Jon Peters facts for kids

John H. Peters (born June 2, 1945) is an American film producer and former hairdresser. He is known for producing many popular movies.

Early Life and First Steps

Jon Peters was born on June 2, 1945, in Van Nuys, California. His family background includes Cherokee (from his father) and Italian (from his mother) heritage. When he was eight, his father passed away. At 12, he was sent to a reform school for a year.

As a child, Peters had a small role as an extra in the 1956 film The Ten Commandments.

From Hairdressing to Hollywood

In the early 1970s, Jon Peters became a successful hairdresser in Los Angeles. He owned several salons, including one on famous Rodeo Drive. There, he met many important people in the entertainment world.

He designed a short wig for singer and actress Barbra Streisand for her 1974 film For Pete's Sake. This led to a close working relationship. Peters then produced Streisand's music album ButterFly (1974). He also produced her movie A Star Is Born (1976).

Peters later teamed up with Peter Guber. Together, they formed The Guber-Peters Company. They worked on many films. From 1989 to 1991, they even led Sony Pictures, a major movie studio. In 1991, Peters started his own company, Peters Entertainment.

Superman Movies and Creative Ideas

In the early 1990s, Jon Peters bought the movie rights for the Superman stories. He had some very unique ideas for new Superman films.

Filmmaker Kevin Smith shared stories about working with Peters on a Superman script. Peters reportedly wanted Superman to never fly or wear his famous costume. He also wanted a giant spider to appear in the movie's final battle. Peters later produced the 1999 film Wild Wild West, which actually featured a giant mechanical spider.

Peters admitted that he focused more on action and special effects for Superman. He said he didn't fully understand the "human part" of the character. Despite this, he produced Superman Returns (2006) and was an executive producer for Man of Steel (2013).

The Sandman Film Challenges

Jon Peters was also a producer for a planned movie based on The Sandman comics. This project faced many delays. The creator of The Sandman, Neil Gaiman, was not happy with the movie scripts. He felt they changed the story too much.

Like with Superman, Peters reportedly tried to include a "giant mechanical spider" in The Sandman script. These creative differences caused the film to be stuck in development for a long time.

Personal Life

Jon Peters has been married four times. He has four children from his marriages. Three of his older children work in the entertainment industry.

His first marriage was to Henrietta Zampitella when he was 16. Later, in 1967, he married actress Lesley Ann Warren. They had a son named Christopher.

From 1973 to 1982, Peters had a high-profile relationship with Barbra Streisand. She later became the godmother to his two daughters with Christine Forsyth.

Peters married Christine Forsyth in 1987. They had two daughters, Skye and Caleigh. He later married Mindy Williamson in 2001, and they had a daughter named Kendyl. In 2020, he was briefly involved with actress Pamela Anderson.

Filmography

Producer unless otherwise noted.

Film Executive Producer

Film Producer

Other Film Roles

Television Work