Ryan Murphy, one of the most prolific producers, writers and directors in Hollywood reflects on the dominant industry culture that was the standard prior to 2017.

“When I started in the late ‘90s, Hollywood was run by straight white men over the age of 50 who really only wanted to work with people who were like them. I was not like them. I wanted to tell stories about women and the LGBTQ community, and it was women who were my mentors – and there wasn’t a lot of them – then or now. They recognized something in me, as someone who was different. They were fighting against the system and they were the ones who gave me these opportunities.”

It’s been three years since the #TimesUp movement caught fire and forced into the spotlight the dirty secret everyone knew: a minority of power brokers were excluding those who didn’t fit an established mold. Power brokers are gatekeepers, they keep people out and they let people in. Ryan Murphy has assumed the latter role, allowing diverse voices into a world that naturally favored a particular point of view

In a world where that world view is more likely to be funded and thus make it to the screen, Murphy chose not to repeat what had come before. Daringly, he told the stories of people in the margins of society – women past a certain age, people of color, those in the LGBTQ community. Not little art-house pieces seen by a minority, but bold, unapologetic stories, that the audience tuned into in droves.

His first movie, Running with Scissors, starred Annette Bening and Gwyneth Paltrow and garnered Bening a Golden Globe award for Best Actress. She was the first in a long line of actors that would make the walk to the award stage when appearing in a Ryan Murphy vehicle. So far, he has pulled in 6 Emmy wins and 5 Golden Globe nominations in shows like Nip/Tuck, Glee, American Horror Story, Pose, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story and more. And Ryan is prolific: in 2020 alone, he has banked Hollywood, Ratched, and The Prom. Having signed the largest deal in television history – a $300 million, 5-year contract with Netflix – he is often dubbed ‘the most powerful man in television’.

Murphy has shattered ceilings in ways that counted for others by launching The Half Initiative a program to empower women and minorities behind the camera, thus ensuring that the gates open for those who had been excluded, offering access to diverse talent so their voices can be heard.

Unconscious bias is a problem that needs conscious redress. If the story you watch is one where people like you are featured, you don’t notice that stories about others are not featured. A realization is required about unconsciously promoting the ideals and interests of those in your image, so the problem is not perpetuated. Unfortunately, too many people who make unconscious choices against things they do not comprehend are gatekeepers.

Katori Hall, the showrunner and creator of P-Valley was part of Murphy’s shadowing program and explains how invaluable the access that The Half Initiative offered was to her. Despite an illustrious career in the theater (she wrote Broadway’s Tina Turner musical and Mountain Top for Angela Bassett and Samuel L. Jackson which won an Olivier Award), she still had trouble crossing over to television. ‘When it came to TV directing, I’ve always felt like a little girl with her face pressed up against the glass at the candy store,” she shares. “Salivating, with my talent burning a hole in my pocket. The Half Initiative shadowing program provided me with a stunning opportunity to walk right past those locked doors and gorge on an experience only a privileged few get a chance to taste.”

In 2018, only a quarter of television shows were directed by women. The Director’s Guild has blamed the hiring of insiders for frustrating the progress of female and non-white directors. In an earlier report, the guild found that almost 70% of hundreds of first-time TV directing jobs went to insiders – actors, producers, writers or crew members affiliated with a given series, three quarters of whom were white men. The “gifting out” of the jobs created a bottleneck effect, the study found, and those insiders went on to develop their directing careers just 24% of the time.

“The industry is still not where it needs to be when it comes to ensuring that those behind the camera are as diverse as the stories we’re aiming to tell,” notes Janet Mock, writer-director-executive producer of Murphy’s Pose. “Since they are not doing the work of recruiting and developing such talent, programs like Half help them do that work and create a pipeline of talent.”

And that’s why Murphy is making an impact. Since 2016, Ryan Murphy Television has produced 2 Netflix films, 2 Netflix documentaries, 11 series with over 170 episodes across FOX, F/X and Netflix, creating over 2,000 jobs for producers, writers, directors and production crew members. Since creating The Half Initiative, he has used his shows inclusively. Since 2016 nineteen directors have been first-time helmers for Ryan Murphy Television and 63% were women. Almost half a million dollars has been dedicated to stipends for mentees to support time off work and childcare needs. Given that women are paid less and are usually responsible for childcare, this frees up mothers to earn and progress in their careers. But Murphy has gone further. Of the 153 mentee participants of the Directing Shadow Program, 54% are women, 10% are transgender, 65% are people of color and 22% identify as LGBTQ.

While merely having the opportunity to learn and participate is impactful, the actions are not merely cosmetic. They translate into real opportunities and access. Maggie Kiley (Dirty John, Betty Broderick) who we featured here, explains the concrete benefits. “Having the support and confidence of Ryan Murphy and the Half Initiative had a huge impact on me, both professionally and personally. While other diversity programs gave me a line for my bio, the Half Initiative gave me practical, hands-on experience on set and an inside view into top-level television production. The relationships I made and the knowledge I gained in that program continue to serve me in my career. Without question, having Ryan’s voice in my ear telling me that there was a place for me in this industry and he would be there to tell anyone who needed to know I was ready, made all of the difference to me. It opened so many doors and gave me the confidence to walk through them. I am forever grateful.” Kiley went on to score an exclusive multi-year deal with Warner Brothers Television developing new projects, executive producing and directing.

The relevance of a gatekeeper actively advocating for those formerly locked out is that different stories get told, more people see themselves reflected, more people believe in their dreams.

Murphy sums up his approach: “Diversity and inclusion are like multi-vitamins in my life. I take them every day. I practice them. It’s part of my business practice and I’m thrilled to say, in some ways, it has helped change the system which is very different now than when I started. That’s what I’m most proud of.”

Returning to his most recent show, The Prom, he explains why a story about a girl wanting to take her date to the prom resonates with people no matter their gender preference or race.

“All of my work is about one thing: everybody should be who they want to be, and that’s why the shows become hits. Everyone feels that about their own lives too. With the Half Initiative, more divergent voices are being included and because of it, we may be headed to a more equitable society.”