Gale Anne Hurd | |
|---|---|
 Hurd in 2016 | |
| Born | (1955-10-25)October 25, 1955 (age 70) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Education | Stanford University (BA) |
| Occupation(s) | Film and television producer |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 1 |
Gale Anne Hurd (born October 25, 1955) is an American film and television producer, the founder ofValhalla Entertainment (formerly Pacific Western Productions),[1] and a former recording secretary for theProducers Guild of America.[2] Her notable works includeThe Terminator (1984),Aliens (1986),The Abyss (1989),Armageddon (1998),Mankiller (2017) andThe Walking Dead (2010–2022).
Gale Anne Hurd was born on October 25, 1955, in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of Lolita (née Jordan) and Frank E. Hurd, an investor.[3] She grew up in Los Angeles and Palm Springs, California and graduated from Palm Springs High School in 1973.[4] Hurd attended Stanford University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and communications with a minor in political science in 1977.[5]
Hurd began her career in the entertainment industry as an executive assistant toRoger Corman atNew World Pictures. She quickly rose through the ranks, becoming involved in various aspects of production,[6] and became the head of marketing. After co-producing her first film for Corman,Smokey Bites the Dust (1981), she launched her own production company in 1982.
Hurd's breakthrough came when she produced and co-wrote the 1984 science fiction filmThe Terminator, directed byJames Cameron. The film was a commercial success[7] and established Hurd as a prominent producer in Hollywood.The Terminator is Hurd's only real writing credit in her entire career. She subsequently worked only as a producer or executive producer. She continued her collaboration with Cameron onAliens (1986) andThe Abyss (1989), both of which were successes at the box office.[8][9]
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Hurd produced a variety of successful films includingTerminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), which became the secondTerminator film to be added to the National Film Registry by the US Library of Congress in 2024,[10]The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) andArmageddon (1998).Terminator 2 andArmageddon both claimed the top spots at the worldwide box office in their respective release years,[11][12] solidifying Hurd's enduring influence in the realm of blockbuster cinema. Her additional major studio credits in the 90s and 00s includeTremors (1990),The Waterdance (1992),Hulk (2003),The Punisher,Æon Flux (2005),The Incredible Hulk (2008) and many others. She also expanded into television with titles such asFalling Water (2016–18).
In 2010, Hurd became anexecutive producer for theAMC television seriesThe Walking Dead. The show, based on the comic book series of the same name, became a cultural phenomenon and one of the highest-rated series in cable television history.[13] Hurd’s work onThe Walking Dead earned her critical acclaim and numerous awards.[14] In addition, Hurd is an executive producer for all of the series' spin-offs includingFear The Walking Dead (2015–23),Daryl Dixon (2023–present),The Ones Who Live (2024) andDead City (2023–present).
Hurd has also produced several documentaries including three PBS documentaries focused on Native Americans in partnership with Cherokee director,Valerie Red-Horse Mohl:True Whispers: The Story of the Navajo Code Talkers andChoctaw Code Talkers as well asMankiller, celebrating the life of the lateWilma Mankiller, the first woman elected Principal Chief of theCherokee Nation.
Hurd's most recent documentary isThe YouTube Effect, directed byAlex Winter, which delves intoYouTube, a site with humble origins that has gone on to change how we experience the world. The film premiered at theTribeca Film Festival[15] and was released in the US theatrically byAlamo Drafthouse Films.[16]
In 1985, Hurd married James Cameron following their collaboration onThe Terminator. They divorced in 1989.[17] Hurd then marriedBrian De Palma; the marriage later ended in divorce.[18] They have one daughter, Lolita De Palma.[19]
Hurd is an active philanthropist and advocate for various causes. She is involved with organizations such asWomen In Film,The Smithsonian Institution, andThe Producers Guild of America, where she has served on the board of directors.
Hurd has shared her expertise and perspectives at panels hosted by the US Embassies in Peru, Iceland, Georgia, Estonia, North Macedonia and Zimbabwe, among others. She has also addressed audiences at the EuroImages Conference in Helsinki, Finland,[20] as well as in Tallinn, Estonia at theBlack Nights Film Festival, and the AVP/Summit inTrieste, Italy, representing Women in Film & Television International (WIFTI). She remains active with several organizations and groups, underscoring her dedication to various causes. These include theLeague of Conservation Voters, theInternational Consortium of Investigative Journalists,Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, and theMcCain Institute.
She was producer for all films unless otherwise noted.
