Morris Mike Medavoy (born January 21, 1941) is an American film producer and business executive. He is the co-founder of

Orion Pictures Orion Pictures (legal name Orion Releasing, LLC) is an American film production and distribution company owned by Amazon through its Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) subsidiary. In its original operating period, the company produced and released films ...

(1978), former chairman of

TriStar Pictures TriStar Pictures, Inc. (spelled as Tri-Star until 1991) is an American film studio and production company that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, part of the multinational conglomerate Sony. It is a corporate sibling of Sony ...

, former head of production for

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stu ...

(1974–1978), and the current chairman and CEO of

Phoenix Pictures Phoenix Pictures is an American film production company that has produced films since the late 1990s with features including ''Black Swan'' (2010), '' Shutter Island'' (2010), ''The People vs. Larry Flynt'' (1996), '' The Thin Red Line'' (1998), a ...

Early life and education

Morris Mike Medavoy was born in Shanghai, China. His father, Michael, was a garage mechanic and his mother, Dora, owned a dress shop and Chinese actresses as clients. His parents were both from

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

families. His mother was born in

Harbin Harbin (; mnc, , v=Halbin; ) is a sub-provincial city and the provincial capital and the largest city of Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China, as well as the second largest city by urban population after Shenyang and largest c ...

Manchuria Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer M ...

(to parents originally from

Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...

), and his father was born in

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inva ...

. Medavoy lived in

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

from 1947 to 1957, and he studied at the Liceo Valentín Letelier de Santiago learning to speak Spanish fluently in addition to Russian, which is his first language. The family moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

and they lived with Medavoy's aunt. He became an American citizen in 1963 and graduated from UCLA that same year. Joining the U.S. Army Reserve in 1963 he served at Fort Ord in California until 1969.

Career

Medavoy began his career at

Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...

in 1964. In 1965 he became an agent at the General Artists Corporation later moving to Creative Management Associates. He became Creative Management's vice president of the motion picture department in 1967, working with

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Sp ...

and

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five ...

among others. He headed to International Famous Agency in 1970.Biography at Phoenix Pictures
accessed August 7, 2014. In 1974,

brought Medavoy in as senior vice president of production. There he was part of the team responsible for making ''

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest may refer to: * ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Ken Kesey * ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (play), a 1963 stage adaptation of the novel starring Kirk Douglas * ''One Flew Over the ...

'', ''

Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burges ...

'', and ''

Annie Hall ''Annie Hall'' is a 1977 American satirical romantic comedy-drama film directed by Woody Allen from a screenplay written by him and Marshall Brickman, and produced by Allen's manager, Charles H. Joffe. The film stars Allen as Alvy Singer, w ...

'', which won Best Picture Oscars in 1975, 1976, and 1977 respectively. United Artists made more notable films at the time including ''

Apocalypse Now ''Apocalypse Now'' is a 1979 American epic war film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay, co-written by Coppola, John Milius and Michael Herr, is loosely based on the 1899 novella '' Heart of Darkness'' by Joseph ...

'', ''

Raging Bull ''Raging Bull'' is a 1980 American biographical sports drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, produced by Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler and adapted by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin from Jake LaMotta's 1970 memoir '' Raging Bull: M ...

'', ''

Network Network, networking and networked may refer to: Science and technology * Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects * Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks Mathematic ...

'', ''

The Black Stallion The Black Stallion, known as the Black or Shêtân, is the title character from author Walter Farley's bestselling series about the Arab stallion and his young owner, Alec Ramsay. The series chronicles the story of a Sheikh's prized stallion a ...

'', and '' Coming Home''.

Orion Pictures

In 1978, Medavoy co-founded

which was a joint venture with

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

, and fellow United Artists executives

Arthur Krim Arthur B. Krim (4 April 1910 – 21 September 1994) was an American entertainment lawyer, the former finance chairman for the U.S. Democratic Party, an adviser to President Lyndon Johnson and the former chairman of Eagle-Lion Films (1946–1949 ...

