Susan Seidelman

Susan Seidelman (/ˈsaɪdəlmən/; born December 11, 1952) is an American film director, producer, and writer. She is known for mixing comedy with drama and blending genres in her feature-film work. She is also notable for her art direction and pop-cultural references throughout her films, with a focus on women protagonists, particularly outsiders.

She first came to notice with Smithereens (1982), the earliest American independent feature to be screened in competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Her next feature, Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), co-starred Madonna in her first film, and was named as one of 100 greatest films directed by women by the BBC; it resulted in a Cesar Award nomination and in 2023 was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for its "cultural, historical or aesthetic significance". She-Devil (1989) co-starred Meryl Streep in her first starring comedic film role, and Roseanne Barr in her first feature-film role.

Seidelman also worked in television, directing first-season episodes of Sex and the City, including the pilot. She directed productions for Showtime, Comedy Central and PBS.

Seidelman's memoir Desperately Seeking Something: A Memoir about Movies, Mothers and Material Girls was published in 2024.