Laurie MacDonald

Laurie MacDonald kicked things off in TV, working the news and documentary beat at KRON out in San Francisco. But she didn’t stay behind the scenes for long—Columbia Pictures came calling, and she rolled into Hollywood as a Vice President of Production. After a few years in the studio system, she ditched the corporate gig and teamed up with her husband, Walter Parkes, who happens to be a pretty big deal himself. Together, they launched their own production company and absolutely stacked up the credits: Men In Black, Gladiator, Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can, The Ring, The Mask of Zorro, Twister, Amistad… it’s basically a greatest hits list for any movie buff. Oh, and don’t forget The Kite Runner and Sweeney Todd. All told, Laurie and Walter’s films have raked in over $6 billion worldwide. Not too shabby, right? In ‘94, they took over as co-heads at Amblin Entertainment, and by ‘96, they were running the show at DreamWorks’ feature division. That run was insane—DreamWorks snagged three Best Picture Oscars back-to-back: American Beauty, Gladiator, and A Beautiful Mind. Not something you see every day. By 2008, they left their executive posts and focused on producing under their own banner, Parkes + MacDonald. That move led to hits like The Trial of the Chicago 7. They didn’t stop there, either—soon they were collaborating internationally with ImageNation Abu Dhabi, pumping out features and documentaries. Among their projects, He Named Me Malala and Free Solo stand out, with Free Solo grabbing an Oscar for Best Doc. Basically, Laurie MacDonald’s career is a masterclass in producing powerhouse films and breaking barriers.