Kathleen Kennedy (producer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kathleen Kennedy CBE
Kennedy in 2015
Born	(1953-06-05) June 5, 1953 (age 72) Berkeley, California, U.S.
Alma mater	San Diego State University
Occupation	Film producer
Years active	1979–present
Title	President of Lucasfilm (2012–present)
Spouse(s)	Frank Marshall ​ (m. 1987)​
Children	2

Kathleen Kennedy (born June 5, 1953) is a famous American film producer. She has been the president of Lucasfilm since 2012.

In 1981, Kennedy helped start the company Amblin Entertainment. She founded it with director Steven Spielberg and her future husband Frank Marshall. Her first movie as a producer was E.T. in 1982. Later, she produced the Jurassic Park movies with Spielberg. The first two became some of the highest-earning films of the 1990s. In 1992, she and Marshall started The Kennedy/Marshall Company.

In 2012, Kennedy became the president of Lucasfilm. This happened after The Walt Disney Company bought the company. As Lucasfilm's president, she has managed many big projects. These include the Star Wars sequel trilogy (2015–2019). She also oversaw Star Wars standalone films like Rogue One (2016) and Solo (2018). She also produced the fifth Indiana Jones film, The Dial of Destiny (2023).

Kennedy has also produced several Star Wars TV series for Disney+. These include The Mandalorian (2019–present), The Book of Boba Fett (2021), and Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022). Other series are Andor (2022–present), Ahsoka (2023–present), and The Acolyte (2024).

The films Kennedy has produced have earned over $11 billion worldwide. Five of these movies are among the fifty highest-earning films in history. She has also been nominated for eight Best Picture Academy Awards as a producer.

Early life and education

Kathleen Kennedy was born on June 5, 1953, in Berkeley, California. Her father, Donald R. Kennedy, was a judge and lawyer. Her mother, Dione Marie, was an actress. Kathleen has two sisters. Her twin sister, Connie, works in virtual film production. Her other sister, Dana, is a TV host.

Kennedy finished high school in Redding, California, in 1971. She then went to San Diego State University. There, she studied telecommunications and film. In her last year, she worked at a local TV station, KCST. She learned many jobs there, like camera operator and video editor. She also worked as a news production coordinator.

Career

Early career (1978–2011)

After college, Kennedy produced a local talk show for four years. Then she moved to Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, she got her first movie job. She worked as an assistant for John Milius. He was an executive producer for Steven Spielberg's film 1941 (1979).

While working on 1941, Steven Spielberg noticed Kennedy. He liked her creative ideas. Spielberg asked Kennedy to work for him. She started taking on bigger roles in making movies. Kennedy was credited as an associate to Spielberg on Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). She was also an associate producer on Poltergeist (1982).

Kennedy at the Paris premiere of The Adventures of Tintin in 2011

Kennedy started getting producer credit with Spielberg on the hit movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). She continued to produce most of his films for the next 30 years. In 1982, she helped start Amblin Entertainment. She ran the company with Spielberg and her future husband, Frank Marshall.

She also produced Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). She even appeared as a dancer in the film's opening scene. After her work on the Indiana Jones movies, she became a top producer in Hollywood. With Amblin, she produced the Back to the Future trilogy. She worked with famous directors like Martin Scorsese and Robert Zemeckis.

In 1991, she and Marshall formed The Kennedy/Marshall Company. She kept working with Spielberg. She produced Jurassic Park (1993). She was also an executive producer for the historical movie Schindler's List (1993). Other films she produced during this time include Twister (1996) and The Sixth Sense (1999).

Kennedy produced Spielberg's films War of the Worlds and Munich (both 2005). Munich earned her an Academy Award nomination. Marshall and Kennedy also produced the U.S. versions of two Studio Ghibli animated films: Ponyo (2009) and The Secret World of Arrietty (2012). She also produced Spielberg's Lincoln (2012). This film was nominated for many awards.

President of Lucasfilm (2012–present)

In May 2012, Kathleen Kennedy left The Kennedy/Marshall Company. Frank Marshall became the only head of their film company. The next month, Kennedy became co-chair of Lucasfilm Ltd. with George Lucas. On October 30, 2012, Lucas sold his company to Disney. Kennedy was then promoted to president of Lucasfilm. Her contract to be president of Lucasfilm has been extended several times, most recently until 2024.

Filmography

This is a list of some of the movies and TV shows Kathleen Kennedy has worked on.

Film

Executive producer

Producer

Associate producer

Co-executive producer

Co-producer

Television

Producer

Executive producer

Awards and recognition

Kathleen Kennedy has been nominated for eight Academy Award for Best Pictures. Five of these nominations were for movies directed by Steven Spielberg. These include E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982) and Lincoln (2012).

As a producer, she has helped create movies that have earned over $7.5 billion in the U.S. This makes her one of the top-earning producers. In 2019, she received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award with Frank Marshall. This is a special award from the Academy Awards. That same year, she was given an honorary award from the Order of the British Empire. This was for her great work in film production in the United Kingdom. In 2020, she also received the BAFTA Fellowship, a very high honor in film.

Kennedy has also supported young filmmakers. In 1995, she received the Women in Film Crystal Award. This award honors women who have helped expand the role of women in the entertainment industry. In 2007, she received the Paltrow Mentorship Award. This was for her strong commitment to guiding new filmmakers and executives.

Images for kids

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  Kennedy in 2015

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  Kennedy during the Paris premiere of The Adventures of Tintin, 2011

See also

In Spanish: Kathleen Kennedy para niños