Morris Mike Medavoy (born January 21, 1941) is an American film producer and

business executive A business executive is a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. Executives run companies or government agencies. They create plans to help their organizations gr ...

. He co-founded

Orion Pictures Orion Releasing, LLC (Trade name, doing business as Orion Pictures) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by the Amazon MGM Studios subsidiary of Amazon (company), Amazon. It was founded in 1978 as Ori ...

and currently serves as

chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

and CEO of

Phoenix Pictures Phoenix Pictures is an American independent film production company that has produced films since the mid to late 1990s with features including '' The People vs. Larry Flynt'' (1996), '' The Thin Red Line'' (1998), ''Zodiac'' (2007), ''Black Swan' ...

. He previously held leadership roles at

TriStar Pictures TriStar Pictures, Inc. (spelled as Tri-Star until 1991) is an American film studio and production company that is part of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, which is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony, Sony Group Corporation. The compan ...

and

United Artists United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...

Early life

Morris Mike Medavoy was born in

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

on January 21, 1941, to Michael Medavoy, a garage mechanic, and Dora Medavoy, a dress shop owner whose clientele included Chinese actresses.Griffin and Masters, p. 57 His parents were Russian-speaking

Ukrainian Jews The history of the Jews in Ukraine dates back over a thousand years; Jews, Jewish communities have existed in the modern territory of Ukraine from the time of the Kievan Rus' (late 9th to mid-13th century). Important Jewish religious and cultura ...

; his mother was born in

Harbin Harbin, ; zh, , s=哈尔滨, t=哈爾濱, p=Hā'ěrbīn; IPA: . is the capital of Heilongjiang, China. It is the largest city of Heilongjiang, as well as being the city with the second-largest urban area, urban population (after Shenyang, Lia ...

to immigrants from Odesan, and his father was originally from

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

. He has a younger sister named Ronnie. The Medavoy family lived in

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

from 1947 to 1957, where Medavoy attended the Liceo Valentín Letelier de Santiago. They later moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

and lived with a relative. Medavoy became a U.S. citizen in 1963, the same year he graduated from

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

. He joined the U.S. Army Reserve in 1963 and served at

Fort Ord Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay on the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, ...

in California until 1969.

Career

Early work

In 1964, Mike Medavoy began his career in the mailroom at

Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...

. The following year, he became an agent at the

General Artists Corporation General Amusement Corporation (GAC) was an international talent booking agency dating back to the 1930s. Through a series of acquisitions and mergers, it eventually became one of the agencies that formed International Creative Management in 1975 ...

and later joined

Creative Management Associates Creative Management Associates (CMA) was an American talent booking agency. Co-founded by Freddie Fields and David Begelman, CMA was instrumental in the development of movie stars, prominent directors, and popular musicians. CMA is credited wit ...

(CMA). In 1967, he was appointed vice president of CMA’s motion picture department, where he worked with emerging filmmakers including

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...

and

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola ( ; born April 7, 1939) is an American filmmaker. He is considered one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood and one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. List of awards and nominations received by Francis Ford Coppo ...

. In 1970, he moved to the

International Famous Agency Ashley-Famous was a talent agency started in 1945 by talent agent Ted Ashley. The agency was responsible for many hit television shows and had several famous clients. It changed names and ownership a few times, eventually becoming one of the age ...

. In 1974, Medavoy joined

as senior vice president of production. During his tenure, the studio released several critically acclaimed films, including ''

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest may refer to: * ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Ken Kesey * ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (play), a 1963 stage adaptation of the novel starring Kirk Douglas * ''One Flew Over the ...

'' (1975), ''

Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American independent film, independent sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the Rocky (film series), ''Rocky'' franchise and also star ...

'' (1976), and ''Annie Hall'' (1977), all of which won the

Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards (also known as Oscars) presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film a ...

in their respective years.

Orion Pictures

In 1978, Medavoy co-founded

, a joint venture with

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

and former United Artists executives

Arthur Krim Arthur Brian Krim (April 4, 1910 – September 21, 1994) was an American entertainment lawyer, the former finance chairman for the U.S. Democratic Party, an adviser to President Lyndon Johnson and the former chairman of Eagle-Lion Films (1945� ...

