Jerry Bruckheimer | |
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 Bruckheimer in 2022 | |
| Born | Jerome Leonard Bruckheimer (1943-09-21)September 21, 1943 (age 82) Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Arizona (BA) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1972–present |
| Organization | Jerry Bruckheimer Films |
| Notable work | |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 1[a] |
Jerome Leonard Bruckheimer (born September 21, 1943) is an American film and television producer. He has been active in the genres ofaction,drama,comedy,fantasy,horror andscience fiction. After working in advertising out of college, Bruckheimer moved into film production in the 1970s. In the 1980s and 1990s, he partnered with fellow producerDon Simpson. Bruckheimer and Simpson's partnership continued until Simpson's death in 1996. Bruckheimer has produced films includingFlashdance,Days of Thunder,The Rock,Crimson Tide,Dangerous Minds,Con Air,Armageddon,Enemy of the State,Pearl Harbor,Black Hawk Down, as well as theBeverly Hills Cop,Top Gun,Bad Boys,Pirates of the Caribbean andNational Treasure franchises.
At the helm ofhis self-titled production company, he has produced films that have been produced in association with and distributed by numerous film studios such asParamount Pictures,Sony Pictures andDisney, while his television works have been co-produced byWarner Bros. Television andCBS Studios. In July 2003, Bruckheimer was honored byVariety as the first in Hollywood history to produce the first and second highest-grossing films of a single weekend:Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl andBad Boys II.[1] In 2023,Top Gun: Maverick earned him his first nomination forBest Picture at the95th Academy Awards.[2] He was nominated again in the same category thanks toF1 (2025).[3]
His best known television series are television dramasCSI: Crime Scene Investigation,CSI: Miami,CSI: NY,CSI: Cyber,Without a Trace,Cold Case,Lucifer and reality competition seriesThe Amazing Race, which would spawn afranchise with international versions. For the latter, he won tenPrimetime Emmy Awards. In 2003, three of his television productions—CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,Without a Trace andCSI: Miami—ranked among the top ten in the US ratings, making him the first producer to achieve this.[4][5]
Bruckheimer is also the co-founder (withDavid Bonderman) and majority owner of theSeattle Kraken, the 2021 expansion team of theNational Hockey League.
Bruckheimer was born on September 21, 1943,[6][7] inDetroit, Michigan, the son ofGerman Jewish immigrants.[8] He graduated fromMumford High School in 1961[9] in Detroit, at age 17, before moving toArizona for college. Bruckheimer was also an active member of the Stamp Collecting Club.[10] He graduated with a degree in psychology from theUniversity of Arizona. He was a member of theZeta Beta Tau fraternity. A film buff at an early age with an interest in photography, Bruckheimer would take snapshots when he had the opportunity. After college, Bruckheimer worked in advertising in Detroit (creative producer) andNew York City. At the Detroit agency he worked on a one-minute ad spot for the newPontiac GTO.[11] Early in his career, Bruckheimer produced television commercials, including one forPepsi.
Bruckheimer started producing films in the 1970s after leaving his job in advertising, with directorDick Richards. They worked together on the filmsThe Culpepper Cattle Company,Farewell, My Lovely andMarch or Die. Bruckheimer then worked withPaul Schrader on two films,American Gigolo andCat People, which began to attract notice for him in Hollywood.
During the 1980s and 1990s, he was a co-producer withDon Simpson of a string of highly successful films forParamount Pictures. He first met Simpson at a screening of 1973'sThe Harder They Come at Warner Brothers. The two worked together and created Bruckheimer's first big hit, 1983'sFlashdance, which brought in$95 million.[12] He had a number of other hits during that time period, including theBeverly Hills Cop films,Top Gun andDays of Thunder.Top Gun marked his first collaboration with English directorTony Scott, who directed six films for Bruckheimer.[13] The firstBeverly Hills Cop movie, which was supposed to starSylvester Stallone, launchedEddie Murphy's career and in just five days, became the highest grossing winter release in Paramount's history.[14] On August 9, 1983, Bruckheimer and Simpson struck a three-year agreement with Paramount to produce theatrical and television projects through his new Simpson/Bruckheimer Productions company.[15]
While working with Simpson, Bruckheimer became known as "Mr. Outside" because of his experience with filmmaking, while Simpson became known as "Mr. Inside" because of his film industry contacts.The Rock was the last film in which Bruckheimer collaborated with Simpson. After Simpson's death in 1996, Bruckheimer stipulated thatThe Rock be dedicated to the memory of Simpson.
