Lili Fini Zanuck ( Fini; born April 2, 1954) is an American film producer and director.

Personal life

She was married to Richard D. Zanuck from 1978 until his death in 2012.

Career

Zanuck's first film with a producing title was the 1985 critical and commercial hit Cocoon which went on to win 2 Academy Awards and earned the Zanucks and David Brown the title Producer of the Year by the National Association of Theatre Owners. Lili also oversaw the sequel Cocoon: The Return in 1988. In 1988, Zanuck and her husband formed The Zanuck Company. The first film they produced was ''

Driving Miss Daisy '' Driving Miss Daisy'' is a 1989 American comedy-drama film directed by Bruce Beresford and written by Alfred Uhry, based on his 1987 play of the same name. The film stars Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman, and Dan Aykroyd. Freeman reprised his ro ...

'' which went on to win 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 ...

, including Best Picture, as well as winning Best Picture of the Year (Best Musical or Comedy) by the

Hollywood Foreign Press Association The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) is a nonprofit organization of journalists and photographers who report on the entertainment industry activity and interests in the United States for media (newspaper, magazine and book publication ...

and the

National Board of Review The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered an early harbinger of the film awards season that culminat ...

. The Zanucks were named Producer of the Year by 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 ...

. Internationally, the film won two Golden Bears at the Berlin Film Festival and was nominated for Best Picture by the

British Film Academy British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

. ''Driving Miss Daisy'' was a financial success, grossing more than $100 million and ranks as one of the most profitable films in

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

history. Zanuck directed the 1991 feature film '' Rush'' starring

Jennifer Jason Leigh Jennifer Jason Leigh (born Jennifer Leigh Morrow; February 5, 1962) is an American actress. She began her career on television during the 1970s before making her film breakthrough as Stacy Hamilton in '' Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' (1982). Sh ...

and

Jason Patric Jason Patric (born June 17, 1966) is an American film, television and stage actor. He is known for his roles in films such as ''The Lost Boys'', ''Rush (1991 film), Rush'', ''Sleepers (film), Sleepers'', ''Geronimo: An American Legend'', ''Your ...

. The film notably featured the hit song "

Tears in Heaven "Tears in Heaven" is a song by English guitarist, singer, and songwriter Eric Clapton and Will Jennings, written about the death of Clapton's four-year-old son, Conor. It appeared on the 1991 ''Rush'' film soundtrack. In January 1992, Clapto ...

" by Eric Clapton, who also composed the score for the picture. For television, she directed an episode of HBO's

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 ...

, and three episodes of NBC's six hour event series Revelations starring

Bill Pullman William Pullman (born December 17, 1953) is an American actor. After graduating with a Master of Fine Arts degree in theater, he was an adjunct professor at Montana State University before deciding to pursue acting. He made his film debut in ''R ...

. Zanuck has also co-produced a number of films including '' Mulholland Falls'', ''

True Crime True crime is a nonfiction literary, podcast, and film genre in which the author examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people associated with and affected by criminal events. The crimes most commonly include murder; about 40 pe ...

'' and '' Reign of Fire''. In March 2000, Zanuck co-produced the

72nd Academy Awards The 72nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released in 1999 and took place on March 26, 2000, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST ...

with her husband. In May 2015, Zanuck executive produced and directed '' Bessie'' which premiered on HBO. She developed the project for over 22 years which was met with critical acclaim, receiving twelve 2016 Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Bessie won the 2015 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie and the 2015 Critics Choice Television Award for Best Movie. Most recently Zanuck directed the documentary ''Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars'' which had its world premiere at the

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...

in September 2017 before airing on SHOWTIME in February 2018. The film and Zanuck were Grammy nominated in the category of Best Music Film. Zanuck has also directed television programs and music videos, including

Faith Hill Audrey Faith McGraw (; born September 21, 1967), known professionally as Faith Hill, is an American singer and actress. She is one of the most successful country music artists of all time, having sold more than 40 million albums worldwide. Hill' ...

's "Breathe", which won the Academy of Country Music Award for Video of the Year in 1999.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zanuck, Lili Fini Living people 1954 births American film directors American film producers American women film producers Golden Globe Award-winning producers Primetime Emmy Award winners Producers who won the Best Picture Academy Award 21st-century American women