Robert Benjamin Robert Saul Benjamin (1909 – October 22, 1979) was a founding partner of the movie-litigation firm Phillips, Nizer, Benjamin, Krim & Ballon, a former co‐chairman of United Artists, and a founding member of Orion Pictures. Biography R ...

Eric Pleskow Eric Pleskow (born Erich Pleskoff; April 24, 1924 – October 1, 2019) was an Austrian-born American film producer and executive. From 1973 through 1978, Pleskow was president of United Artists. Following a protest from Transamerica Corporation, ...

, and William Bernstein. While at Orion, the company released several successful films, including ''Amadeus'' (1984), ''

RoboCop ''RoboCop'' is a 1987 American Science fiction film, science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. The film stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen (actress), Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Dani ...

'' (1987), ''Dances With Wolves'' (1990), and ''The Silence of the Lambs'' (1991).

TriStar Pictures

In 1990, Medavoy was appointed chairman of

. Under his leadership, the studio released films such as ''

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

'' (1993), ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' (1991), ''Sleepless in Seattle'' (1993), ''

Cliffhanger A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious situation, facing a difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction or bef ...

'' (1993), ''The Fisher King'' (1991), ''Legends of the Fall'' (1994), and ''

Hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...

'' (1991). He left the company in 1994 following disagreements with

Sony Pictures Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment (theatrical motion pictures, television programs, and rec ...

chairman

Peter Guber Howard Peter Guber (born March 1, 1942) is an American film producer, business executive, entrepreneur, educator, and author. He is chairman and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment. Guber's films have grossed over $3 billion worldwide and received ...

Phoenix Pictures

In 1995, Medavoy co-founded

with Arnold W. Messer, establishing the company under a production agreement with

Sony Pictures Entertainment Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment (theatrical motion pictures, television programs, and rec ...

. As chairman and CEO, Medavoy was involved in the production of films such as ''The People vs. Larry Flynt'' (1996), ''The Thin Red Line'' (1998), and ''Zodiac'' (2007). Both ''The People vs. Larry Flynt'' and ''The Thin Red Line'' received

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

nominations. Other productions under Phoenix Pictures include ''Shutter Island'' (2010) and ''Black Swan'' (2010), both of which received critical acclaim. In 2011, Medavoy announced a film project based on the 2010 Chilean mining accident, in which 33 miners were trapped underground for 69 days. He collaborated with Chilean officials and screenwriter José Rivera to develop the film, describing it as a story centered on perseverance and human resilience. That same year, Medavoy partnered with the Shanghai Film Group on two projects: a feature film adaptation of the novel ''The Cursed Piano'', and a six-hour miniseries titled ''Tears of a Sparrow'', both focused on the experiences of Jewish refugees in Japanese-occupied China during World War II. He also worked on a film adaptation of

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury ( ; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, Horror fiction, horr ...

’s novel ''

Dandelion Wine ''Dandelion Wine'' is a 1957 novel by Ray Bradbury set in the summer of 1928 in the fictional town of Green Town, Illinois, based upon Bradbury's childhood home of Waukegan, Illinois. The first novel in his ''Green Town Trilogy'', the book devel ...

'' . In 2015, Medavoy and producer Eric Esrailian were announced as producers of ''The Promise'' (2016), a historical drama starring

Oscar Isaac Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada (born March 9, 1979) is an American actor. Recognized for his versatility, he has been credited with breaking stereotypes about Hispanic and Latino Americans, Latino characters in Cinema of the United States, H ...

and

Christian Bale Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. List of awards and nominations received by C ...

Community contributions and other memberships

Medavoy was appointed to the board of directors of the Museum of Science and Industry in

by Governor

Jerry Brown Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic P ...

and served as a commissioner on the Los Angeles Board of Parks and Recreation, an appointment made by Mayor

Richard Riordan Richard Joseph Riordan (May 1, 1930 – April 19, 2023) was an American businessman, investor, military commander, philanthropist, and politician. A decorated Korean War veteran and a member of the Republican Party, Riordan served as the 39th ...

