Brian Grazer
Encyclopedia
Brian Thomas Grazer is an Academy Award-winning American
film and television producer who co-founded Imagine Entertainment
in 1986 with Ron Howard
. Together they have produced many acclaimed films, including Apollo 13
(1995) and A Beautiful Mind
(2001).
in the early 1980s, Grazer met current long-time friend and business partner Ron Howard
. 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, the latter earning him an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay of 1984.
In 1986, Grazer and Howard co-founded Imagine Entertainment
, which continues to be 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 Academy Awards
and 131 Emmys. At the same time, his movies have generated more than $13.5 billion in worldwide theatrical, music and video grosses.
Grazer’s early film successes include Parenthood (1989) and Backdraft
(1991). He produced Apollo 13
(1995), for which he won the Producers' Guild’s Daryl F. Zanuck Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award as well as an Oscar nomination for Best Picture of 1995. Asteroid 12562 Briangrazer
is named for him.
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
), Best Director (Ron Howard), and Best Adapted Screenplay (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
’s "Lose Yourself
".
Grazer also produced the film adaptation of Peter Morgan
’s play Frost/Nixon, directed by Ron Howard. Frost/Nixon (2008) was nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture and Disney
's The Princess and the Frog who was nominated for 2 Academy Awards including Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song ("Almost There" and "Down in New Orleans").
Grazer’s productions span over a quarter-century and almost the full spectrum of movie genres. His comedies include Boomerang
(1992), The Nutty Professor (1996), How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Intolerable Cruelty
(2003), and The Dilemma
(2011). He has also produced many dramatic thrillers to include Inside Man
(2006), The Da Vinci Code
(2006), American Gangster (2007), Changeling
(2008), Angels and Demons
(2009), Robin Hood
(2010), and Cowboys and Aliens
(2011). Grazer produced J. Edgar
, the Clint Eastwood-directed biopic of J. Edgar Hoover
, starring Leonardo DiCaprio
and released in the fall of 2011. He also produced Tower Heist
, starring Ben Stiller
and Eddie Murphy
, as well as Restless
, directed by Gus Van Sant
.
Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment’s television series include Sports Night
, Felicity, Arrested Development, 24
, Friday Night Lights
, Parenthood
, and Lie To Me
. The Playboy Club
, co-produced by Grazer, aired on NBC in the fall of 2011.
March 6, 2003, Grazer received the ShoWest Lifetime Achievement Award
May 2007, Grazer was listed as one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World”
January 2009, Grazer and Howard received the Producers Guild of America Milestone Award
November 2009, Grazer and Howard received New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts Big Apple Award
May 2010, Grazer and Howard received the Simon Wiesenthal Center
Humanitarian Award
February 2011, Grazer received the MPSE 2011 Filmmaker Award
, California
to Arlene and Thomas Grazer. He is the older brother of Nora Beth Grazer (1952) and of actor/director Gavin Grazer
(1956).
He was married to Theresa McKay from 1972-79. From 1982-1992 he was married to Corki Corman Grazer. They have son Riley (1986) and daughter Sage (1988). He was married to Gigi Levangie from September 20, 1997 to June 8, 2007. They have two sons together, Thomas (11/15/99) and Patrick (9/27/04).
Since the fall of 2008, he has been dating Vietnamese concert pianist Chau-Giang Thi Nguyen.
Grazer currently resides in Malibu, California.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film and television producer who co-founded Imagine Entertainment
Imagine Entertainment
Imagine Entertainment is a film and television production company founded in 1986 by director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer.Its productions include the television series 24 and Arrested Development and the films Apollo 13 , A Beautiful Mind and The Da Vinci Code .-Organization:Karen...
in 1986 with Ron Howard
Ron Howard
Ronald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...
. Together they have produced many acclaimed films, including Apollo 13
Apollo 13 (film)
Apollo 13 is a 1995 American drama film directed by Ron Howard. The film stars Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Kathleen Quinlan and Ed Harris. The screenplay by William Broyles, Jr...
(1995) and A Beautiful Mind
A Beautiful Mind (film)
A Beautiful Mind is a 2001 American drama film based on the life of John Nash, a Nobel Laureate in Economics. The film was directed by Ron Howard and written by Akiva Goldsman. It was inspired by a bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-nominated 1998 book of the same name by Sylvia Nasar...
(2001).
Career
Brian Grazer began his career as a producer developing television projects. While executive-producing TV pilots at Paramount PicturesParamount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
in the early 1980s, Grazer met current long-time friend and business partner Ron Howard
Ron Howard
Ronald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...
. He produced his first feature-film, Night Shift
Night Shift (film)
Night Shift is a 1982 comedy film, one of Ron Howard's earliest directorial efforts. It stars Howard's Happy Days co-star Henry Winkler along with Michael Keaton, in his first starring role, and Shelley Long, who later in the year would star as Diane Chambers in the popular sitcom Cheers. Also...
