Bonnie Kathleen Curtis (born March 26, 1966)
is an American film producer whose credits include ''
Saving Private Ryan
''Saving Private Ryan'' is a 1998 American epic war film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Rodat. Set during the Battle of Normandy in World War II, the film is known for its graphic portrayal of war, especially its depicti ...
'', ''
A.I.'', ''
Minority Report'', and ''
The Lost World: Jurassic Park'', directed by
Steven Spielberg. Her first solo project was the 2005 release ''
The Chumscrubber
''The Chumscrubber'' (German: ''Glück in kleinen Dosen'') is a 2005 comedy-drama film, directed by Arie Posin, starring an ensemble cast led by Jamie Bell. The plot, written by Posin and Zac Stanford, focuses on the chain of events that foll ...
''. She then joined Mockingbird Pictures with partner Julie Lynn in 2011. Curtis and Lynn produced ''
Albert Nobbs
''Albert Nobbs'' is a 2011 drama film directed by Rodrigo García and starring Glenn Close. The screenplay, by Close, John Banville and Gabriella Prekop, is based on the 1927 novella ''Albert Nobbs'' by George Moore.
The film received mixed ...
'', which was nominated for three Academy Awards. Curtis is a co-recipient of the 1999
Producers Guild Award
The Producers Guild of America Awards were originally established in 1990 by the Producers Guild of America as the Golden Laurel Awards, created by PGA Treasurer Joel Freeman with the support of Guild President Leonard Stern, in order to honor ...
for Motion Picture Producer of the Year, for ''Saving Private Ryan''.
On March 12, 2015, Curtis was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame. Spielberg congratulated her via video message during the ceremony.
Life and career
Curtis was born in
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
.
[20th Anniversary Topaz Awards Gala](_blank)
, October 22, 2004. She is a 1988 graduate of
Abilene Christian University, where she majored in journalism after graduating from
Dallas Christian High School;
she is a member of the university's Sigma Theta Chi
women's social club.
[Abilene Christian University alumni directory.] She received the school's Gutenberg Award "for distinguished professional achievement" in journalism.
[Abilene Christian University]
Gutenberg Award Winners
Her earliest production work was on the films ''
Arachnophobia'' and ''
Dead Poets Society
''Dead Poets Society'' is a 1989 American drama film directed by Peter Weir, written by Tom Schulman, and starring Robin Williams. Set in 1959 at the fictional elite conservative boarding school Welton Academy, it tells the story of an English ...
''.
In 1989 Curtis started working with Spielberg, starting as a
production assistant
A production assistant, also known as a PA, is a member of the film crew and is a job title used in filmmaking and television for a person responsible for various aspects of a production. The job of a PA can vary greatly depending on the budget ...
in what has turned out to be a 17-year professional relationship.
In her career, she has worked with a variety of actors, including
Morgan Freeman,
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...
,
Matthew McConaughey
Matthew David McConaughey ( ; born November 4, 1969) is an American actor. He had his breakout role with a supporting performance in the coming-of-age comedy '' Dazed and Confused'' (1993). After a number of supporting roles, his first succes ...
,
Jude Law,
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...
,
Matt Damon
Matthew Paige Damon (; born October 8, 1970) is an American actor, film producer, and screenwriter. Ranked among ''Forbes'' most bankable stars, the films in which he has appeared have collectively earned over $3.88 billion at the North Ameri ...
,
Vin Diesel
Mark Sinclair (born July 18, 1967), known professionally as Vin Diesel, is an American actor. One of the world's highest-grossing actors, he is best known for playing Dominic Toretto in the ''Fast & Furious'' franchise.
Diesel began auditio ...
,
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Go ...
, and
Colin Farrell
Colin James Farrell (; born 31 May 1976) is an Irish actor. A leading man in projects across various genres in both blockbuster and independent films since the 2000s, he has received numerous accolades including a Golden Globe Award. ''The ...
.
Her project ''The Chumscrubber'' was the subject of an interview granted to ''
The Advocate'', in which she discussed the connections she saw between her parents' response to her "
coming out" as a lesbian and the disbelieving response of the parents in the film to their children's stories of events and actions in their own lives that seem at odds with their parents' perceptions of them.
[Christopher Lisotta.]
Spielberg's star pupil
, '' The Advocate'', Issue 945, August 30, 2005. Retrieved on November 13, 2007. The interview also discussed her
fundraising work with the
Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network and her appreciation of Spielberg's support, both personally and politically, in the form of such actions as resigning from the national advisory board of the
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded ...
to decry the group's positions on homosexuality.
In 2011, Curtis joined Julie Lynn's Mockingbird Pictures and the two became partners. They have since produced ''
Albert Nobbs
''Albert Nobbs'' is a 2011 drama film directed by Rodrigo García and starring Glenn Close. The screenplay, by Close, John Banville and Gabriella Prekop, is based on the 1927 novella ''Albert Nobbs'' by George Moore.
The film received mixed ...
'', ''
The Face of Love'', ''
5 to 7
''5 to 7'' is a 2014 American romantic film written and directed by Victor Levin and starring Anton Yelchin, Bérénice Marlohe, Olivia Thirlby, Lambert Wilson, Frank Langella and Glenn Close. Yelchin plays Brian, a 24-year-old writer who h ...
'', and ''
Last Days in the Desert''.
In addition to film producing, Curtis is also a well known event speaker. She has spoken at various company retreats, as well as Chicago Ideas Week 2014.
Filmography
She was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.
Film
;Miscellaneous crew
;As an actress
;Thanks
Television
;Thanks
References
External links
*
Women in Film-Dallas: Top Hollywood producer Bonnie Curtis to be honored at Topaz September 7, 2004.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Curtis, Bonnie
1966 births
Abilene Christian University alumni
Film producers from Texas
Lesbians
LGBT people from Texas
Living people
People from Abilene, Texas
21st-century LGBT people