. He is also a member of the board of directors at

Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv University (TAU) is a Public university, public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Located in northwest Tel Aviv, the university is the center of teaching and ...

. At the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...

(UCLA), Medavoy serves on the board of trustees of the UCLA Foundation and participates in the Chancellor's Associates, the Dean's Advisory Board of the

UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television (UCLA TFT), is one of the 12 schools within the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) located in Los Angeles, California. Its creation was groundbreaking in that it was the first time a leadi ...

, and the Alumni Association's Student Relations Committee. He is the co-chairman of the Burkle Center for UCLA’s Center for International Relations and served for five years on the board of advisors at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

. In 2002, Governor

Gray Davis Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis Jr. (born December 26, 1942) is an American attorney and former politician who served as the 37th governor of California from 1999 until he was recalled and removed from office in 2003. He is the second state governor ...

appointed him to the Executive Advisory Board of the California Anti-Terrorism Information Center. He is also a member of the

Council on Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank focused on Foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is an independent and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organi ...

and the

Homeland Security Advisory Council The Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) is part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States. It was created by an Executive Order In the United States, an executive order is a directive by the president of the United ...

. Medavoy is a member of the advisory committee of the

Baryshnikov Arts Center The Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC) is a foundation and arts complex opened by Mikhail Baryshnikov in 2005 at 450 West 37th Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The top three fl ...

in New York and serves on the advisory board of the

USC Center on Public Diplomacy The University of Southern California Center on Public Diplomacy is an academic research, teaching and training center created by the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Scienc ...

. Alongside his wife, Irena Medavoy, he is involved with C.O.A.C.H. for Kids (Community Outreach Assistance for Children’s Health), a

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a non-profit, Tertiary referral hospital, tertiary, 915-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science centre, academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars ...

initiative that offers free medical care to underserved children. Irena Medavoy serves as the organization’s Executive Vice Chairman.

Political views

Medavoy has supported the Democratic Party in various capacities. He served as co-finance chair for

Gary Hart Gary Warren Hart (''né'' Hartpence; born November 28, 1936) is an American politician, diplomat, and lawyer. He was the front-runner for the 1984 and 1988 Democratic presidential nominations, until in 1988, he dropped out amid revelations of ex ...

's 1988 presidential campaign and was involved in Bill Clinton’s presidential campaigns in

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

and

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

. He also supported

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

’s 2008 presidential campaign, during which his wife, Irena Medavoy, served as co-finance chair.

Personal life

Medavoy was previously married to Marcia Rogers, the daughter of publicist Henry C. Rogers and former wife of actor

Mark Goddard Mark Goddard (born Charles Harvey Goddard; July 24, 1936 – October 10, 2023) was an American actor who starred in a number of television programs. He is probably best known for portraying Major Don West in the CBS series ''Lost in Space'' (1 ...

. The dates of their marriage and divorce are not publicly documented. They have one son,

Brian Medavoy Brian Medavoy (born June 30, 1965) is an American film and television producer, talent manager and entrepreneur. He is the son of film producer and executive, Mike Medavoy. Career Medavoy began his career in 1985 in the mail room at the Creativ ...

(born 1965), who is also a film producer. In 1986, Medavoy married political consultant

Patricia Duff Patricia Duff (born Patricia Michelle Orr; April 12, 1954) is an American political activist, and a fundraiser for political and philanthropic causes. She has participated in campaigns involving politicians and business people. Early life and e ...

; the couple divorced in 1993. He married Russian-American philanthropist and former model Irena Gerasimenko in 1995. They have a son named Nick. Medavoy was a close friend of actor

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest cinema actors of the 20th century,''Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia''

and serves as a co-executor of Brando’s estate. In addition to his native Russian, he speaks Spanish, which he learned while living in Chile, and English, which he acquired after immigrating to the United States.

