Brian Thomas Grazer (born July 12, 1951) is an American film and television producer and writer. He founded

Imagine Entertainment Imagine Entertainment (formerly Imagine Films Entertainment), also known simply as Imagine, is an American film and television production company founded in November 1985 by producer Brian Grazer and director Ron Howard. Background Brian Gra ...

in 1986 with

Ron Howard Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of ''The Twilight Zone''. He ...

. The films they produced have grossed over $15 billion. Grazer was personally nominated for four

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for '' Splash'' (1984), ''

Apollo 13 Apollo 13 (April 1117, 1970) was the seventh crewed mission in the Apollo space program and the third meant to land on the Moon. The craft was launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 1970, but the lunar landing was aborted af ...

'' (1995), '' A Beautiful Mind'' (2001), and '' Frost/Nixon'' (2008). His films and TV series have been nominated for 47 Academy Awards and 217

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

s. In 2002, Grazer won an Oscar for

Best Picture This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

for ''A Beautiful Mind'' (shared with Ron Howard). In 2007, he was named one of ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, t ...

''s "

100 Most Influential People in the World ''Time'' 100 (often stylized as ''TIME'' 100) is an annual listicle of the 100 most influential people in the world, assembled by the American news magazine ''Time''. First published in 1999 as the result of a debate among American academics, po ...

Early life

Grazer was born in Los Angeles, California, to Arlene Becker Grazer and criminal defense attorney Thomas Grazer. He is the older brother of Nora Beth Grazer (born 1952) and actor/director Gavin Grazer (born 1961). He was raised in Sherman Oaks and Northridge, in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley. Grazer's father was Catholic and his mother is

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 ...

. His parents divorced when he was in high school. Grazer said "My best buddy, the most important person in my growing up, was my little 4-foot-10

47 cm 47, 47 or forty-seven may refer to: *47 (number) *47 BC *AD 47 *1947 *2047 *'47 (brand), an American clothing brand * ''47'' (magazine), an American publication * 47 (song), a song by Sidhu Moose Wala *47, a song by New Found Glory from the album ...

Jewish grandmother, and she'd say, 'In order to get it, you got to do it. No one's going to get it for you, Brian.'" While in school, Grazer struggled with

dyslexia Dyslexia, also known until the 1960s as word blindness, is a disorder characterized by reading below the expected level for one's age. Different people are affected to different degrees. Problems may include difficulties in spelling words, r ...

. Grazer got through school by reading other students' papers and arguing his grades with his teachers. His nephew is actor

Jack Dylan Grazer Jack Dylan Grazer (born September 3, 2003) is an American actor. He began his acting career by playing guest roles in film and on television and had his breakthrough playing the role of Eddie Kaspbrak in the 2017 and 2019 film adaptations of t ...

Education

Grazer won a scholarship to the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8. ...

(USC) as a psychology major. He graduated from USC's School of Cinema-Television in 1974. He then attended USC Law School for one year, but quit in 1975 to pursue a life in Hollywood.

Career

Grazer began his career as a producer developing television projects. While executive-producing TV pilots at

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

in the early 1980s, he met current long-time friend and business partner

.Imagine Entertainment Brian Grazer Biography
. Retrieved January 1, 2012. He produced his first feature-film, '' Night Shift'', in 1982, directed by Howard. Grazer and Howard teamed up again for '' Splash'' in 1984, which Grazer produced and co-wrote. ''Splash'' earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay of 1984. Grazer went on to became an independent producer, teaming up with

Tri-Star 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 ...

to set up plans for a film to star

Richard Pryor Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He reached a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, and is widely regarded as on ...

, and had a continuing relationship with The Walt Disney Studios, and has plans to develop projects for

. In November 1985, Grazer and Howard co-founded

, which became one of Hollywood's most prolific and successful production companies. Over the years, Grazer's films and TV shows have been nominated for a total of 43

, and 198 Emmys. At the same time, his movies have generated over $15 billion in worldwide theatrical, music, and video grosses. Grazer's early film successes include '' Parenthood'' (1989) and '' Backdraft'' (1991). He produced ''

'' (1995), for which he won the

Producers Guild of America The Producers Guild of America (PGA) is a 501(c)(6) trade association representing television producers, film producers and New Media producers in the United States. The PGA's membership includes over 8,000 members of the producing establishment w ...

