Debra Martin Chase facts for kids

Debra Martin Chase (born October 11, 1956) is an American producer who creates movies, TV shows, and theater plays. She made history as the first Black female producer to sign a deal with a major Hollywood studio. She was also one of the first Black filmmakers to produce a movie that earned over $100 million. So far, her films have made more than half a billion dollars at the box office!

Early Life and Dreams

Debra Martin Chase was born in Great Lakes, Illinois. When she was a child, her family moved to Pasadena, California. She loved movies from a young age. She once said, "I'm the kid who was in the movie theater every Saturday."

Debra believed that movies helped shape her view of the world. She wanted to make sure that Black people were not only shown in films but also helped make them better.

Education and First Steps

Debra worked hard in school. She earned her first degree from Mount Holyoke College in 1977. Then, she went on to get her law degree from Harvard Law School in 1981.

When she first started out in the entertainment world, Debra didn't know how everything worked. She read books, went to workshops, and met with anyone who could teach her. She even met with the main lawyer at Columbia Pictures, a big movie company. Later, she became the executive assistant to Frank Price, who was in charge of Columbia Pictures. This helped her learn a lot about the movie business.

Making Movies and TV Shows

Debra Martin Chase has her own company called Martin Chase Productions. This company works closely with Universal Television, which is part of NBCUniversal. Before this, she had a long partnership with The Walt Disney Company from 2001 to 2016.

Working with Stars

From 1995 to 2012, Debra ran Whitney Houston's production company, BrownHouse Productions. Before that, she worked for Denzel Washington's company, Mundy Lane Entertainment, from 1992 to 1995.

Debra and Whitney Houston worked together on many projects. Their first big success was the 1997 TV movie Cinderella. This movie was a huge hit, with over 60 million people watching it! It even earned Debra and Whitney an Emmy Award nomination.

In 2001, they co-produced The Princess Diaries. This movie made history because it was the first time two Black women produced a feature film that earned over $100 million. They did it again in 2004 with the sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.

Debra and Whitney also produced two of the first Cheetah Girls TV movies. Their last project together was the 2012 film Sparkle.

Recent Projects

Today, Debra Martin Chase is an executive producer for The Equalizer TV series, which stars Queen Latifah. This show is now in its fifth season. In 2023, she also produced True Spirit, which was released on Netflix.

Bringing Stories to the Stage

In addition to movies and TV, Debra Martin Chase has also produced plays on Broadway.

Award-Winning Broadway Shows

In 2022, she co-produced the musical A Strange Loop. This show won Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Book. That same year, she also co-produced the Broadway revival of the play Topdog/Underdog, which won the Tony for Best Revival of a Play.

In 2024, Debra co-produced two more Broadway shows. One was the musical The Outsiders, based on a popular book and movie. It won four Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The other was Illinoise, which was nominated for Best Musical and won the Tony for Best Choreography.

Beyond Entertainment

Before working in movies and TV, Debra Martin Chase was a lawyer. She worked at big law firms and for large companies in New York City and Houston.

She is also involved in several important groups in the entertainment industry. She is a member of the Motion Picture Academy, which gives out the Oscars. She is also part of the Television Academy and the Broadway League, which is involved with the Tony Awards.

Personal Life

Debra Martin Chase is an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, a historic organization for college-educated Black women.

Producer Credits

Debra Martin Chase was a producer for all the films and shows listed below, unless otherwise noted.

Film

Television

Theater