Tom Sherak

Tom Sherak
Name	Tom Sherak
Birth date	1945
Birth place	Brooklyn, New York, United States
Death date	January 28, 2014
Death place	Los Angeles, California, United States
Occupation	Film producer, studio executive
Years active	1970s–2014
Known for	President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Tom Sherak was an American film producer and studio executive who served as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and as a leading executive at 20th Century Fox, MGM/UA, and New Line Cinema. He played a central role in marketing and producing major Hollywood releases, participated in industry organizations such as the Motion Picture Association of America and Producers Guild of America, and engaged in philanthropy with institutions including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and City of Hope National Medical Center. He received recognition from awards bodies such as the Academy Awards and was involved in film festivals like the Cannes Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival.

Early life and education

Sherak was born in Brooklyn and grew up amid the cultural landscape of New York City, with formative experiences near institutions like the Brooklyn Academy of Music and exposure to venues such as Radio City Music Hall and Lincoln Center. He attended local schools before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the film industry, interacting with the professional networks tied to Hollywood studios and unions such as the Screen Actors Guild and the Directors Guild of America. His early influences included visits to repertory houses close to The Museum of Modern Art and screenings promoted by organizations like the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Anthology Film Archives.

Career in film production

Sherak’s studio career spanned positions at major companies including 20th Century Fox, MGM/UA, Columbia Pictures, Paramount Pictures, and New Line Cinema, where he worked on production, marketing, and distribution for films released at festivals such as Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, and Sundance Film Festival. He collaborated with filmmakers and executives linked to names like Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, James Cameron, Quentin Tarantino, David Fincher, Christopher Nolan, Clint Eastwood, Ron Howard, Francis Ford Coppola, Woody Allen, Spike Lee, Tim Burton, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro, Robert Zemeckis, Ang Lee, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Paul Thomas Anderson, Richard Linklater, Alexander Payne, Sofia Coppola, Kathryn Bigelow, Alfonso Cuarón, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Pedro Almodóvar, Bong Joon-ho, Wes Anderson, Greta Gerwig, Todd Haynes, Mike Leigh, Ken Loach, Luca Guadagnino, Yorgos Lanthimos, Denis Villeneuve, David O. Russell, Tom Hooper, David Lynch, Luca Guadagnino, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet. He helped guide projects through partnerships with companies such as United Artists, Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Lionsgate, DreamWorks, Miramax, Relativity Media, STX Entertainment, A24, Focus Features, Searchlight Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Orion Pictures, TriStar Pictures, and Castle Rock Entertainment.

Sherak worked with production figures including Scott Rudin, Harvey Weinstein, Graham King, Brian Grazer, Laura Ziskin, Walter Mirisch, Jerry Bruckheimer, Brian Epstein (producer), Joel Silver, Dede Gardner, Brad Grey, James Schamus, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Annapurna Pictures, Jason Blum, Nate Parker, and executives from Sony, Amazon Studios, Netflix, and Apple TV+ as the industry shifted toward streaming platforms and new distribution models.

Leadership at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

As President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Sherak engaged with Academy branches representing disciplines such as actors affiliated with the Screen Actors Guild‑American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, directors connected to the Directors Guild of America, writers from the Writers Guild of America, cinematographers from the American Society of Cinematographers, and producers belonging to the Producers Guild of America. He worked alongside board members with ties to organizations such as the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, the National Board of Review, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, and the American Film Institute. During his tenure he navigated controversies around awards campaigning involving lobbying practices scrutinized by entities like the Federal Trade Commission and engaged in negotiations with theater chains such as AMC Theatres, Regal Cinemas, and Cinemark about exhibition windows and awards season release strategies.

Sherak represented the Academy at events including the Oscars ceremony, BAFTA Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, and international screenings coordinated with the United States Department of State cultural programs, establishing ties with museums and archives like the Academy Film Archive and the Library of Congress.

Philanthropy and community involvement

Sherak supported charitable and cultural institutions such as City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Music Center (Los Angeles County) and health initiatives connected to foundations like the American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, Susan G. Komen Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and United Way. He participated in benefit events alongside civic leaders from the Mayor of Los Angeles's office and served on boards linked to community groups and arts institutions including the Geffen Playhouse, The Broad, Hollywood Bowl, Skirball Cultural Center, and Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

His philanthropic activities connected him to advocacy organizations addressing industry labor issues such as the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and charitable efforts coordinated with educational institutions including University of Southern California, UCLA, New York University, American Film Institute, Columbia University, Stanford University, and Harvard University alumni networks.

Personal life and legacy

Sherak’s personal life included engagement with family and community in Los Angeles County, and he was remembered by colleagues across studios, guilds, and award bodies including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Motion Picture Association of America, and the Producers Guild of America. His legacy is reflected in retrospectives at film festivals like Telluride Film Festival and Palm Springs International Film Festival, tributes from peers such as Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Cate Blanchett, and institutional recognitions from organizations including Variety (magazine), The Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Times, and trade events like the American Film Market.

He is memorialized in industry histories and archives maintained by institutions such as the Academy Film Archive, Margaret Herrick Library, Museum of the Moving Image, and university special collections, and continues to be cited in discussions about studio leadership, awards governance, and philanthropy in Hollywood.

Category:American film producers Category:People from Brooklyn Category:2014 deaths