;

Robert Benjamin Robert Saul Benjamin (1909 – October 22, 1979) was a founding partner of the movie-litigation firm Phillips, Nizer, Benjamin, Krim & Ballon, a former co‐chairman of United Artists, and a founding member of Orion Pictures. Biography Bor ...

;

Eric Pleskow Eric Pleskow (born Erich Pleskoff; April 24, 1924 – October 1, 2019) was an Austrian-born American film producer and executive. From 1973 through 1978, Pleskow was president of United Artists. Following a protest from Transamerica Corporation, ...

; and William Bernstein. While Medavory was at Orion, the company released notable and successful films including ''

Platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may rang ...

'', '' Amadeus'', ''

RoboCop ''RoboCop'' is a 1987 American science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. The film stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Daniel O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith, and Miguel Fer ...

'', ''

Hannah and Her Sisters ''Hannah and Her Sisters'' is a 1986 American comedy-drama film which tells the intertwined stories of an extended family over two years that begins and ends with a family Thanksgiving dinner. The film was written and directed by Woody Allen, w ...

'', ''

The Terminator ''The Terminator'' is a 1984 American science fiction action film directed by James Cameron. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, a cyborg assassin sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor ( Linda Hamilton), wh ...

'', '' Dances with Wolves'', and '' The Silence of the Lambs''.

TriStar Pictures

In 1990, Medavoy became the chairman of

and oversaw the release of films such as ''

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

'', '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day'', '' Sleepless in Seattle'', ''

Cliffhanger A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode or a film of serialized fiction. A cliffhang ...

'', '' The Fisher King'', ''

Legends of the Fall ''Legends of the Fall'' is a 1994 American epic Western drama film directed by Edward Zwick and starring Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn, Julia Ormond and Henry Thomas. Based on the 1979 novella of the same title by Jim Harrison, t ...

'', and ''

Hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...

''. He left in 1994 after having disputes with

Sony Pictures Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Sony Pictures or SPE, and formerly known as Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc.) is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acq ...

chairman Peter Guber.

Phoenix Pictures

In 1995, Medavoy co-founded Phoenix Pictures with Arnold W. Messer which they set up at

Sony Pictures Entertainment Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Sony Pictures or SPE, and formerly known as Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc.) is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio Conglomerate (company), conglom ...

in November. As its chairman and CEO, he co-produced such films as '' The People vs. Larry Flynt'', '' The Mirror Has Two Faces'', '' U Turn'', ''

Apt Pupil ''Apt Pupil'' (1982) is a novella by Stephen King, originally published in the 1982 novella collection ''Different Seasons'', subtitled "Summer of Corruption". Format of the story ''Apt Pupil'' consists of 30 chapters, many of which are headed by ...

'', '' The Thin Red Line'', '' The 6th Day'', ''

Basic BASIC (Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages designed for ease of use. The original version was created by John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz at Dartmouth College ...

'', ''

All the King's Men ''All the King's Men'' is a 1946 novel by Robert Penn Warren. The novel tells the story of charismatic populist governor Willie Stark and his political machinations in the Depression-era Deep South. It was inspired by the real-life story of U ...

'', ''

Zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. The pa ...

'', '' Pathfinder'', and '' Miss Potter'', among others. ''The Thin Red Line'' and ''The People vs. Larry Flynt'' received Oscar nominations. Phoenix Pictures has produced '' Shutter Island'' and ''

Black Swan The black swan (''Cygnus atratus'') is a large waterbird, a species of swan which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. Within Australia, the black swan is nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon ...

''. ''Shutter Island'' was released on February 19, 2010, earning over $42 million its opening weekend. ''Black Swan'' was directed by

Darren Aronofsky Darren Aronofsky (born February 12, 1969) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. His films are noted for their surrealistic, melodramatic, and sometimes disturbing elements, often in the form of psychological fiction. Arono ...

and won numerous awards including the Oscar® and Golden Globe for Best Actress (

Natalie Portman Natalie Portman (born Natalie Hershlag, he, נטע-לי הרשלג, ) is an Israeli-born American actress. She has had a prolific film career since her teenage years and has starred in various blockbusters and independent films, receiving mu ...

