Tim Federle

Tim Federle is an American author, screenwriter, and television creator whose work often draws on musical theater. Before writing novels and scripts, he performed on Broadway, appearing in productions including *Gypsy*, *Chitty Chitty Bang Bang*, and *The Little Mermaid*.

His first novel, *Better Nate Than Ever*, was published in 2013. It follows Nate Foster, a theater-loving teenager from Pennsylvania who secretly travels to New York City to audition for a Broadway musical. Nate’s friendship with Libby, his relationship with his family, and his uncertainty about his identity are central to the story. The book received a Stonewall Book Award Honor. Federle continued Nate’s story in *Five, Six, Seven, Nate!* and *Nate Expectations*.

Federle has also written for readers beyond the Nate series. His 2016 young adult novel *The Great American Whatever* centers on Quinn Roberts, an aspiring filmmaker struggling with grief after his sister’s death. In a different vein, *Tequila Mockingbird*, published in 2013, pairs cocktail recipes with literary puns. Its title is a play on Harper Lee’s *To Kill a Mockingbird*. He followed it with other themed cocktail books, including *Hickory Daiquiri Dock* and *Gone with the Gin*.

His theater background remained part of his writing career. Federle and Claudia Shear wrote the book for the stage musical *Tuck Everlasting*, adapted from Natalie Babbitt’s novel. With songs by Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen, the production opened on Broadway in 2016. Federle also received a screenplay credit on the 2017 animated film *Ferdinand*, based on the story of Ferdinand the bull.

In 2019, Disney+ launched *High School Musical: The Musical: The Series*, which Federle created. Set at the Utah school where the original *High School Musical* films were shot, the series begins with students putting on a stage production of *High School Musical*. Its cast included Olivia Rodrigo, Joshua Bassett, and Sofia Wylie. Federle served as an executive producer during the show’s four-season run, which ended in 2023.

Federle returned to Nate Foster in 2022 with Disney+’s film adaptation of *Better Nate Than Ever*, which he wrote and directed. Rueby Wood played Nate, alongside Aria Brooks as Libby and Lisa Kudrow as Nate’s aunt Heidi. The film changes the audition at the heart of the book: its Nate seeks a role in a Broadway production of *Lilo & Stitch*. Together, the novel and film show Federle revisiting a subject familiar from his own career—the excitement and risk of pursuing a place onstage.