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May 05, 2026
In this episode, we sit down with Emmy-nominated writer and showrunner Debora Cahn, creator of Netflix’s hit series The Diplomat, for a wide-ranging conversation about storytelling, power, and the human drama behind global politics. Together with Rabbi David Ingber, Cahn traces her path from training as an actress at Harvard to shaping some of television’s most influential political dramas, including The West Wing, Grey’s Anatomy, and Homeland. She reflects on how growing up as a descendant of Holocaust survivors shaped her understanding of the world and human behavior, and how real-world diplomacy inspired the creation of The Diplomat. Exploring the blurred lines between personal relationships and geopolitical stakes, Cahn discusses writing political drama in an age when reality often outpaces fiction. The conversation touches on mentorship, gender in writers’ rooms, and what fiction writing can teach us about leadership, compromise, and destination–both on screen and in life.
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