's Daryl F. Zanuck Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award, as well as an Oscar nomination for Best Picture of 1995. In 1998, he earned two major honors: he was given his own star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

, and made a cameo appearance on the animated series ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...

''. In 2001, Grazer won an Academy Award for Best Picture for '' A Beautiful Mind'', which also took home Oscars for Best Supporting Actress (

Jennifer Connelly Jennifer Lynn Connelly (born December 12, 1970) is an American actress. She began her career as a child model before making her acting debut in the 1984 crime film ''Once Upon a Time in America''. After having worked as a model for several year ...

), Best Director (Ron Howard), and

Best Adapted Screenplay This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

( Akiva Goldsman). In 2002, Grazer's '' 8 Mile'' was released. It proved not only to be a huge box office hit, but also the first film with a rap song to win a Best Original Song Oscar, for

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

's " Lose Yourself". Grazer also produced the film adaptation of Peter Morgan's play '' Frost/Nixon'' (2008). ''Frost/Nixon'' was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Grazer's productions span over a quarter-of-a-century, and almost the full spectrum of

movie genre A film genre is a stylistic or thematic category for motion pictures based on similarities either in the narrative elements, aesthetic approach, or the emotional response to the film. Drawing heavily from the theories of literary-genre cri ...

s. His comedies include ''

Boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning b ...

'' (1992), '' The Nutty Professor'' (1996), ''

Liar Liar ''Liar Liar'' is a 1997 American comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac, and written by Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur. It stars Jim Carrey as a lawyer who built his entire career on lying, but finds himself cursed to speak only the truth for a sin ...

'' (1997), ''

Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for Cell growth, growth, reaction to Stimu ...

'' (1999), '' How the Grinch Stole Christmas'' (2000), '' Intolerable Cruelty'' (2003) and '' The Spy Who Dumped Me'' (2018). He has also produced many dramatic thrillers including '' Inside Man'' (2006), ''

The Da Vinci Code ''The Da Vinci Code'' is a 2003 mystery thriller novel by Dan Brown. It is Brown's second novel to include the character Robert Langdon: the first was his 2000 novel ''Angels & Demons''. ''The Da Vinci Code'' follows symbologist Robert Langdon ...

'' (2006), '' American Gangster'' (2007), ''

Changeling A changeling, also historically referred to as an auf or oaf, is a human-like creature found in folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This in ...

'' (2008), '' Angels & Demons'' (2009), ''

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is de ...

'' (2010), and '' Cowboys & Aliens'' (2011). His recently released films include '' J. Edgar'', the

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the " Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "'' D ...

-directed biopic of J. Edgar Hoover, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, '' Tower Heist'', starring

Ben Stiller Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is the son of the comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. Stiller was a member of a group of comedic actors colloquially known ...

and

Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...

, and ''

Restless Restless may refer to: * Psychomotor agitation, restlessness experienced as a result of certain medications or conditions Music * Restless Records Albums * ''Restless'' (Sara Evans album) and its title track, 2003 * ''Restless'' (Murray H ...

'', directed by Gus Van Sant. Grazer's Imagine Entertainment's television series include '' Sports Night'', '' Felicity'', '' Arrested Development'', '' 24'' with Kiefer Sutherland, '' Friday Night Lights'', '' Parenthood'', ''

Lie to Me ''Lie to Me'' (stylized as ''Lie to me*'') is an American crime drama television series. It originally ran on the Fox network from January 21, 2009, to January 31, 2011. In the show, Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) and his colleagues in The Lightma ...

'', ''

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'', '' Genius: Einstein'', '' Genius: Picasso'' and '' Wu-Tang: An American Saga''. Grazer's recent productions includes '' Rebuilding Paradise'', Dads, the 2017 Grammy awarding winning Best Music Film '' The Beatles: Eight Days a Week'' (2016), '' American Made'' (2017), '' Rush'' (2013), directed by

, and starring

Chris Hemsworth Christopher Hemsworth (born 11 August 1983) is an Australian actor. He rose to prominence playing Kim Hyde in the Australian television series '' Home and Away'' (2004–2007) before beginning a film career in Hollywood. In the Marvel Cinem ...

and

Daniel Brühl Daniel César Martín Brühl González Domingo (; born 16 June 1978) is a Spanish-German actor and filmmaker. He received his first German Film Award for Best Actor for his roles in '' Das Weisse Rauschen (The White Sound)'' (2001), ''Nichts ...