In 1990, Bruckheimer and Simpson struck a$500 million deal with Paramount to produce five movies, entirely of their choice.[16] However, his 1990 production of the filmDays of Thunder, which starred Tom Cruise, did not perform as well as expected, which was a step backwards in the Bruckheimer-Simpson success story. The duo made a come-back in 1994, however, with the low-budget film ($12 million)The Ref.[17]
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Despite Simpson's untimely death, Bruckheimer continued to produce a large number of action films, often working with directorMichael Bay on several box office hits, includingArmageddon. Other popular films he produced includeRemember the Titans,Black Hawk Down and thePirates of the Caribbean series. Bruckheimer has also acquired the rights to produce a film based on the popular role playing game byPalladium Books,Rifts. In the late 1990s, he started Technical Black Films to produce non-action films, withRemember the Titans being the only film produced.[18]
Since 1996, Bruckheimer has branched out into television, creating a number of police dramas of whichCSI: Crime Scene Investigation has been the most notable on daytime television. He also produced the reality game showThe Amazing Race. In May 2008, CBS announced it had picked up Bruckheimer's newest series,Eleventh Hour, for the 2008–2009 broadcast television season. The science fiction drama follows a government agent and a professor as they investigate strange scientific and medical activity.[19]
From 2004 (beginning ofCSI: NY) to 2009 (end ofWithout a Trace), Bruckheimer had six hit television shows on the air:CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,CSI: Miami,CSI: NY,Cold Case,Without a Trace andThe Amazing Race. At one point, three of his television series ranked among the top 10 in the ratings.[4]
In December 2007, Bruckheimer announced plans to partner withMTV to create a new game studio.[20] The same year,[21] Bruckheimer joined theZeniMax Media board of directors and has since showed up at several launch parties forBethesda Softworks titles, includingFallout 3,Fallout: New Vegas andThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.[22] In 2009, Bruckheimer unveiled Jerry Bruckheimer Games, headed by formerMicrosoft Studios Publishing Executive Producer Jim Veevaert, as President of Production, and Jay Cohen, previouslyUbisoft's Vice President of US Publishing, as President of Development.[23]
It was announced on September 10, 2009, that NBC had picked up an action procedural from Bruckheimer. The show, titledChase,[24] "tells the stories of a team charged with making sure fugitive criminals don't evade justice," reportsThe Hollywood Reporter.[25] It was canceled in May 2011, however.Skin, which was another Bruckheimer production, was cancelled in 2003, after only three episodes.
