By Isha Patel
As the first female studio head in the film industry, former CEO of Paramount Pictures turned philanthropist Sherry Lansing was the perfect guest in the most recent Center for Global Management Robertson Lecture Series, which features local and global business leaders. Dean Judy Olian led Lansing in a discussion about Lansing’s life and influences, and how her career choices have led to her tremendous success.
Lansing attributes some of her success to her upbringing. For part of her life, Lansing was raised solely by her mother, who learned how to run a real estate business and support her family after her husband’s tragic death. From her mother, Lansing learned to “never be a victim and believe that you can do anything.” It was with this tenacity and self-confidence that Lansing went on to become an outstanding leader in the film industry.
When she first moved to California, Lansing wanted to become an actress because she “didn’t think there was any other way to get into the film industry.” However, after realizing acting was not for her, Lansing worked in several positions, including a stint as script reader at MGM and, later on, as senior vice president of production at Columbia Pictures.
Finally, her passions led her to 20th Century Fox, where, in 1980, she became the first female head of a major Hollywood studio. Building on this momentum and working toward her ultimate goal to become a producer, Lansing left 20th Century Fox in 1992 and became the CEO and chairman of Paramount Pictures. During her time at Paramount, she helped produce several notable films, including Forrest Gump, Titanic and Braveheart.
Aside from her stellar Hollywood career, Lansing is known for her active philanthropy. In 2005, Lansing founded the Sherry Lansing Foundation to raise awareness and funding for cancer research, a move inspired by her mother’s death from ovarian cancer in 1984. Lansing has also founded the EnCorps STEM Teachers Program, which trains and recruits professionals in the STEM field to become educators in underprivileged communities. Currently, she is a Regent of the University of California and sits on the board of several organizations, including the American Red Cross and Teach for America.
After reflecting on her career and life, Lansing admits that she realized early on that she could not have everything in life all at once. She was committed to her work, so she focused on her career first, and then had a family when she married her second husband in 1991. For those who follow in her footsteps, she advises, “Life is about choices, and just make sure that whatever choices you’re making, you’re making because of your authentic self. You’ll never regret them, but just make sure you’re not doing it for someone else.”
Stephen Galloway documents Sherry Lansing’s life in the 2017 biography Leading Lady: Sherry Lansing and the Making of a Hollywood Groundbreaker. It explores the path that led her where she is now and the challenges she faced along the way.
Inspiring women, thumb up Sherry Lansing
Posted by: lisa | 06/22/2017 at 04:02 AM