Sherry Lansing (born 31 July 1944) is a former actress and American film studio executive.[1][2][3] She is former CEO of Paramount Pictures,[4] and when president of production at 20th Century Fox was the first woman to head a Hollywood studio[5][6] In 1996 she became the first woman named Pioneer of the Year by the Foundation of the Motion Picture Pioneers,[7] and the first woman studio head to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[8][9] In 2005 became the first woman studio head to place hand and foot prints at Grauman's Chinese Theater.[10][11] In 2001 she was named one of the 30 most powerful women in America by Ladies Home Journal,[12] and The Hollywood Reporter named her fourth on its Power 100 list in 2003.[13]
[edit] Biography
Lansing was born Sherry Lee Heimann in Chicago, Illinois. Her mother fled from Nazi Germany at age 17, and spoke no English when she arrived in the United States. Lansing attended the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and graduated in 1962. In 1966 she earned a Bachelor of Science degree at Northwestern University,[2] where she was a member of Sigma Delta Tau sorority. Lansing married Academy award winning director William Friedkin on 6 July, 1991.
[edit] Career
She pursued an acting career (appearing in two films made in 1970, Loving and Rio Lobo, starring John Wayne) but, dissatisfied with her own acting skills, she decided to learn more about the film industry from the ground up. She took a job with MGM as head script reader and worked on two successful movies, The China Syndrome and Kramer vs. Kramer.[3]
Lansing's work at MGM eventually led, after a stint at Columbia Pictures, to an appointment in 1980, at age 35, as the first female president of 20th Century Fox.[3][5] She was also partner in Jaffee/Lansing productions with Stanley R. Jaffe.[5] In 1992, she was offered the chairmanship of Paramount Pictures' Motion Picture Group.[5] During her tenure at Paramount, the studio enjoyed its longest and most successful string of releases since the '30s.[3] Under Lansing, the studio produced such blockbuster hits as Forrest Gump, Braveheart, and the highest grossing film of all time - Titanic (the latter two with Fox).[3][5][14][15] Six of the ten highest grossing Paramount films were released during her tenure which included three Academy Awards for Best Picture.[14] Overall, 80% of the films released by Lansing were profitable, a track record unmatched by any other long term studio management leader.
As studio chief she focused on bottom-line cost rather than market share, preferring to take fewer risks and make lower-budget films than other studios. Viacom (which purchased Paramount in 1994) decided to split the company into two parts in 2004 and Lansing stepped down at the end of that year after an almost unprecedented twelve-year tenure atop Hollywood's legendary "Best Show in Town."[1][15]
She is now a Regent of the University of California.[2][5][14] She sits on the boards of the American Red Cross,[4] The Carter Center,[15] DonorsChoose, Qualcomm, Teach for America, The American Association for Cancer Research,[4] the Lasker Foundation and Friends of Cancer Research.[2][5]
In 2005, she created The Sherry Lansing Foundation which is dedicated to raising awareness and funds for cancer research.[1][5][15] She is a recipient of UCLA Anderson School of Management's highest honor-the Exemplary Leadership in Management (ELM) Award.
In 2007, she received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her work in cancer research at the 79th Academy Awards.[4] The award was presented to her by Tom Cruise, her longtime friend and business partner.