February 13, 2026, Bruckheimer teased toEntertainment Tonight that when it came to the status update involving upcoming film installments ofPirates of the Caribbean and ofTop Gun, that Bruckheimer is“expecting a script shortly” on the latter. He then further elaborated that“I think it’s a horse race between the two of them, so we’ll see.” And “right now,Top Gun is a hair ahead, but that’s it. We’re expecting a script shortly.”[26]
In 2011, it was rumored that Jerry Bruckheimer Games was working on three titles, but nothing came to fruition.[27] In March 2013, Jerry Bruckheimer Games was closed.[28] Although Jerry Bruckheimer Games is closed, Bruckheimer still remained a ZeniMax board member, mostly due to being a close associate of former ZeniMax PresidentErnest Del, until ZeniMax was purchased by Microsoft in 2021.[29][30]
In 2014, after the disappointment ofThe Sorcerer's Apprentice[31] andThe Lone Ranger,[32] Bruckheimer and the Disney Studios chose to part ways by not renewing their first-look deal that expired that year.[33] He signed a new first-look deal with Paramount that same year and mentioned a newBeverly Hills Cop and aTop Gun 2 as potential production ventures with his new partner.[34]
In June 2016, Jerry Bruckheimer Television became an independent outfit, ending a 15-year run exclusive pact with Warner Bros Television.[35] The next year, the production company signed a deal withCBS Television Studios.[36] In 2020, it was reported that his first look deal with Paramount was not renewed.[37]
Bruckheimer was named as one of the investors of a proposedsports arena inLas Vegas,[38] and he had been rumored to be the leading choice by theNational Hockey League (NHL) to own an expansion hockey team that would play in the arena. Bruckheimer was also named as one of the investors of a proposedSeattle-based NHL expansion team, whose application was submitted in early 2018.[39] TheNHL Board of Governors voted to approve the team, named theSeattle Kraken, on December 4, 2018, which started to play in the2021–22 season.[40] Bruckheimer was part of an investment group that also included Tim Leiweke (Oak View Group) and David Bonderman (minority owner NBA's Boston Celtics).[41]
The movieTop Gun was produced in collaboration with the Pentagon to rebrand the US Navy's image after theVietnam War and attract new Navy recruits.Top Gun was the first full-blown collaboration between Hollywood and the Navy.[42][43] The model, which was developed by Bruckheimer, launched a new trend of military movies in the 1990s and onward.[43]
In July 2003, Bruckheimer was honored byVariety as the first producer in Hollywood history to produce the top two highest-grossing films of a single weekend, the buddy-copBad Boys II and the Disney theme-park spin-off,Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.[1] According toVariety, the "Bruckheimer touch" is characterized by a "consistently edgy, high-octane visual dynamic and equally distinctive storytelling driven by the triumphalism so popular with Madison Avenue".[11]
ThePirates of the Caribbean film series, produced throughWalt Disney Pictures, was enormously profitable and demonstrated Bruckheimer's ability to create lucrative projects.Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which was the first film in the franchise, was released on July 9, 2003. A box office hit, the film was well received by both critics and filmgoers. After the unexpected success of the first film, Disney revealed that a trilogy was in the works.Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest was released on July 7, 2006. The sequel proved to be very successful, breaking records worldwide on the day of its premiere. In the end, the film acquired a total of$1,066,179,725 at the worldwide box office, becoming the third and fastest film to reach this amount. The third film in the series,Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, was released worldwide on May 25, 2007. Two more films,Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides andPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, were released, in 2011 and 2017, respectively. Altogether, the film franchise has grossed over$4.5 billion worldwide.
When asked on what the film industry's obligation to an audience was, he responded, "We are in the transportation business. We transport audiences from one place to another."[44] When asked why he makes films, he stated, "If I made films for the critics, or for someone else, I'd probably be living in some small Hollywood studio apartment."[45]
In a 1984 interview with theLos Angeles Times, Bruckheimer said, "We [he and Don Simpson] put together all the elements. We decide what aesthetic is right for a picture. We are as much a part of the process as the director."[11]
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Bruckheimer has been married twice. His first wife wasBonnie Fishman Bruckheimer from 1969 until 1974.[46] He resides in Los Angeles with his second wife, novelistLinda Cobb Bruckheimer who he married in 1993.[47] He has one stepdaughter, Alexandra. The couple own a farm inBloomfield, Kentucky, about 20 miles (32 km) southeast ofLouisville, as well as another inOjai, east ofSanta Barbara.[48]
When asked about his favorite films, Bruckheimer namedThe Godfather (1972),The French Connection (1971),Good Will Hunting (1997) andThe 400 Blows (1959).[4]
In May 2006, he washonored with a Doctorate of Fine Arts degree (DFA) from theUniversity of Arizona's College of Fine Arts.
