Mike Medavoy

Mr. Medavoy began his career at Universal Studios in 1964, where he rose from the mailroom to become a casting director. In 1965 he became an agent, representing clients such as Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, John Melius, Terrence Mallick, Jane Fonda, Gene Wilder and many others. United Artists brought him in as senior vice president of production in 1974, where he was responsible for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Rocky, and Annie Hall, which won Best Picture Oscars in 1975, 1976, and 1977, respectively.

Other notable films included Apocalypse Now, Raging Bull, Network, and Coming Home. In 1978, Medavoy co-founded Orion Pictures where, during his tenure, Platoon, Amadeus, Robocop, Hannah and Her Sisters, The Terminator, Dances With Wolves, and Silence of the Lambs were released. Medavoy became chairman of TriStar Pictures in 1990, where he oversaw critically acclaimed box office hits such as Philadelphia, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and Sleepless in Seattle among others.

As chairman and co-founder of Phoenix Pictures, Medavoy has brought to the screen: The People vs. Larry Flint, The Thin Red Line, Holes, Zodiac, Shutter Island, Black Swan, and The Long Road Home among many others.

In 2002, Simon & Schuster published Mr. Medavoy’s best-selling book, You’re Only As Good As Your Next One. Mike’s 2009 book American Idol After Iraq; Competing for Hearts and Minds in the Global Media Age, co-authored by Nathan Gardels, editor of the National Political Quarterly, reflects on the impact of media on U.S. foreign policy. Medavoy is currently working on his third book, exploring his heritage through the lens of his career, life, and family.

Mike was born in Shanghai, China in 1941 to Russian-Jewish parents who arrived in the early 20’s and lived in Chile from 1947-1957. He graduated from UCLA in 1963. He is married to Irena Medavoy, a founder of Team Safe-T. Mike Medavoy has two sons, Brian and Nicholas, and resides in Beverly Hills, California. Read Less ^