Former Thief River Falls resident Leslie Grisanti works as a producer for “The Oprah Winfrey show.” She has worked at Harpo Studios for 11 years. (Photo (c) 2011 Harpo Productions inc./All Rights Reserved/Photographer George Burns)
This is part one of a two-part series on Leslie Grisanti, a former Thief River Falls resident who works as a producer for “The Oprah Winfrey show.” her work is seen around the world, and she works for one of the most famous women on the planet. “It was just a fluke. it was timing,”?Leslie Grisanti said about the opportunity to apply for a job at Harpo Studios in Chicago. at the time, Grisanti was like everyone else watching the show at home. She worked in the news business and never thought she would work on a talk show. the 1985 Lincoln High School graduate was working on a personal finance show, “Right on the Money,” at a public television station in St. Paul.
“I hired this woman to produce stuff with me, and she used to work here,”?said Grisanti, who recalled that the woman kept telling her that she should apply to work at Harpo. Grisanti was accustomed to the fast pace of CNN, where she had worked for almost eight years. while there, she brought in the satellite feeds and worked on the international assignment desk in Atlanta, worked as a field producer in Detroit, and served as a booker for business news in new York. She was looking for a change when she left CNN, something that wasn’t so fast paced. That’s when she went to work at the public television station. Grisanti eventually realized that working for public TV was like a vacation compared to CNN. She realized she wanted something more fast paced, so she applied for a position at Harpo and was hired. There have been many memorable moments over the years at Harpo. Grisanti recalled one of the first times that Winfrey ever spoke to her. “One of the first things she said to me was, ‘Get off the stage, Les,’” Grisanti said. She had been in the way when taping was set to begin again. Eleven years later, the 1987 Northland Community and Technical College graduate and 1990 Bemidji State University graduate has worked her way through the ranks. She became a producer about a year-and-a-half ago.
“I’m not lying when I say this. I love it. [Oprah is] funny. She’s serious. She’s smart,” Grisanti said. Even though she enjoys her job, Grisanti has found it a little difficult to advance through the ranks at Harpo. “Nobody leaves here. Getting promoted here is extremely hard,”?said Grisanti, who noted that colleagues at her level and below her level are “über talented.” as part of her job, Grisanti brainstorms with her team of seven people, who include four associate producers, one production assistant, a researcher and a field producer. Their team is one of 11 that works on the show. “You have to come up with fun, creative things to keep the audience interested,” Grisanti said. to help determine whether a show should focus on a particular subject or guest, Grisanti frequently asks her mom, Marge, and sisters for their opinions. they regularly watch the show. They’ve seen many shows produced by their daughter and sister. “I’m assigned probably 13 to 15 shows a year,” Grisanti said. once the team has determined its show topic, Winfrey is consulted. She has the final say on whether a particular show will air. After getting the OK from Winfrey for a particular show, Grisanti reads binders of research about the particular topic and reads any other related material. She then writes the questions that will be asked of the interviewees. for an upcoming show featuring Shirley MacLaine, she read three binders of research and MacLaine’s book in order to prepare for the show. “I think about the show in the shower. I think about the show as I’m driving,”?Grisanti said. Then comes taping day, when Winfrey interviews the guests. Grisanti said that Winfrey’s interviews typically last as long as an hour and 45 minutes. the producer then has the task of whittling down the footage to 42 minutes. “It’s really stressful, and it’s really hard. And it’s days you don’t sleep,” Grisanti said. the hours are long. “An average work day is at least 10 to 12 hours,” said Grisanti, who works all night at least one night every other week. She also works at least every other weekend. her work schedule is a little easier because the building includes a cafeteria, a workout area and a spa. Employees aren’t the only ones spending a lot of time at the office. “[Oprah is] here all the time. her dog’s running around. It’s a hopping place, that’s for sure,” Grisanti said. to comment on this article, email this e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or go to facebook.com/trftimes.