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Producer
[edit] Actress or herself
[edit] Awards and recognition
- 2007, Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, presented by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences[4]
- 2007, Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Pennsylvania State University[5]
- 2006, American Association of Cancer Research Public Service Award[1][5]
- 2005, Big Brothers Big Sisters (L.A.) Legacy Award[16]
- 2005, Exemplary Leadership in Management Award presented by UCLA Anderson School of Management[14]
- 2005, hand and foot prints at Grauman's Chinese Theater[10][11]
- 2004, Horatio Alger Humanitarian Award[2]
- 2003, Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship[2]
- 2003, Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts from the American Film Institute[2]
- 2002, President's Award, presented by Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films
- 2000, Milestone Award presented by Producers Guild of America[2]
- 1996, Overcoming Obstacles Achievement Award for Business, presented by Chicago Women in Film[6]
- 1996, YWCA Silver Achievement Award[2]
- 1996, Pioneer of the Year by the Foundation of the Motion Picture Pioneers[2][5][7]
- 1996, Star on the walk of fame, presented by Hollywood Walk of Fame[8][9]
- 1994, Razzie for Indecent Proposal, presented by Razzie Awards
- 1992, Simon Wiesenthal Center Distinguished Service Award for the Performing Arts[2]
- 1989, Alfred P. Sloan, Jr. Memorial Award[2]
- 1988, Oscar nomination for Fatal Attraction, presented by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
- 1982, Distinguished Community Service Award from Brandeis University[2]
- 1981, Crystal Award, presented by Women in Film Crystal Awards
- 1980, Economic Equity Award from the Women's Equity Action League[2]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d "Sherry Lansing official biography". The Sherry Lansing Foundation. http://www.sherrylansingfoundation.org/page.php?whPage=lansing.php. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Biography - Sherry Lansing". Weekend America. January 7, 2006. http://weekendamerica.publicradio.org/programs/2006/01/07/bio_lansing.html. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ a b c d e Cosmogirl! Secrets of Success: 38 Leaders Tell You How to Achieve Your Dreams (illustrated ed.). Sterling. 2007. pp. pages 46-50. ISBN 158816666X. OCLC 9781588166661. http://books.google.com/books?id=2V1-MibEZKMC&pg=PA46&dq=%22Sherry+Lansing%22&ei=16A9Sp2UOYTokATn3426BQ. Retrieved June 20, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e "Sherry Lansing to Get Humanitarian Oscar". Fox News. December 15, 2006. http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_wires/2006Dec15/0,4675,PeopleLansing,00.html. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Distinguished filmmaker, philanthropist/studio executive to receive honorary degrees". Penn State News. November 2, 2007. http://www.statecollege.com/news/psu-news/distinguished-filmmaker-philanthropiststudio-executive-to-receive-honorary-degreesspanbr,19186/. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ a b "More women in films is studio chief's wish". Chicago Tribune. March 17, 1996. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/17211326.html?dids=17211326:17211326&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Mar+17%2C+1996&author=Judy+Hevrdejs++Mike+Conklin.&pub=Chicago+Tribune+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=MORE+WOMEN+IN+FILM+IS+STUDIO+CHIEF'S+WISH&pqatl=google. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ a b "Local TV reporters form "chain reaction" in motion picture roles". Chicago Tribune. July 31, 1996. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/17411011.xml?dids=17411011:17411011&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+31%2C+1996&author=Judy+Hevrdejs++Mike+Conklin.&pub=Chicago+Tribune+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=LOCAL+TV+REPORTERS+FORM+%60CHAIN+REACTION'+IN+MOTION+PICTURE+ROLES&pqatl=google. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ a b "Walk of Fame welcomes its 1st female executive". Deseret News. August 1, 1996. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NewsLibrary&p_multi=DSNB&d_place=DSNB&p_theme=newslibrary2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F3645AF9C95A374&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
- ^ a b "Executive earns a star". San Jose Mercury News. August 2, 1996. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SJ&s_site=mercurynews&p_multi=SJ&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB71FDE1BDC7054&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
- ^ a b ".(Newsmakers)". Jet (magazine). March 14, 2005. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-19137407_ITM. Retrieved June 20, 2009.
- ^ a b "Just for Variety". Daily Variety. February 1, 2005. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-18811919_ITM. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
- ^ "Women’s magazine rates influential females". Temple News. November 29, 2001. http://temple-news.com/2001/11/29/womens-magazine-rates-influential-females/. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ Cashman, Greer Fay (June 22, 2005). "Reflections of a power player". Jerusalem Post. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-110254021.html. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ a b c d "UCLA Anderson School of Management to Honor Sherry Lansing with 2005 Exemplary Leadership in Management Award; Honor Recognizes Outstanding Business and Community Leadership.". UCLA. April 25, 2005. http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-4105764/UCLA-Anderson-School-of-Management.html. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ a b c d The My Hero Project, ed (2005). My Hero: Extraordinary People on the Heroes Who Inspire Them. Simon and Schuster. pp. pages 96-102. ISBN 0743292405. OCLC 9780743292405. http://books.google.com/books?id=RcFlGp52DHsC&pg=PA96&dq=%22Sherry+Lansing%22&ei=16A9Sp2UOYTokATn3426BQ. Retrieved June 20, 2009.
- ^ "Just for Variety". Daily Variety. December 21, 2004. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-126848725.html. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
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