Jeffrey Katzenberg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jeffrey Katzenberg
Katzenberg in 2022
Born	(1950-12-21) December 21, 1950 (age 74) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Media proprietor film producer
Years active	1979–present
Organization	WndrCo
Notable work	Who Framed Roger Rabbit The Little Mermaid Beauty and the Beast Aladdin The Lion King American Beauty The Prince of Egypt Shrek Kung Fu Panda How to Train Your Dragon
Title	Co-founder of Hollywood Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, DreamWorks Animation and WndrCo Former CEO of DreamWorks Animation and DreamWorks Records Founder of Quibi President of Universal Animation Studios
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Marilyn Siegel ​ (m. 1975)​
Children	2
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Jeffrey Katzenberg (born December 21, 1950) is an American film producer and business leader in the media world. He is currently the president of Universal Animation Studios. Before this, he was in charge of Walt Disney Studios from 1984 to 1994. There, he helped create many popular movies.

After leaving Disney, he helped start DreamWorks SKG in 1994. He was the main boss (CEO) and producer for famous animated movies like Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, and How to Train Your Dragon. He left DreamWorks in 2016. Later, he started a company called WndrCo, which invests in digital media. In 2020, he launched Quibi, a mobile video platform that closed after a few months.

Katzenberg is also involved in politics. He has supported leaders like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama by helping them raise money for their campaigns. He is known as an important supporter of the Democratic Party. He also helped with Joe Biden's and Kamala Harris's presidential campaigns.

Early Life and Education

Jeffrey Katzenberg was born in New York City on December 21, 1950. His mother, Anne, was an artist, and his father, Walter, was a stockbroker. He went to the Ethical Culture Fieldston School and finished in 1969.

When he was 14, Katzenberg helped with John Lindsay's campaign to become mayor of New York. He was very eager and attended many meetings. He went to New York University for one year. Then, he left college to work full-time as an assistant for Mayor Lindsay.

Professional Career in Film

Starting at Paramount Pictures

Katzenberg began his career as an assistant to a producer named David V. Picker. In 1974, he became an assistant to Barry Diller, who was in charge of Paramount Pictures. Diller moved Katzenberg to different jobs within the studio. One of his first big tasks was helping to bring back the Star Trek movies, which led to Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

He kept working his way up and became the president of production. In this role, he helped make movies like 48 Hrs., Terms of Endearment, and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Leading The Walt Disney Studios

In 1984, Michael Eisner became the main boss (CEO) of The Walt Disney Company. Eisner asked Katzenberg to join him as the head of The Walt Disney Studios. Katzenberg was in charge of all movies, TV shows, and home video releases.

At the time, Disney was not doing well in the movie business. Katzenberg helped turn things around. He focused on making comedies for adults through Disney's Touchstone Pictures label. These included popular films like Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Three Men and a Baby, Good Morning, Vietnam, Dead Poets Society, and Pretty Woman. By 1987, Disney became the top movie studio. Katzenberg also started Hollywood Pictures and helped Disney buy Miramax Films.

Katzenberg also worked to improve Disney's animation department. He helped create some of Disney's most famous and successful animated movies. These include The Great Mouse Detective (1986), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Oliver & Company (1988), The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), and The Lion King (1994). Beauty and the Beast was even nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Katzenberg also made a deal with Pixar to create computer-animated movies, which led to Toy Story.

Katzenberg left Disney in 1994.

Starting DreamWorks SKG

Katzenberg at the 34th Annie Awards

Later in 1994, Katzenberg teamed up with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen to start DreamWorks SKG. Katzenberg was mainly in charge of the animation side. He was a producer or executive producer for many DreamWorks animated films. These include The Prince of Egypt (1998), The Road to El Dorado (2000), Chicken Run (2000), and the hugely successful Shrek (2001).

After a movie called Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003) lost a lot of money, Katzenberg decided that traditional animation was not the future. DreamWorks Animation then switched to making only computer-generated animated movies. Many of these films have been very successful and won awards.

Leading DreamWorks Animation

In 2004, DreamWorks Animation (DWA) became its own separate company, with Katzenberg as its CEO. The company sold shares to the public, raising a lot of money.

Katzenberg was a big supporter of making movies in digital 3D. He called it "the greatest advance in the film industry since the arrival of color in the 1930s." He made sure that every movie DreamWorks Animation produced would be in 3D.

In 2016, NBCUniversal bought DreamWorks Animation. Katzenberg left his CEO role but stayed on as chairman of DreamWorks New Media for a short time.

WndrCo and Quibi

In 2017, Katzenberg started a new company called WndrCo. This company invests in new digital media and technology projects.

In 2018, Katzenberg announced his new video streaming platform, Quibi. He created it with former eBay CEO Meg Whitman. Quibi was designed for short, original videos made for smartphones. Many big companies like Disney and Sony invested in it. However, Quibi closed down in late 2020, after only about six months. Katzenberg said the change in how people watched videos during the coronavirus pandemic affected Quibi's success.

Political Involvement

United States President Barack Obama presenting the 2013 National Medal of Arts to Katzenberg

Jeffrey Katzenberg has been a strong supporter of the Democratic Party. He has helped raise money for political candidates since the 1990s. He was an early supporter of Barack Obama's presidential campaigns. He helped organize a fundraiser for Obama in 2012 that raised a record amount of money.

Katzenberg also donated money to a group that supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential race. In 2018, after a school shooting, he promised $500,000 to the March for Our Lives demonstration, which supports gun control.

In 2023, Katzenberg was named a co-chair for Joe Biden's 2024 re-election campaign. He said he would provide a lot of financial support. After Biden decided not to run, Katzenberg became a co-chair for Kamala Harris's 2024 presidential campaign.

Awards and Recognition

In 2008, Katzenberg received an honorary degree from Ringling College of Art and Design.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave Katzenberg the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2012. This award recognized his work in raising money for education, art, and health causes, especially those helping the movie industry. The next year, President Obama gave Katzenberg the National Medal of Arts.

At the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, Katzenberg received an honorary Palme d'Or. This is the festival's highest award. The festival director said Katzenberg and the movie Shrek helped expand the types of films considered for the competition.

Personal Life

Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg in 2010

Jeffrey Katzenberg married Marilyn Siegel, a kindergarten teacher, in 1975. They have twin children, Laura and David, who were born in 1983. David is a television producer and director.

Katzenberg and his wife are very active in charity work. They have donated millions of dollars to universities and medical centers. They also helped create the DreamWorks Animation Academy. This program helps students from inner-city areas learn about digital media production.

In 2025, Katzenberg and his wife donated $5 million to help with relief efforts for the Southern California wildfires. In 2016, Katzenberg's estimated worth was about $900 million.

Filmography

Films

Television

See also

In Spanish: Jeffrey Katzenberg para niños