Actor / Director Profile

In the past two decades, Lauren Shuler Donner has established herself as one of the most successful and versatile producers in Hollywood. Her skill as a producer has enabled her to partner with top directorial talents including Nora Ephron, Oliver Stone, Bryan Singer, Joel Schumacher, John Hughes and Brett Ratner. To date, her films have grossed over $2 billion worldwide. She was recognized for her body of work in 2001 by Premiere Magazine with the Producer Icon Award at the Annual Women in Film Luncheon and was recently recognized by Daily Variety with a Billion Dollar Producer Special Issue.In 2000, Shuler Donner broke ground with "XMen", and followed up in 2003 with "X2". The film was released by Twentieth Century Fox on May 2nd and broke box office records with an opening weekend total of $86 million dollars nationwide. Not only did the film gross over $200 million dollars internationally in its first week, it is also the only sequel of 2003 to receive critical acclaim as well. Shuler Donner is currently in post-production on "X3", which is slated for national release on May 26, 2006.Shuler Donner's "She's The Man," starring Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum was released by Dreamworks on March 17, 2005 to excellent reviews. She is currently in production on "Unaccompanied Minors" for Warner Bros; as well as actively working in development on many projects, including "Cirque du Freak" for Universal, and "The Secret Life of Bees", based on the New York Times best-seller.Shuler Donner was bound for success from the beginning, as the first feature film she produced was the smash hit comedy, "Mr. Mom," which was one of the top ten grossing films that year. She then went on to produce "Ladyhawke," starring Matthew Broderick, Michelle Pfeiffer and Rutger Hauer. Shuler Donner was responsible for two of the most popular "Brat Pack" movies of the '80's, "St. Elmo's Fire" and "Pretty in Pink," both of which garnered platinum records for their soundtracks.In the early '90's, Shuler Donner produced the box office smash hits, "Dave" and "Free Willy," which were two of the top ten films of 1993. The critically acclaimed "Dave" was nominated for both an Academy Award (Best Original Screenplay) and a Golden Globe (Best Picture-Comedy). Shuler Donner's producer credits include "Constantine," "You've Got Mail," "Any Given Sunday," "Radio Flyer," "3 Fugitives," and the sequel to "Free Willy." As head of The Donners' Company, she has executive produced "Free Willy III," "Assassins," "Volcano," "Bulworth," "Just Married," and "Timeline."Shuler Donner is also a very dedicated philanthropist who thrives on giving back to the community. She and her husband, director Richard Donner, were honored by Mikhail Gorbachev's environmental organization, Global Green USA, with their 2000 Green Cross Millennium Award for Entertainment Industry Environmental Leadership for their tireless efforts to protect the Earth for future generations. They were also honored in September of 2005 by PETA. In addition, Girls, Inc. honored Shuler Donner for the example she has set for girls and young women of what they can achieve. She has also been a recipient of the "Vision Award" from Retinitis Pigmentosa, and was honored, along with her husband, by the prestigious Doctors Without Borders international medical organization. She and Richard will be honored by the American Cancer Society in July of 2006 with their 22nd American Spirit Award. Additionally, Shuler Donner serves on the Board of Hollygrove Children's Home, and has served on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles-based environmental organization, TreePeople. She is also on the Advisory Board of Women in Film and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Producer's Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She serves on the Advisory Board of the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, the Advisory Board of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Board of Governors for the Producers Council for Producers Guild of America, and the Board of Directors for the Producer's Guild. In 2006 she joined the Board of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles.Shuler Donner resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Richard Donner.