Halley Gross
American screenwriter (born 1985)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Halley Wegryn Gross (born December 27, 1985) is an American screenwriter and actress. She is best known for writing two 2016 episodes of the HBO series Westworld and co-writing the 2020 video game The Last of Us Part II.
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- Screenwriter
- actress
Halley Gross | |
|---|---|
Gross in September 2019 | |
| Born | December 27, 1985 Sanibel, Florida, U.S. |
| Alma mater | New York University |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1995–present |
Early life
Halley Wegryn Gross was born in Sanibel, Florida,[1][2] on December 27, 1985,[3][4] the only child of Heidi Wegryn and David Robert Gross (1935–2014), both attorneys.[5][6][7] She grew up in New Jersey,[8] including in New Vernon,[9] and attended Pingry School, graduating in 2004.[5][10] From the age of 10,[6] she was a child actress who made appearances on Law & Order and later wanted to become a comedian while in college, but found that comedy made her uncomfortable.[8] She attended the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University (NYU) as an undergraduate.[8] She graduated with a degree in creative writing in 2008 and then gained a master's degree in dramaturgy from NYU in 2010.[11]
Career
Acting
Gross worked as an actress and appeared onstage in a 2005 production of Hurlyburly,[12] a 2011 production of The Metal Children,[13] and a 2012 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.[14]
Writing
She had her breakthrough as a writer and story editor for two 2016 episodes of the HBO television series Westworld.[15] She was also a writer for two episodes of the 2019 Amazon miniseries Too Old to Die Young.[16] In 2020, she co-wrote the video game The Last of Us Part II with Neil Druckmann.[17] The game won multiple awards, some of which were awarded to Gross and Druckmann for their writing.[18][19][20][21] The game also broke the record for the most Game of the Year awards received by a single game.[22] Gross joined the writers' room of the second season of the television adaptation of The Last of Us,[23] which adapts part of the events of The Last of Us Part II.[24] She co-wrote the sixth and seventh episodes with Druckmann and Craig Mazin.[25] Gross stepped away from writing duties on the HBO series in July 2025.[26]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Babysitters | Nadine Woodberg |
| 2024 | Trigger Warning | Rewrote script by John Brancato and Josh Olson |
Television
| Year | Title | Episode(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Banshee | "Snakes and Whatnot" |
| 2016 | Westworld | "The Adversary" and "Trompe L'Oeil"; also story editor |
| 2017 | Emerald City | "Everybody Lies" |
| 2019 | Too Old to Die Young | "Volume 9: The Empress" and "Volume 10: The World" |
| 2024 | Batman: Caped Crusader | "The Stress of Her Regard" and "Nocturne" |
| 2025 | The Last of Us | "The Price" and "Convergence" (with Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin);[25] also co-executive producer |
Video games
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | The Last of Us Part II | Co-writer, narrative lead |
| TBA | Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet | AJ (acting role) |
Accolades
| Date | Award / Publication | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 24, 2020 | Golden Joystick Awards | Best Storytelling | The Last of Us Part II | Won | [18] |
| December 10, 2020 | The Game Awards | Best Narrative | Won | [19] | |
| December 12, 2020 | Titanium Awards | Best Narrative Design | Won | [27] | |
| December 22, 2020 | IGN | Best Video Game Story | Won | [28] | |
| March 20, 2021 | SXSW Gaming Awards | Excellence in Narrative | Won | [29] | |
| April 8, 2021 | D.I.C.E. Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Story | Won | [20] | |
| July 21, 2021 | Game Developers Choice Awards | Best Narrative | Won | [21] | |
| April 14, 2024 | Writers Guild of America Awards | New Series | The Last of Us | Won | [30] |
| Drama Series | Nominated | ||||
| September 7, 2025 | Humanitas Prize | Drama Teleplay | Nominated | [31] |