Producer
LAURIE MacDONALD, the co-head of DreamWorks Pictures, has also produced or executive produced a number of notable films. She and her husband Walter F. Parkes recently teamed to produce the sequel "Men in Black II," which reunited stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones and director Barry Sonnenfeld. The producing duo had earlier produced the 1997 sci-fi comedy smash "Men in Black," which brought them Producer of the Year honors at ShoWest.
In addition, MacDonald is an executive producer on the current release "The Tuxedo," starring Jackie Chan and Jennifer Love Hewitt, and the upcoming "Catch Me If You Can," starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, under the direction of Steven Spielberg.
MacDonald was an executive producer on the Oscar¨-winning Best Picture "Gladiator," which was one of the most honored and successful films of 2000. Her credits as an executive producer also include this year's "The Time Machine," "The Mask of Zorro," "The Peacemaker," "Amistad," "How to Make an American Quilt," "The Trigger Effect" and "Twister."
As co-head of DreamWorks Pictures, alongside Walter Parkes, MacDonald has overseen such feature hits as "American Beauty," which won numerous honors, including the Academy Award for Best Picture; and Steven Spielberg's Oscar -winning drama "Saving Private Ryan," which was 1998's highest-grossing release.
MacDonald began her producing career as a documentary and news producer at KRON, the NBC affiliate in San Francisco. She later joined Columbia Pictures, where she served as a Vice President of Production. After four years, she started a production company with Walter Parkes. Immediately prior to joining DreamWorks, MacDonald oversaw development and production at Amblin Entertainment.
