Producer
WALTER F. PARKES, in addition to being the co-head of DreamWorks Pictures, is one of the most active producers in Hollywood today. He most recently produced the summer 2002 releases "Minority Report," directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise; and, with his partner and wife Laurie MacDonald, the sequel "Men in Black II," which re-teams Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith under the direction of Barry Sonnenfeld. Parkes and MacDonald had earlier produced the 1997 blockbuster "Men in Black," for which they were named ShoWest Producers of the Year.
Parkes was also an executive producer on the acclaimed drama "Road to Perdition," starring Tom Hanks and Paul Newman, under the direction of Sam Mendes; and the current release "The Tuxedo," starring Jackie Chan. In addition, he produced the upcoming "Catch Me If You Can," directed by Steven Spielberg, and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, due out at Christmas.
Previously, Parkes served as an executive producer on Ridley Scott's "Gladiator," which won five Academy Awards¨, including Best Picture, as well as Best Picture honors from the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and the Broadcast Film Critics, among others. His other credits as an executive producer or producer include the recent remake of "The Time Machine," "The Mask of Zorro," "Deep Impact," "Amistad," "The Peacemaker," "Sneakers," which he also co-wrote, "Volunteers," "Project X" and "True Believer."
A three-time Academy Award nominee, Parkes earned his first nomination as the director/producer of the 1978 documentary "California Reich," which exposed neo-Nazi activities in California. He garnered his second Oscar nomination for writing (with Lawrence Lasker) the original screenplay for "WarGames," and his third nod for his work as a producer on the Best Picture nominee "Awakenings."
As co-head of DreamWorks Pictures, together with Laurie MacDonald, Parkes has overseen such successes as the Oscar¨ and Golden Globe-winning Best Picture "American Beauty," and the Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning drama "Saving Private Ryan," which was the top-grossing film of 1998.
