Naomi Grossman, Maverick Award
Nominated for a Primetime Emmy for her role in Ctrl Alt Delete, Naomi is best known as the first crossover character, the fan-favorite “Pepper” on American Horror Story: Asylum & Freak Show; she later appeared as a new character in S8: Apocalypse, as well as the spin-off series, American Horror Stories. Fans may also recognize her from cameos in the following feature films: 1BR, Replica, Pet Detectives, Table for Three, Sky Sharks, Bite Me, Painkillers, Murder RX, Fear, Inc, just to name a few.
But it’s really her solo performance work of which she’s most proud. Naomi prides herself on having paved her own, albeit unorthodox path to mainstream success by writing, producing and starring in a trilogy of autobiographical solo shows. Her latest, American Whore Story, recently debuted Off-Broadway, following a sold-out run in Los Angeles. Previously, Carnival Knowledge: Love, Lust, and other Human Oddities, boasted a twice-extended, sold-out run and rave reviews (“Recommended” by LA Weekly). It was then reprised at the world-famous fringe theatre festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, where it received more critical praise (4 stars: The Scotsman, Broadway Baby, Fringe Review) and a transfer to London’s West End (Leicester Square Theatre). It later went on to have a successful run Off-Off Broadway. Naomi’s first solo endeavor, Girl in Argentine Landscape, also received critical acclaim (LA Weekly, “Pick of the Week”) and earned her an LA Weekly Theatre Award nomination for best solo performance. Naomi toured with Girl… to the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival, Chicago’s Single File Festival, the New York International Fringe Festival, and screened a subtitled video-version on the big screen in Argentina.
Her numerous self-penned/produced, comedic shorts have screened at nationwide film festivals and are available for view on FunnyOrDie, as well as and her own prolific Youtube channel. Naomi is a theatre graduate of Northwestern University, and a veteran of the legendary Groundlings Sunday Company.