Where Are They Now? TJ Ross

TJ Ross, a 2010 graduate of Niwot High School, is making his mark on the entertainment industry. Currently based in Los Angeles, Ross has worked on the creative team of shows such as Lucifer and Pulse.

Ross did not have a typical starting path into the industry. He said, "I knew I wanted to go to college after high school and had a passion to move out of Colorado to explore what else was out there. I ended up landing at University of California, Santa Barbara, for marine biology, but I quickly realized I wasn't a science guy, so I pivoted to a communications major and really enjoyed that."

Ross continued, "After graduation, I was completing various internships around Santa Barbara and ended up applying for a media/entertainment based internship with a talent agency, William Morris Endeavor, in the unscripted group. You often start at an agency in the mailroom delivering mail and covering other assistants' desks while they are away to work your way up. At some point, I switched into scripted television, which is the arena I am in now. I have been a Creative Manager in the Scripted Drama Group at Netflix for the past four years."

Ross explained how the pandemic impacted his side of the entertainment industry. He said, "Shooting and producing shows was much harder during COVID due to all of the necessary health protocols, which made for more challenges with traveling, scheduling, and other delays as well as not being able to be in person for planning sessions.

He continued, "Normally when a show gets greenlit, there is a writers' room where a group of writers get together to plan out the season and then the scripts are handed out. Those rooms are usually in-person and that's where a lot of the creative magic and inspiration comes from because they can bounce off of each other. With those rooms shifting virtually during that time, it definitely was a major change for people to adapt to even though a lot of those rooms are returning to in-person now. "

Ross has had a lot of highlights in his budding career. "Pulse was special for me due to my role in the production, and there was a lot of excitement around it being Netflix's first medical series. The creator and the entire team were so nice and so friendly and it was such a great experience. When you work on something so hard and finally have the finished work to see, it's really amazing.

"I'm also excited for an upcoming series, Boots, following the story of this young closeted gay soldier named Cameron and his military experience before the 'don't ask, don't tell' era. But it's also about this transformation of boys into men and the perception of the military then and now. We've been working on this show as well for a very long time and I'm excited for everyone to see it."

Ross has some advice for students based on what he has learned along the way. "Take advantage of the opportunities available and make connections. Being involved in student council and other leadership at Niwot High allowed me to become more comfortable with public speaking. Now I have to speak in meetings all the time that are nerve-wracking, but the seeds of success for that were all planted in Niwot."

He continued, "Don't be afraid to reach out to people in the industry and ask for meetings or exploratory interviews. A big part of my business is just socializing and networking with people. Be curious because it allows you to learn so much. In high school, you don't have to have your whole life planned out, you just need to be willing to ask questions."