, in 1982, directed by Howard. Grazer and Howard teamed up again for Splash
Splash (film)
Splash is a 1984 American fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Ron Howard and written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The original music score was composed by Lee Holdridge...
in 1984, which Grazer produced and co-wrote, the latter earning him an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay of 1984.
In 1986, Grazer and Howard co-founded Imagine Entertainment
Imagine Entertainment
Imagine Entertainment is a film and television production company founded in 1986 by director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer.Its productions include the television series 24 and Arrested Development and the films Apollo 13 , A Beautiful Mind and The Da Vinci Code .-Organization:Karen...
, which continues to be 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 Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
and 131 Emmys. At the same time, his movies have generated more than $13.5 billion in worldwide theatrical, music and video grosses.
Grazer’s early film successes include Parenthood (1989) and Backdraft
Backdraft
A backdraft is an explosive event at a fire resulting from rapid re-introduction of oxygen to combustion in an oxygen-starved environment, for example, the breaking of a window or opening of a door to an enclosed space. Backdrafts present a serious threat to firefighters, even those with a high...
(1991). He produced Apollo 13
Apollo 13
Apollo 13 was the seventh manned mission in the American Apollo space program and the third intended to land on the Moon. The craft was launched on April 11, 1970, at 13:13 CST. The landing was aborted after an oxygen tank exploded two days later, crippling the service module upon which the Command...
(1995), for which he won the Producers' Guild’s Daryl F. Zanuck Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award as well as an Oscar nomination for Best Picture of 1995. Asteroid 12562 Briangrazer
12562 Briangrazer
12562 Briangrazer is a main-belt asteroid discovered on September 19, 1998 by Spacewatch at Kitt Peak. This asteroid was named for Brian Grazer, American Producer of motion pictures.- External links :*...
is named for him.
In 2001, Grazer won an Academy Award for Best Picture for A Beautiful Mind
A Beautiful Mind (film)
A Beautiful Mind is a 2001 American drama film based on the life of John Nash, a Nobel Laureate in Economics. The film was directed by Ron Howard and written by Akiva Goldsman. It was inspired by a bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-nominated 1998 book of the same name by Sylvia Nasar...
, which also took home Oscars for Best Supporting Actress (Jennifer Connelly
Jennifer Connelly
Jennifer Lynn Connelly is an American film actress, who began her career as a child model. She appeared in magazine, newspaper and television advertising, before making her motion picture debut in the 1984 crime film Once Upon a Time in America...
), Best Director (Ron Howard), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Akiva Goldsman
Akiva Goldsman
Akiva J. Goldsman from Walker Valley, New York is an American screenwriter and film producer. He received an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the 2001 film, A Beautiful Mind, which also won the Oscar for Best Picture....
).
In 2002, Grazer’s 8 Mile
8 Mile (film)
8 Mile is a 2002 American hip-hop drama film written by Scott Silver, directed by Curtis Hanson, and starring Eminem, Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy, and Kim Basinger....
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
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
Oscar for Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
’s "Lose Yourself
Lose Yourself
"Lose Yourself" is an Academy Award winning song by American hip-hop artist Eminem, released as the first single from the original soundtrack to the movie 8 Mile on October 22, 2002. It was written and produced by Eminem himself, along with longtime collaborator Jeff Bass, one half of the...
".
Grazer also produced the film adaptation of Peter Morgan
Peter Morgan
Peter Morgan may refer to:* Peter Morgan , British sports car manufacturer* Peter Morgan , 1978 British Formula Ford champion* Peter Morgan , Wales and British lions international...
’s play Frost/Nixon, directed by Ron Howard. Frost/Nixon (2008) was nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture and Disney
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
's The Princess and the Frog who was nominated for 2 Academy Awards including Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song ("Almost There" and "Down in New Orleans").
Grazer’s productions span over a quarter-century and almost the full spectrum of movie genres. His comedies include Boomerang
Boomerang
A boomerang is a flying tool with a curved shape used as a weapon or for sport.-Description:A boomerang is usually thought of as a wooden device, although historically boomerang-like devices have also been made from bones. Modern boomerangs used for sport are often made from carbon fibre-reinforced...
(1992), The Nutty Professor (1996), How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Intolerable Cruelty
Intolerable Cruelty
Intolerable Cruelty is a 2003 romantic comedy film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring Academy Award winners George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Geoffrey Rush and Billy Bob Thornton with Cedric the Entertainer...
(2003), and The Dilemma
The Dilemma
The Dilemma is a 2011 comedy-drama film starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James. The film is directed by Ron Howard. Savvy businessman Ronny and genius engineer Nick are best friends and partners in an auto design firm. They are pursuing a project to make their firm famous. Ronny sees Nick's wife...
(2011). He has also produced many dramatic thrillers to include Inside Man
Inside Man
Inside Man is a 2006 crime-drama film directed by Spike Lee. It stars Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Willem Dafoe and Jodie Foster. The film's screenplay was written by Russell Gewirtz and produced by Brian Grazer...
(2006), The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code is a 2003 mystery-detective novel written by Dan Brown. It follows symbologist Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu as they investigate a murder in Paris's Louvre Museum and discover a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei over the possibility of Jesus having been married to...
