Katy Wright-Mead '01

Inducted Fall 2025

Katy Wright-Mead, a member of the Class of 2001, is a remarkably talented, award-winning actor and screenwriter whose journey in the performing arts began at Fryeburg Academy. On the Academy stage, Katy’s passion for acting was unmistakable. In 2000, her performances in The Crucible and Wiley & The Hairy Man earned her the Outstanding Actress Award at the Western Maine State One-Act Competition. The following year, she and classmates Kalynda Beal, Justin Whitaker, and Ben Hammond won Best Script for Sir Bob & The Golden Duck in the Fryeburg Academy One-Act Competition.

Not only was Katy a star on stage, she also excelled as a student and athlete. Katy captained the Varsity Girls Soccer team in 2000, played on the 1997 Western Maine Class B Championship team, and was a member of the National Honor Society.

Katy is a graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (NYC) and an alum of the Larry Moss Intensive, T. Schreiber Studio, UCB (improv comedy training), and the Sundance Collab. After completing her training, she pursued a career in film, television, and theater. She co-wrote, produced, and appeared in the feature film Sometimes I Think About Dying, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival with Daisy Ridley and was later shortlisted for the 92nd Academy Awards. Her acting credits include HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, Cinemax’s The Knick, CBS’s Rush Hour, and the upcoming short films Stitches and Night Feeds. Her stage work in Time Out and Backstage was praised by The New York Times as “heartbreaking, charming, and effervescent.”

Her achievements have been recognized with numerous accolades, including Best Screenplay awards at the Rhode Island International Film Festival and the Walla Walla Film Festival, as well as Best Actress honors at the MFI North Folk, Rincon International, and North Bend Film Festivals. Critics have praised her work for its wit, originality, and emotional depth, with Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, and Deadline all highlighting her distinctive voice as a storyteller.

Katy lives in Los Angeles with her husband, filmmaker Ryan Gielen, and their two sons, Robin and River. When she is not acting or writing, she enjoys time outdoors, traveling, and cheering on her children at their soccer, basketball, and baseball games.