Biografia
Raised in Chicago, Johnson-Cochran developed a passion for films and writing early on. Though he earned a BS in Geological Sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago and considered a career in oil exploration, he ultimately discovered his true passion as a writer and filmmaker. He briefly attended the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, studying filmmaking, semiotics, and film history.
In Chicago, Johnson-Cochran worked as a journalist, cameraman, and director at the local PBS station WTTW-Chicago, where he produced, wrote, and directed documentaries such as the award-winning music special "Going Home to Gospel with Patti LaBelle," "Babies at Risk," focused on infant mortality in Chicago, and "School Reform-Power to the Parents." He also contributed to the nightly news program 'Chicago Tonight.'
Alongside award-winning novelist Anchee Min (author of Red Azalea and Katherine), Johnson-Cochran was invited to China to create and produce "Stories from America," a 20-part TV series highlighting the experiences of Chinese American students, scholars, and professionals returning to China after living in the U.S. He transitioned into screenwriting after selling his first spec script, "My Tribe is Lost," to Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks.
Johnson-Cochran co-created the NBC series "Minor Adjustments" and wrote and produced for "Angel Street," executive produced by John Wells ("ER," "The West Wing").
He wrote, produced, and directed the independent film "Love and Action in Chicago," starring Kathleen Turner, Courtney B. Vance, Jason Alexander, Regina King, and Ed Asner. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was acquired by HBO.
He also produced and directed the documentary "Side by Side—The Story of the 50/50 Group of Sierra Leone," executive produced by former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright and actress/director Regina King for the National Democratic Institute.
Johnson-Cochran produced and directed the feature-length documentary "Be Known," about jazz percussionist Kahil El-Zabar. The film earned nominations for Best Independent Documentary at the Black Reel Awards and two NAACP Awards and screened at over twenty film festivals worldwide.
Additionally, he taught screenwriting for eleven years as an instructor in USC's Guy Hanks and Marvin Miller Screenwriting Fellowship. He also serves as an instructor for UNESCO, focusing on screenwriting, directing, and documentary filmmaking in countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Russia, and South Africa.
Johnson-Cochran produced the feature film "White Water," which received three NAACP Image Award nominations for Best Film, Best Screenplay, and Best Director.
Recently, he wrote and executive produced "Heist 88," inspired by one of the most audacious real-life bank heists in U.S. history. Starring Courtney B. Vance and Keith David, the film premiered on Paramount+ and Showtime. "Heist 88" received three NAACP Award nominations, with Johnson-Cochran winning the 2024 award for Best Screenwriting for a Television Film.
