Biography for
Sherry Lansing More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

31 July 1944, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Birth Name

Sherry Lee Heimann

Height

5' 10" (1.78 m)

Mini Biography

Sherry was born in Chicago and pursued an acting career after graduating from Northwestern University. After appearing in two films, Loving (1970) and Rio Lobo (1970), Sherry decided to leave the acting field. In 1974, Sherry joined Talent Associates, as an executive in charge of development. Three years later, she was appointed vice president in charge of production at Columbia. With the success that she achieved with a number of profitable movies, she was hired as President of 20th Century-Fox. In 1984, she joined Stanley R. Jaffe to form the independent production company, named Jaffee-Lansing. When Jaffee was appointed president of Paramount Communications in 1990, Sherry became Chairman of Paramount Pictures' Motion Picture Group.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Tony Fontana

Spouse

William Friedkin

(6 July 1991 - present)

Trivia

Became the first woman to head a major studio when she took control of 20th Century Fox in 1980.

Was hit by a car in the mid-1980s. She almost lost a leg and nearly died.

Became chairman of Paramount Pictures in 1992. Stepped down as CEO in 2005.

Measurements: 35-24-34 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)

1962 graduate of University of Chicago Lab School

A member of The Regents of the University of California. She was appointed in March 1999 to a term expiring in March 2010.

In "Hollywood Animal: A Memoir", Joe Eszterhas claims that Sherry Lansing, the boss of Paramount Pictures, asked him to issue a statement that he supported Paramount's hiring of William Friedkin as director for his Jade (1995) script. Friedkin was Lansing's husband, and she wanted protection from charges of nepotism. He issued the statement. In truth, Eszterhas did not want the former Oscar-winner, whom he considered a washed-up has-been, to direct the picture, but deferred to Lansing's wishes.

Will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 79th Academy Awards [December 16, 2006].

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