| Year | Film | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Smokey Bites the Dust | Co-producer | |
| 1984 | The Terminator | Producer, screenwriter | |
| 1986 | Aliens | ||
| 1988 | Bad Dreams | ||
| Alien Nation | |||
| 1989 | The Abyss | ||
| 1990 | Downtown | Executive producer | |
| Tremors | Executive producer | ||
| 1991 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | Executive producer | |
| 1992 | The Waterdance | ||
| Raising Cain | |||
| 1994 | No Escape | ||
| Safe Passage | |||
| 1995 | Bedtime Story | Short film | |
| 1996 | The Ghost and the Darkness | ||
| 1997 | The Relic | ||
| Dante's Peak | |||
| Switchback | |||
| 1998 | Armageddon | ||
| Dead Man on Campus | |||
| 1999 | Virus | ||
| Dick | |||
| 2002 | Clockstoppers | ||
| True Whispers | |||
| 2003 | Hulk | ||
| Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines | Executive producer | ||
| 2004 | The Punisher | ||
| 2005 | Æon Flux | ||
| 2007 | Welcome to the Jungle | Direct-to-video film | |
| 2008 | The Incredible Hulk | ||
| Punisher: War Zone | |||
| 2010 | Choctaw Code Talkers | ||
| 2013 | Very Good Girls | Executive producer | |
| 2017 | Mankiller | Executive producer | |
| 2018 | Hell Fest | ||
| 2022 | The YouTube Effect |
| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Terminator | Co-writing withJames Cameron |
| Year | Film | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Rock 'n' Roll High School | Production assistant | Uncredited |
| 1980 | Humanoids from the Deep | Production assistant | |
| Battle Beyond the Stars | Assistant production manager | ||
| Alligator | Production assistant | Uncredited |
| Year | Film | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Island of the Fishmen | Location manager: Maui, additional sequences, US version |
| Year | Film | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Punisher | Executive soundtrack producer | Uncredited |
| Year | Film |
|---|---|
| 1996 | Tremors2: Aftershocks |
She was executive producer for all films unless otherwise noted.
| Year(s) | Title | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Cast a Deadly Spell | Producer | Television movie |
| 1994 | Witch Hunt | Producer | Television movie |
| The Making ofEscape from Absolom | Television documentary special | ||
| 1995 | Sugartime | Television movie | |
| 2002–2003 | Adventure Inc. | 10 episodes | |
| 2004 | The Coven | Television movie | |
| 2005 | Breadwinners | Television movie | |
| 2009 | The Pirate Code: Real Pirates | Television movie | |
| 2010 | The Wronged Man | Television movie | |
| 2010–2022 | The Walking Dead | 177 episodes | |
| 2011 | Last Man Standing | Television movie | |
| 2013 | Horizon | Television movie | |
| 2015–2022 | Talking Dead | Consulting producer | 45 episodes |
| 2015–2023 | Fear the Walking Dead | 113 episodes | |
| 2016 | Hunters | 13 episodes | |
| 2016–2018 | Falling Water | 20 episodes | |
| 2017–2018 | Lore | 10 episodes | |
| 2020–2021 | The Walking Dead: World Beyond | 20 episodes | |
| 2021 | The Walking Dead: Origins | Consulting producer | Documerntary, 4 episodes |
| 2022 | Tales of the Walking Dead | 6 episodes | |
| The Walking Dead:The Making of the Final Season | Consulting producer | Television documentary special | |
| 2023 | The Walking Dead: Dead City | 6 episodes | |
| 2023–present | The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon | 12 episodes | |
| 2024 | The Walking Dead:The Returrn | Television documentary special | |
| The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live | 6 episodes |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Georgia Peaches | Television movie |
| Year | Title | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | The Making ofEscape from Absolom | Additional videography | Television documentary special |
| Years | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1989–1990 | Alien Nation | 21 episodes |
Hurd has received numerous awards and accolades throughout her career, including:
| Year | Organization | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Saturn Awards | Best Writing, The Terminator |
| 1992 | Film Independent Spirit Awards | Best First Feature, The Waterdance |
| 1993 | Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films | President's Award |
| 1993 | Saturn Awards | Best Producer |
| 1994 | Florida Film Festival | Enzian Award for Creative Achievement |
| 1998 | Women In Film | Crystal Award |
| 2003 | National Board of Review | Producer’s Award |
| 2003 | Taurus World Stunt Awards | Action Movie Producer Award |
| 2004 | Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films | President's Award |
| 2007 | New York Women in Film & Television | Muse Award |
| 2007 | Charles Fitzsimons Award | Service to theProducers Guild |
| 2008 | TheWIFTS Foundation International | Visionary Award |
| 2012 | Hollywood Walk of Fame | Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame[21] |
| 2012 | Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) Filmmakers Award | Lifetime Achievement |
| 2013 | Deauville American Film Festival | Cartier Award |
| 2013 | Athena Film Festival | Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement Award |
| 2015 | Producers Guild | David O. Selznick Award in Motion Pictures |
| 2015 | Los Angeles Film Festival | Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award |
| 2015 | Society of Camera Operators | Distinguished Service Award |
| 2015 | Producers Guild | Visionary Award |
| 2016 | Society of Camera Operators | Lifetime Achievement Award |
| 2017 | Maoriland Film Festival | Best Documentary Feature, Mankiller |
| 2017 | Bozeman International Film Festival | Jury Award, Mankiller |
| 2017 | Comic-Con International | Inkpot Award |
| 2017 | Fangoria | Lifetime Achievement Award |
| 2017 | Tulsa American Film Festival | Best Documentary Feature Film,Mankiller |
| 2017 | Palm Springs International Film Festival | Audience Award, Best of Fest Selection,Mankiller |
| 2017 | Rome International Film Festival | Best Documentary Feature,Mankiller |
| 2018 | Screamfest | Career Achievement Award |
| 2021 | Locarno Film Festival | Raimondo Rezzonico Award - Best Independent Producer |
| 2023 | Visual Effects Society | Lifetime Achievement Award |
| 2024 | Online Film Critics Association | Lifetime Achievement Award |
| 2025 | 58th Sitges Film Festival | WomanInFan Grand Honorary Award[22] |
