Liesl Tommy is a South African and American stage director, television director, and film director. She was nominated for a Tony Award for her direction of the play Eclipsed, starring Lupita Nyong’o in 2016, and has directed several episodes of television, including Jessica Jones, Insecure, Queen Sugar, and Mrs. Fletcher. In 2021 she released Respect, a biopic of the legendary singer and icon Aretha Franklin starring Jennifer Hudson.