Bruckheimer's philanthropic activities have included publicly supporting the fight againstmultiple sclerosis via his work with The Nancy Davis Foundation for MS. Additionally, throughout his career, he has pledged to help various causes by establishing the Jerry Bruckheimer Foundation.[49] According toThe Smoking Gun, however, the last time the Jerry Bruckheimer Foundation made a contribution was in 1995, when it gave$9,350 to Van Nuys Prep School.[50]
Bruckheimer has aided in the repair and restoration of the historicclipper ship,Cutty Sark. A collection of photos taken by Bruckheimer went on display in London in November 2007 to help raise money for the Cutty Sark Conservation Project. The exhibition featured more than thirty pictures taken on set during the filming ofPirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.[51]
Bruckheimer has donated more than$50,000 toRepublican campaigns and committees.[52] He donated funds toJohn McCain's 2008 presidential election campaign. He gave$5,000 to a joint fundraising committee onJohn McCain's behalf.[53] He donated$25,000 to the 2012Mitt Romney Victory Fund.[54]
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | March or Die | Dick Richards |
| 1995 | Bad Boys | Michael Bay |
| 2002 | Black Hawk Down | Ridley Scott |
| 2003 | Bad Boys II | Michael Bay |
| 2014 | Deliver Us from Evil | Scott Derrickson |
| 2020 | Bad Boys for Life | Adil El Arbi Bilall Fallah |
| 2024 | Bad Boys: Ride or Die |
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins | Dick Richards | Associate producer |
| 2003 | Kangaroo Jack | David McNally | |
| 2018 | 12 Strong | Nicolai Fuglsig | WithAlcon Entertainment andBlack Label Media; released byLionsgate internationally |
| 2025 | F1 | Joseph Kosinski | WithApple TV |
| Year | Title | Director | Distribution | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | The Culpepper Cattle Co. | Dick Richards | 20th Century Fox | Associate producer |
| 1975 | Farewell, My Lovely | Avco Embassy Pictures | ||
| 1980 | Defiance | John Flynn | American International Pictures | |
| 1981 | Thief | Michael Mann | United Artists | |
| 1982 | Cat People | Paul Schrader | Universal Pictures | Executive producer |
| Young Doctors in Love | Garry Marshall | 20th Century Fox | ||
| 2024 | The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare | Guy Ritchie | Lionsgate | |
| Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F | Mark Molloy | Netflix | ||
| 2025 | Hans Zimmer & Friends: Diamond in the Desert | Paul Dugdale | Trafalgar Releasing |
Co-producer
Executive producer
| Year | Title | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | Dangerous Minds | ||
| 1998–99 | Soldier of Fortune, Inc. | ||
| 1998 | Max Q | TV films | |
| 1999 | Swing Vote | ||
| 2000–15 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | ||
| 2001–present | The Amazing Race | ||
| 2002–09 | Without a Trace | ||
| 2002–12 | CSI: Miami | ||
| 2002–03 | The Legacy | ||
| 2003 | Profiles from the Front Line | ||
| 2003–04 | Skin | ||
| 2003–10 | Cold Case | ||
| 2004–13 | CSI: NY | ||
| 2005–06 | Just Legal | ||
| 2005–06 | E-Ring | ||
| 2005–07 | Close to Home | ||
| 2006 | Modern Men | ||
| 2006–07 | Justice | ||
| 2008–09 | Eleventh Hour | ||
| 2009–10 | The Forgotten | ||
| 2009–10 | Dark Blue | ||
| 2010 | Miami Medical | ||
| 2010–11 | Chase | ||
| 2010–11 | The Whole Truth | ||
| 2013–14 | Hostages | ||
| 2015–16 | CSI: Cyber | ||
| 2016–21 | Lucifer | ||
| 2017 | Training Day | ||
| 2020 | Council of Dads | ||
| 2020–2024 | Hightown | ||
| 2021–2024 | CSI: Vegas | A sequel ofCSI: Crime Scene Investigation | |
| 2021 | Cocaine Cowboys | Inspired by the 2006Cocaine Cowboys documentary | |
| 2022–present | Fire Country | ||
| 2022–2023 | American Gigolo | ||
| 2022–2023 | National Treasure: Edge of History | ||
| 2024 | The Real CSI: Miami | ||
| 2025–present | Sheriff Country |
His productions collected the following:
Jerry Bruckheimer's 70th birthday is tomorrow (Saturday, September 21).
A subsidiary ofMicrosoft Gaming | |
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