Gerald Robert "Jerry" Molen (born January 6, 1935) is an American

film producer A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...

and

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

. He has worked closely 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. Spie ...

, having produced five of his films, and won an

Academy Award 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 co-producing ''

Schindler's List ''Schindler's List'' is a 1993 American epic historical drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Zaillian. It is based on the 1982 novel ''Schindler's Ark'' by Australian novelist Thomas Keneally. The film fo ...

''. In 2019, Movicorp announced Molen will be producing ''Sweet By and By'', a multi-racial southern gothic romantic thriller; and in 2021, Molen began initial preparations of the mini-series. Molen is now semi-retired and spends his time alternating between Montana and

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

Life and career

Molen was born in

Great Falls, Montana Great Falls is the third most populous city in the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Cascade County. The population was 60,442 according to the 2020 census. The city covers an area of and is the principal city of the Great Falls, M ...

, the son of Edith Lorraine (née Meyer) and Gerald Richard Molen. He grew up in

North Hollywood, California North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North H ...

, after moving from

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

, with a number of younger brothers and sisters. His mother ran a diner, "The Blue Onion", which was located across from one of the major studios. Molen got his start in the movie business by changing tires on studio trucks. Molen has appeared in supporting roles or cameos in several of the films he has produced, including ''

Rain Man ''Rain Man'' is a 1988 American road movie, road Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass. It tells the story of abrasive, selfish young wikt:wheeler-dealer, wheeler-dealer C ...

'', ''

Days of Thunder ''Days of Thunder'' is a 1990 American sports action drama film released by Paramount Pictures, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Tony Scott. The cast includes Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, C ...

'', and ''

Jurassic Park ''Jurassic Park'', later also referred to as ''Jurassic World'', is an American science fiction media franchise created by Michael Crichton and centered on a disastrous attempt to create a theme park of cloned dinosaurs. It began in 1990 when ...

''. The name 'Molen' can be seen painted on the front of a large black

cauldron A cauldron (or caldron) is a large pot (kettle) for cooking or boiling over an open fire, with a lid and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger and/or integral handles or feet. There is a rich history of cauldron lore in religion, mythology, and ...

in the movie ''

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 ...

'' as the camera pans across the

pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

docks in

Neverland Neverland is a fictional island featured in the works of J. M. Barrie and those based on them. It is an imaginary faraway place where Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook, the Lost Boys, and some other imaginary beings and creatures live. Altho ...

. Molen produced '' 2016: Obama's America'', a documentary film critical of American President

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, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

, during the 2012 presidential campaign. In 2016, when a second consecutive year of an all-white Oscar nominee list brought accusations of discrimination in Hollywood and the threat of an Oscar boycott, Molen called the idea of a boycott "ridiculous." "There is no racism except for those who create an issue,” he said. “That is the worst kind. Using such an ugly way of complaining.” Molen is an active member of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

.''Church News'', September 6, 2003.

Filmography

* ''

Tootsie ''Tootsie'' is a 1982 American satirical romantic comedy-drama film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Dustin Hoffman. Its supporting cast includes Pollack, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Bill Murray, Charles Durning, George Ga ...

'' (1982) (unit production manager) * '' A Soldier's Story'' (1984) (unit production manager) * ''

The Color Purple ''The Color Purple'' is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker which won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction.

'' (1985) (unit production manager) * '' *batteries not included'' (1987) (associate producer) * ''

'' (1988) (co-producer, actor) * ''

'' (1990) (executive producer, actor) * ''

'' (1991) (producer) * ''

'' (1993) (producer, actor) * ''

'' (1993) (producer) * ''

The Flintstones ''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The series takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the activities of the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighb ...

'' (1994) (executive producer) * ''

The Little Rascals ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1994) (producer) * ''

Casper Casper may refer to: People * Casper (given name) * Casper (surname) * Casper (Maya ruler) (422–487?), ruler of the Mayan city of Palenque * Tok Casper, first known king of Maya city-state Quiriguá in Guatemala, ruling beginning in 426 * David ...

'' (1995) (executive producer) * ''

The Trigger Effect ''The Trigger Effect'' is a 1996 American thriller film written and directed by David Koepp and starring Kyle MacLachlan, Elisabeth Shue and Dermot Mulroney. The film follows the downward spiral of society during a widespread and lengthy power ...

'' (1996) (executive producer) * ''

Twister Twister may refer to: Weather * Tornado Aviation * Pipistrel Twister, a Slovenian ultralight trike * Silence Twister, a German homebuilt aircraft design * Wings of Change Twister, an Austrian paraglider design Entertainment * ''Twister'' (1989 ...

'' (1996) (executive producer) * '' Amistad'' (1997) (actor) * '' The Lost World: Jurassic Park'' (1997) (producer) * ''

The Other Side of Heaven ''The Other Side of Heaven'' is a 2001 American adventure drama film written and directed by Mitch Davis, based on John H. Groberg's autobiography ''In the Eye of the Storm''. The film stars Christopher Gorham as John Groberg and Anne Hathaway ...

'' (2001) (producer, actor) * ''

Catch Me If You Can ''Catch Me If You Can'' is a 2002 American Biographical film, biographical crime film, crime Comedy drama, comedy-drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks with Christopher Walken, Martin ...

'' (2002) (actor) * ''

Minority Report Minority Report may refer to: * Minority report (Poor Law), published by the UK Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress 1905–09 * "Minority Report", a 1949 science fiction short story by Theodore Sturgeon * "The Minority Report ...

'' (2002) (producer) * ''

The Legend of Johnny Lingo ''The Legend of Johnny Lingo'' is a 2003 film set in Polynesia and directed by Steven Ramirez. It is an extension of the 1969 short film '' Johnny Lingo'' that is based on a story by Patricia McGerr. Plot An orphan boy named Tama is adopted by ...

'' (2003) (producer) * ''

Beyond the Blackboard ''Beyond the Blackboard'' is a Hallmark Hall of Fame made-for-television drama film starring Emily VanCamp and Treat Williams. It is based on the memoir by Stacey Bess titled ''Nobody Don't Love Nobody''. Plot The story takes place in 1987 a ...

'' (2011) (executive producer) * '' 2016: Obama's America'' (2012) (producer) * '' America: Imagine the World Without Her'' (2014) (producer) * ''

The Abolitionists ''The Abolitionists'' is a 2016 documentary film by Darrin Fletcher and Chet Thomas about a sting mission orchestrated in Colombia by the independent Operation Underground Railroad jump team, led by former U.S. Homeland Security Special Agent ...

'' (2016) (producer) * '' Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party'' (2016) (producer) * ''

The Meg ''The Meg'' is a 2018 science fiction action film directed by Jon Turteltaub with screenplay by Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber, and Erich Hoeber, loosely based on the 1997 book '' Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror'' by Steve Alten. The film stars Jason St ...

'' (2018) (executive producer) * '' Death of a Nation'' (2018)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Molen, Gerald R. 1935 births American film producers American Latter Day Saints Living people People from Great Falls, Montana Filmmakers who won the Best Film BAFTA Award Golden Globe Award-winning producers Producers who won the Best Picture Academy Award