). In 2011, Medavoy announced a project depicting the 2010 Chilean mining accident that left 33 men trapped underground for 69 days. He collaborated with Chilean officials and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter José Rivera; they created an authentic retelling of the story. Medavoy explains, "at its heart, t isabout the triumph of the human spirit and a testament to the courage and perseverance of the Chilean people". Also in 2011 Medavoy announced his collaboration with The Shanghai Film Group to create both a feature film and six-hour miniseries. The feature was an adaptation of the novel ''The Cursed Piano'', a love story set in Japanese-occupied China about persecuted Jews seeking refuge from occupied Europe. The mini-series, ''Tears of a Sparrow'' focuses in detail on the experiences of the Jews in Shanghai. Medavoy also worked on ''Dandelion Wine'' which was adapted from a novel with the same name written by

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and ...

. In 2015, it was announced that he and Eric Esrailian would produce '' The Promise'' which stars

Oscar Isaac Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada (born March 9, 1979) is a Guatemalan-born American actor. Known for his versatility, he has been credited with breaking stereotypes about Latino characters in Hollywood. He was named the best actor of his gene ...

and

Christian Bale Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. He has received various accolades, includin ...

Community contributions and other memberships

Medavoy was appointed to the board of directors of the Museum of Science and Industry in

by Governor

Jerry Brown Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected Secretary of S ...

and was appointed by Mayor Richard Riordan as a commissioner on the Los Angeles Board of Parks and Recreations. He is a member of the board of directors of the

University of Tel Aviv Tel Aviv University (TAU) ( he, אוּנִיבֶרְסִיטַת תֵּל אָבִיב, ''Universitat Tel Aviv'') is a public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Loc ...

. He also serves on the board of trustees of the

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

Foundation and is a member of the Chancellor's Associates, the Dean's Advisory Board at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television; and the Alumni Association's Student Relations Committee. Medavoy is the co-chairman of the Burkle Center for UCLA's Center for International Relations and served as a member of the board of advisors at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...

for five years. In 2002, Governor

Gray Davis Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis Jr. (born December 26, 1942) is an American attorney and former politician who served as the 37th governor of California from 1999 to 2003. In 2003, only a few months into his second term, Davis was recalled and remov ...

appointed him to the California Anti-Terrorism Information Center's Executive Advisory Board; he is a member of both the

Council on Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is a nonprofit organization that is independent and nonpartisan. CFR is based in New York Ci ...

and the Homeland Security Advisory Council. Medavoy is also on the Baryshnikov Arts Center Advisory Committee in New York, and serves on the advisory board of the

USC Center on Public Diplomacy The USC Center on Public Diplomacy (CPD) was established in 2003 as a partnership between the USC Annenberg School for Communication and the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences' School of International Relations at the University ...

. The Medavoys' charity work include
C.O.A.C.H. For Kids (Community Outreach Assistance for Children's Heath, with Cedar Sinai Medical Center
and Irena Medavoy is the Executive Vice Chairman. The agency provides free medical care to inner city children. Mike Medavoy was a close friend of

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...

and is co-executor of the late actor's estate.

Involvement in politics

In 1984, Medavoy was the co-finance chair of the Gary Hart campaign. He also actively participated in

President Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...

's campaigns in 1992 and 1996. In 2008, he supported

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

's candidacy and his wife, Irena, served as the co-finance chair of the campaign.

Personal life

He was married to Marcia Rogers, the daughter of publicist Henry C. Rogers and Roz (Jaffe) Rogers and former wife of Mark Goddard. In 1986, he married political activist

Patricia Duff Patricia Duff (born Patricia Michelle Orr; April 12, 1954) is an American political activist, and a fundraiser for political and philanthropic causes. She has participated in campaigns involving politicians and business people. She has a BSFS d ...

