
Graduation year and major
BA ’07, Mass Communications with emphasis in Film & Television and Digital Media Studies; Minor in Theatre
What is your current role?
Television writer/producer
How did you get into this career?
I had always dreamt of a career in entertainment that would put my love of storytelling to use. CUT TO: finishing school and moving to LA, where a kind alumna let me crash on her couch for a few days. I started out as a PA (production assistant) on random gigs – commercials, music videos, a public access magic show – while working on my own writing in between. Those days on set will make or break you, but I eventually made the connections that landed me a coveted spot as an assistant in a TV writers’ office where I was able to learn firsthand the ins and outs of writing and producing a television show.
I got my first writing credit with a script on the Starz drama “Boss,” starring Kelsey Grammer. That opened a lot of doors for me, such as finding my agents and managers. Since then, I’ve written and produced for shows across all genres and platforms, like “Nashville” (ABC), “The Strain” (FX), “Mars” (National Geographic Channel), and “Spinning Out” (Netflix), as well as developed adaptations and original ideas for various studios and networks, including Hulu and Amazon Prime. None of which would have been possible without the incredible mentors and friends I’ve made along the way.
What are your favorite memories of your time at DU?
I was very fortunate to find my community of peers and professors while at DU that both supported and challenged me. Screenwriting and production classes with Sheila Schroeder, as well as theatre courses with Rick Barbour and Davy Davis, gave me the invaluable opportunity to try new things and encouraged me to discover who I was in the process.
Off-campus, my studies abroad in both Bologna, Italy, and Dharamshala, India, remain two of the most impactful experiences of my life. The chance to travel to foreign places, learning and living within different cultures is something everyone should experience, and I’m grateful to DU and the Cherrington Global Scholars program for making that possible.
What advice would you give to new and current students?
Do everything. Be curious. Don’t hold back. You will never again have the time, freedom, and youthful naivete to explore all that the world has to offer.