, and '' Made in America''. Grazer produced '' Get on Up'', a biopic of the legendary "Godfather of Soul" James Brown, and ''

In the Heart of the Sea ''In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex'' is a book by American writer Nathaniel Philbrick about the loss of the whaler ''Essex'' in the Pacific Ocean in 1820. The book was published by Viking Press on May 8, 2000, and won ...

'', directed by

and starring

, about the American whaleship the ''

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

''. In 2015, Grazer published his book ''A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life'', a #1 NY Times Bestseller, in which he discusses conversations with interesting people, many of whom inspired his work. In 2019, Grazer released his second book ''Face To Face: The Art of Human Connection''.

Personal life

Grazer has been married three times: Corki Corman (1982–92; they had two children; son Riley (born 1986) and daughter Sage (1988)), and novelist and screenwriter

Gigi Levangie Gigi Levangie (born Georgianne Levangie; January 2, 1963) is an American novelist, screenwriter, and television producer. She has written numerous screenplays but is most widely known for the film '' Stepmom'', starring Julia Roberts and Susan ...

(1997–2007; they had two sons; Thomas (1999) and Patrick (2004)). In April 2014, Grazer became engaged to Veronica Smiley, chief marketing officer of SBE, a hotel management company. They married on February 20, 2016. Grazer currently resides in

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...

, California. He also has a home in Hawaii on Sunset Beach, on the Banzai Pipeline on O'ahu's

North Shore North Shore or Northshore may refer to: Geographic features Australia *North Shore (Sydney), a suburban region of Sydney **Electoral district of North Shore **North Shore railway line, Sydney *Noosa North Shore, Queensland * North Shore, New So ...

. He is a keen user of jump ropes.Archived a
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Wayback Machine

Filmography

Film

;Music department ;Thanks

Television

;As an actor ;As writer ;Thanks

Additional awards

* 1998 –

for Outstanding Miniseries for ''

From the Earth to the Moon ''From the Earth to the Moon: A Direct Route in 97 Hours, 20 Minutes'' (french: De la Terre à la Lune, trajet direct en 97 heures 20 minutes) is an 1865 novel by Jules Verne. It tells the story of the Baltimore Gun Club, a post-American Civil W ...

'' * 2001 –

David O. Selznick David O. Selznick (May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced ''Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca'' (1940), both of which earned him an Academy Award for Best Picture. E ...

Lifetime Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures * 2003 – ShoWest Lifetime Achievement Award * 2004 –

for Outstanding Comedy Series for '' Arrested Development'' * 2006 –

for Outstanding Drama Series for '' 24'' * 2007 – Named one of ''

Time Magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on M ...

'' "

" * 2008 –

for Outstanding Children's Animated Program for '' Curious George'' * 2009 – Producers Guild of America Milestone Award, together with Ron Howard * 2009 –

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, ...

Tisch School of the Arts The New York University Tisch School of the Arts (commonly referred to as Tisch) is the performing, cinematic and media arts school of New York University. Founded on August 17, 1965, Tisch is a training ground for artists, scholars of the a ...

Big Apple Award, together with Ron Howard * 2010 –

Simon Wiesenthal Center The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) is a Jewish human rights organization established in 1977 by Rabbi Marvin Hier. The center is known for Holocaust research and remembrance, hunting Nazi war criminals, combating anti-Semitism, tolerance educa ...

Humanitarian Award, together with Ron Howard * 2010 –

for Outstanding Children's Animated Program for '' Curious George'' * 2011 – MPSE 2011 Filmmaker Award * 2017 –

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

for Best Music Film for '' The Beatles: Eight Days a Week'' * 2019 –

Atlantic Council The Atlantic Council is an American think tank in the field of international affairs, favoring Atlanticism, founded in 1961. It manages sixteen regional centers and functional programs related to international security and global economic pro ...

Global Citizen Award

References

External links

Imagine Entertainment
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grazer, Brian 1951 births 20th-century American businesspeople 21st-century American businesspeople American Christians Film producers from California American people of Jewish descent Television producers from California Businesspeople from Los Angeles Daytime Emmy Award winners Golden Globe Award-winning producers Grammy Award winners Living people People from Northridge, Los Angeles People from Oahu People from Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles Producers who won the Best Picture Academy Award USC Gould School of Law alumni USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni Imagine Entertainment