Awards

In 2011,

UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...

and Oscar winner

Sean Penn Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He is known for his intense leading man roles in film. List of awards and nominations received by Sean Penn, His accolades include two Academy Awards, a Golden Gl ...

presented the Medavoy family a humanitarian award. # 1980 - Honored by the Society of Fellows of the Anti-Defamation League # 1992 - Motion Picture Pioneer of the Year Award # 1997 - UCLA Career Achievement Award # 1998 - The Cannes Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award # 1999 - UCLA Neil H. Jacoby Award for Exceptional Contributions to Humanity # 2002 - Israeli Film Festival's Lifetime Achievement Award # 2004 - Florida Atlantic University's Louis B. Mayer Motion Picture Business Leader of the Year Award # 2004 - UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Honorary Member Award # 2005 - Producers Guild of America Vision Award # 2005 - Inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame and received a star on Hollywood Blvd. # 2007 - Stella Adler Actors Studio Marlon Brando Award # 2008 - Jerusalem Film Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award # 2008 - International Student Film Festival Hollywood Lifetime Achievement Award # 2009 - Declared the honorary Doctorate at the Academy of Art in San Francisco # 2009 - Declared Chevalier of the French Government's Legion of Honor. # 2009 - Independent Spirit Award # 2010 - Bernardo O'Higgins award from the Chilean government # 2011 - The Locarno Film Festival Raimondo Rezzonico Prize (Locarno, Switzerland) # 2011 - Hebrew University Award # 2011 - Danny Kaye Humanitarian Award # 2012 - Shanghai International Film Festival – Outstanding Achievement Award # 2014 - Satellite Awards Mary Pickford Award - Outstanding Artistic Contribution to the Entertainment Industry # 2015 - Cinequest Maverick Spirit Award # 2016 -

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...

- Listen to Me Marlon #2019 -

RiverRun International Film Festival The RiverRun International Film Festival is an annual Oscar-qualifying film festival held each spring in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. The festival is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and presents a variety of feature-length and ...

- Master of Cinema Award #2019 -

Beverly Hills Film Festival The Beverly Hills Film Festival (BHFF) is a film festival in the United States founded in 2001 by independent filmmaker Nino Simone. The festival is an international competition dedicated to "showcasing the art and talent of emerging filmmakers ...

- Legends Award

Membership in film organizations

Mike had membership in several film organizations, including: # Chairman of The Jury of the Tokyo Film Festival # Advisor to The Shanghai Film Festival # Advisor to The St. Petersburg Film Festival # Member of the Board of the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences from 1977 to 1981 # One of the original founding members of the board of governors of the Sundance Institute (1978) # Chairman Emeritus of the American Cinematheque # Chairman Emeritus of the Stella Adler Actors Studio in New york

Books

In 2002, Medavoy published a memoir titled ''You're Only As Good As Your Next One: 100 Great Films, 100 Good Films, and 100 for Which I Should Be Shot'', co-written with Josh Young. The book was released by Simon & Schuster and later issued in paperback in 2003. It became a bestseller. In 2009, Medavoy co-authored ''American Idol After Iraq: Competing for Hearts and Minds in the Global Media Age'' with

Nathan Gardels Nathan Gardels (born December 22, 1952) is an American journalist who is the editor-in-chief of ''Noema Magazine''. He is also the co-founder of and a senior adviser to the Berggruen Institute. He previously served as editor-in-chief of The Worl ...

, editor of ''The National Political Quarterly''.

Filmography

Medavoy was a producer on the following films unless otherwise noted.

Film

; As an actor ; Thanks

Television

; Thanks

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Medavoy, Mike 1941 births Living people American chief executives American film producers American film studio executives Orion Pictures American television producers Harvard Kennedy School people 20th-century American Jews University of California, Los Angeles alumni California Democrats Chinese emigrants to the United States American people of Russian-Jewish descent American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent Businesspeople from Shanghai Chinese people of Russian-Jewish descent Chinese people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent Jews and Judaism in Shanghai Medavoy family American film production company founders 21st-century American Jews Sony people Sony Pictures Entertainment people