. In 1993, they separated and divorced; she remarried Ron Perelman in 1994. He is presently married to Irena Gerasimenko, a philanthropist, activist, former model, actress, and co-founder of Team Safe-T (which endeavors to prepare schools for emergency situations). Gerasimenko is a charity executive and fundraiser for Industry Task Force. The couple has a son, Nick. (Mike Medavoy has a producer son

Brian Medavoy Brian Medavoy (born June 30, 1965) is an American talent manager, entrepreneur and television producer. He is the son of film producer and executive, Mike Medavoy. Career Medavoy began his career in 1985 in the mail room at the Creative Artists ...

from a previous marriage). Irena Medavoy writes for The Huffington Post about the topic of unrealistic female media images. When their son, Nick (who is 6'8") was born, Mike Medavoy sang 'Singing In the Rain' to him.

Awards

In 2011, UNICEF and Oscar winner Sean Penn presented the Medavoy family a humanitarian award, # 1980 - Honored by the Society of Fellows of the Anti-Defamation League # 1992 - Motion Picture Pioneer of the Year Award # 1997 - UCLA Career Achievement Award # 1998 - The Cannes Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award # 1999 - UCLA Neil H. Jacoby Award for Exceptional Contributions to Humanity # 2002 - Israeli Film Festival's Lifetime Achievement Award # 2004 - Florida Atlantic University's Louis B. Mayer Motion Picture Business Leader of the Year Award # 2004 - UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Honorary Member Award # 2005 - Producers Guild of America Vision Award # 2005 - Inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame and received a star on Hollywood Blvd. # 2007 - Stella Adler Actors Studio Marlon Brando Award # 2008 - Jerusalem Film Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award # 2008 - International Student Film Festival Hollywood Lifetime Achievement Award # 2009 - Declared the honorary Doctorate at the Academy of Art in San Francisco # 2009 - Declared Chevalier of the French Government's Legion of Honor. # 2009 - Independent Spirit Award # 2010 - Bernardo O'Higgins award from the Chilean government # 2011 - The Locarno Film Festival Raimondo Rezzonico Prize (Locarno, Switzerland) # 2011 - Hebrew University Award # 2011 - Danny Kaye Humanitarian Award # 2012 - Shanghai International Film Festival – Outstanding Achievement Award # 2014 - Satellite Awards Mary Pickford Award - Outstanding Artistic Contribution to the Entertainment Industry # 2015 - Cinequest Maverick Spirit Award # 2016 -

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

- Listen to Me Marlon #2019 -

RiverRun International Film Festival The RiverRun International Film Festival is an annual Oscar-qualifying film festival held each spring in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The festival is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and presents a variety of feature-length and short films fr ...

- Master of Cinema Award #2019 -

Beverly Hills Film Festival The Beverly Hills Film Festival (BHFF) is a film festival in the United States founded in 2001 by independent filmmaker Nino Simone. The festival is an international competition dedicated to showcasing the art and talent of emerging filmmakers ...

- Legends Award

Membership in film organizations

Membership in film organizations. # Chairman of The Jury of the Tokyo Film Festival # Advisor to The Shanghai Film Festival # Advisor to The St. Petersburg Film Festival # Member of the Board of the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences from 1977 to 1981 # One of the original founding members of the board of governors of the Sundance Institute (1978) # Chairman Emeritus of the American Cinematheque # Chairman Emeritus of the Stella Adler Actors Studio in New york

Books

In 2002, Simon & Schuster published Medavoy's book, ''You're Only As Good As Your Next One: 100 Great Films, 100 Good Films and 100 For Which I Should Be Shot'', co-written by Josh Young, which became a best-seller and was subsequently released in paperback in 2003. In 2009, Mike published ''American Idol After Iraq; Competing for Hearts and Minds in the Global Media Age,'' with co-author Nathan Gardels, editor of the ''National Political Quarterly''.

Filmography as a Producer

He was a producer in these films unless otherwise noted.

Film

;As an actor ;Thanks

Television

;Thanks

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Medavoy, Mike 1941 births Living people American chief executives American film producers American film studio executives Orion Pictures Corporation American television producers Harvard Kennedy School people 20th-century American Jews University of California, Los Angeles alumni California Democrats Chinese emigrants to the United States American people of Russian-Jewish descent American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent Businesspeople from Shanghai Chinese people of Russian-Jewish descent Chinese people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent Jews and Judaism in Shanghai Medavoy family American independent film production company founders 21st-century American Jews