Millicent Shelton just made a major career move. The two-time Emmy nominee—known for directing movies and standout episodes on Lessons in Chemistry, Black-ish, The Night Agent, and more—has signed with Innovative Artists Entertainment for literary representation.
It’s an interesting shift, considering Shelton has built her entire career as a powerhouse behind the camera—first as a music video director with over 100 videos under her belt, then steadily building a résumé of standout directing credits across some of TV’s biggest shows. But what some may not remember is that Shelton actually got her first writing credit early in her film career, writing and directing the 1998 feature Ride, a hip-hop-fueled comedy starring Malik Yoba and Melissa De Sousa.
So in many ways, this isn’t a pivot—it’s a full-circle moment. With literary reps now officially in place, this move could signal a return to creating her own original stories, developing TV and film projects not just as a director, but also as a writer and creator.
Shelton remains managed by Anne Damato and represented by powerhouse attorney Nina Shaw of Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein Lezcano Bobb & Dang.
Her new home at Innovative comes at a time of serious growth for the agency. Backed by Coral Tree Partners, the company has been expanding its literary division and signing multi-hyphenate talent like David Marshall Grant (Brothers & Sisters) and actor Bobby Soto. With Shelton added to the mix, it’s clear the agency is betting on creators with a deep, cross-genre résumé and a clear point of view.
And Shelton? She’s got both. With more than 80 series credits (Insecure, Hunters, The Flash, Parks & Rec, 90210, and more), a Netflix feature under her belt (End of the Road starring Queen Latifah), and now literary representation in play—she’s showing no signs of slowing down.