(2006), American Gangster (2007), Changeling
Changeling
A changeling is a creature found in Western European folklore and folk religion. It is typically described as being the offspring of a fairy, troll, elf or other legendary creature that has been secretly left in the place of a human child. Sometimes the term is also used to refer to the child who...
(2008), Angels and Demons
Angels and Demons
Angels & Demons is a 2000 bestselling mystery-thriller novel written by American author Dan Brown and published by Pocket Books. The novel introduces the character Robert Langdon, who is also the protagonist of Brown's subsequent 2003 novel, The Da Vinci Code, and 2009 novel, The Lost Symbol...
(2009), Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
(2010), and Cowboys and Aliens
Cowboys & Aliens (film)
Cowboys & Aliens is a 2011 American science fiction Western film directed by Jon Favreau and starring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, and Olivia Wilde. The film is based on the 2006 graphic novel of the same name created by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg...
(2011). Grazer produced J. Edgar
J. Edgar
J. Edgar is a 2011 biographical drama film directed by Clint Eastwood, from a script by Dustin Lance Black. The film focuses on the career of FBI director J...
, the Clint Eastwood-directed biopic of J. Edgar Hoover
J. Edgar Hoover
John Edgar Hoover was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972...
, starring Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has received many awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Aviator , and has been nominated by the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television...
and released in the fall of 2011. He also produced Tower Heist
Tower Heist
Tower Heist is a 2011 crime comedy film directed by Brett Ratner and written by Ted Griffin and Jeff Nathanson based on a story by Bill Collage, Adam Cooper, and Griffin. It was released on November 2, 2011 in the United Kingdom, with a United States release following two days later...
, starring Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller
Benjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
and Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
, as well as Restless
Restless (2011 film)
Restless is a 2011 British-American drama film directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Jason Lew. It stars Henry Hopper and Mia Wasikowska. Shot in Portland, Oregon, United States, and produced by Bryce Dallas Howard, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer for Columbia Pictures and Imagine Entertainment, it...
, directed by Gus Van Sant
Gus Van Sant
Gus Green Van Sant, Jr. is an American director, screenwriter, painter, photographer, musician, and author. He is a two time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director for his 1997 film Good Will Hunting and his 2008 film Milk, both of which were also nominated for Best Picture, and won the...
.
Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment’s television series include Sports Night
Sports Night
Sports Night is an American television series about a fictional sports news show also called Sports Night. It focuses on the friendships, pitfalls, and ethical issues the creative talent of the program face while trying to produce a good show under constant network pressure...
, Felicity, Arrested Development, 24
24 (TV series)
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
, Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights (TV series)
Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
, Parenthood
Parenthood (2010 TV series)
Parenthood is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Katims and produced by Imagine Television and Universal Media Studios. The first season premiered on March 2, 2010 on NBC...
, and Lie To Me
Lie to Me
Lie to Me is a 2009-2011 American television series.Lie to Me may also refer to:* Lie to Me , a South Korean drama series* "Lie to Me" , an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer...
. The Playboy Club
The Playboy Club
The Playboy Club is an American television series that ran on NBC from September 19, 2011 to October 3, 2011. Set in 1961, the series centers around the employees of the original Playboy Club operating in Chicago....
, co-produced by Grazer, aired on NBC in the fall of 2011.
Additional awards
In 2001, Grazer was honored as the recipient of the Producers Guild of America's David O. Selznick Lifetime Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures.March 6, 2003, Grazer received the ShoWest Lifetime Achievement Award
May 2007, Grazer was listed as one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World”
January 2009, Grazer and Howard received the Producers Guild of America Milestone Award
November 2009, Grazer and Howard received New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts Big Apple Award
May 2010, Grazer and Howard received the Simon Wiesenthal Center
Simon Wiesenthal Center
The Simon Wiesenthal Center , with headquarters in Los Angeles, California, was established in 1977 and named for Simon Wiesenthal, the Nazi hunter. According to its mission statement, it is "an international Jewish human rights organization dedicated to repairing the world one step at a time...
Humanitarian Award
February 2011, Grazer received the MPSE 2011 Filmmaker Award
Personal life
Grazer was born in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to Arlene and Thomas Grazer. He is the older brother of Nora Beth Grazer (1952) and of actor/director Gavin Grazer
Gavin Grazer
Gavin Grazer is an American film actor and director. Grazer is the brother of Academy Award-winning film producer Brian Grazer...
(1956).
He was married to Theresa McKay from 1972-79. From 1982-1992 he was married to Corki Corman Grazer. They have son Riley (1986) and daughter Sage (1988). He was married to Gigi Levangie from September 20, 1997 to June 8, 2007. They have two sons together, Thomas (11/15/99) and Patrick (9/27/04).
Since the fall of 2008, he has been dating Vietnamese concert pianist Chau-Giang Thi Nguyen.
Grazer currently resides in Malibu, California.
External links
- http://www.imagine-entertainment.com
- Link label