ELISABETH SELDES ANNACONE ’81: From Film Executive to Award-Winning Writer

When the 2025 Writers Guild Awards were announced, cheers rang out across the Millbrook community: one of our own, Elisabeth Seldes Annacone ’81, earned top honors in the TV & Streaming Motion Pictures category for her HBO Max film, The Great Lillian Hall.

But when Elisabeth first arrived at Millbrook as a Vth former, she didn’t see herself as a writer. Despite growing up in a literary household—her mother a journalist, her father a literary agent—she had no intention of following in their footsteps.

What drew her to Millbrook from New York City was not the classroom, but the countryside. A lifelong “animal nut,” she jumped at the chance to bring her beloved horse to school and visit the Trevor Zoo. She fondly remembers the resident otters at the time: Horatio and Cassandra.

While she soaked up the beauty of the Mid-Hudson Valley—often racing through meals to squeeze in nature walks with friends Lisa Magadini ’81 and Tom Durand ’80—Elisabeth also found unexpected inspiration in the classroom. Philosophy class with Mr. Post introduced her to Socrates and Plato, and it was English teacher Dr. Skinner who first told her, “You’re a writer.” She took his belief in her to heart. He worked closely with her on essays, helped guide her early efforts, and even wrote her college recommendations—despite leaving Millbrook before her VIth form year.

Elisabeth went on to Skidmore College, double majoring in French and English. She imagined herself working behind the scenes in the writing world—as a producer or editor—but her path soon shifted. After starting as an intern at NPR’s All Things Considered, she landed a production assistant role on James Toback’s The Pickup Artist, followed by work in director Oliver Stone’s New York office on his 1987 film, Wall Street. A move to Los Angeles to finish the film eventually led her to a realization: she wanted to be part of the storytelling process itself.

She began developing television movies at Wilshire Court Productions before going on to work for four years with Francis Ford Coppola and then to a senior VP position at MGM Studios. Ultimately, Elisabeth decided to pursue her MFA in screenwriting at UCLA (where she is a frequent lecturer), and it was in one of her graduate workshops that the seed for The Great Lillian Hall was planted. After delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the WGA writer’s strike, the film premiered on HBO on May 31, 2024.

Today, Elisabeth is still writing—often at her dining room table, just like her mother once did. She is currently working on a new movie and developing a television series. Her journey from Millbrook’s campus to the Writers Guild stage reminds us that inspiration can strike in unexpected ways—and that a few wise words from a teacher can last a lifetime.