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| Jerry Bruckheimer |
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Forecourt Ceremony held on Monday, May 17, 2010
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Born: September 21, 1943, in Detroit, Michigan
Age at the time of the ceremony: 66
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Jerry Bruckheimer is one of the few marquee-name producers in Hollywood. His name almost guarantees giant productions with plenty of action, special effects and noise. A very smart operator, his films and television shows have generated billions of dollars.
Jerry Bruckheimer's parents were both German-Jewish immigrants, who fled from Nazi Germany. Always a movie buff, Bruckheimer also was fond of collecting stamps. After graduating with a degree in psychology from the University of Arizona, Jerry went to work in advertising in New York.
Forming a relationship with commercial director Dick Richards, Bruckheimer became associate producer on his western The Culpepper Cattle Co. (released in March 1972) with Gary Grimes. Bruckheimer became one of the producers on Richard's highly atmospheric film of Farewell, My Lovely (released in August 1975) with Robert Mitchum playing Philip Marlowe.
Five years later saw Bruckheimer the sole producer on Paul Schrader's potboiler
American Gigolo (released in February 1980) with Richard Gere, which began Bruckheimer's Giorgio Moroder period.
Gigolo had been released by Paramount, whose production president, Don Simpson, wanted to make his own films. Teaming up with Bruckheimer, the pair would produce several blockbusters for the studio, starting with a little ditty called Flashdance (which played the Chinese in April 1983) with Jennifer Beals. A huge, from outta nowhere hit. This marked the end of the Giorgio Moroder period.
The duo followed this with Beverly Hills Cop (which played the Chinese in December 1984) with Eddie Murphy, which has spawned (so far) two sequels in 1987 and 1994. The film Bruckheimer / Simpson will always be remembered for has to be Top Gun (played the Chinese in May 1986) with Tom Cruise; the picture very much changed the way almost everything is done in Hollywood movies. A sequel is (finally) in the works.
A huge budget and plenty of action did not save Days of Thunder (which played the Chinese in June 1990) with Tom Cruise, but Bad Boys (released in April 1995) with Martin Lawrence and Will Smith, became a huge hit (several more installments have been announced).
With the death of Don Simpson in January 1996, Jerry Bruckheimer hung up his own single and produced Con Air (released in June 1997) with Nicolas Cage. Teaming up with director Michael Bay, Bruckheimer made a pile o' money with Armageddon (released in July 1998) with Bruce Willis, and another pile with Gone in 60 Seconds (released in June 2000) with Nicolas Cage.
Branching into television production made executive producer Bruckheimer another fortune: 332 episodes CSI: Crime Scene Investigation with William Petersen, aired over CBS from October 2000 to February 2015. Sequel-happy Hollywood snapped up versions of CSI in other cities (see below). Bruckheimer is executive producer of 390 episodes of The Amazing Race aired over CBS beginning in September 2001.
Meanwhile,
Michael Bay's interest in history (!) drove the production of the strange (but successful) Pearl Harbor (released in May 2001) with Ben Affleck; Bruckheimer turned to director Ridley Scott to make Black Hawk Down (which played the Chinese in January 2002) with Josh Hartnett.
Much more television work followed on the success of CSI: Bruckheimer was executive producer for 157 episodes of Without a Trace with Anthony LaPaglia, aired over CBS from September 2002 to May 2009; he was executive producer on 188 episodes of CSI: Miami with David Caruso, aired over CBS from September 2002 to April 2012.
Another fortune came Bruckheimer's way when he became a producer on
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (released in July 2003) with Johnny Depp. So far, there have been four more sequels. On television, Bruckheimer was executive producer on 155 episodes of Cold Case with Kathryn Morris, aired over CBS from September 2003 to May 2010, and did the same for 190 episodes of CSI: NY with Gary Sinise, aired over CBS from September 2004 to February 2013.
Bruckheimer produced
National Treasure (released in November 2004) with Nicolas Cage, and was executive producer of 44 episodes of Close to Home with Jennifer Finnigan, aired over CBS from to October 2005 to May 2007. We don't know why, but Bruckheimer is listed as a producer on the Mexican telenovela Un gancho al corazón — A Hook to the Heart, with Danna Garcia, for 211 episodes, aired over Canal de las Estrellas from August 2008 to June 2009.
Bruckheimer was invited to leave his imprints at the Chinese the afternoon of the premiere of his production of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (which had its US Premiere at the Chinese on May 17, 2010) with Jake Gyllenhaal.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice (released in July 2010) with Nicolas Cage, was almost universally drubbed, but did OK; the same cannot be said for The Lone Ranger (released in July 2013) with Johnny Depp. Bruckheimer launched another television show as executive producer for 69 episodes of Lucifer with Tom Ellis, aired over the Fox Network from January 2016. 12 Strong (which played the Chinese in January 2018) with Chris Hemsworth, gained mixed reviews and market acceptance.
Bruckheimer has continued his tatse for sequels with Bad Boys for Life (which preemed and played the Chinese in January 2020) with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.
Bruckheimer is executive producer on the series Council of Dads, aired over NBC in March 2020, as well as Hightown, aired over Starz in October 2021.
He is a producer on 2022 most successful movie: Top Gun: Maverick (which played the Chinese in May 2022). For Paramount+, Bruckheimer cooked up Secret Headquarters with Owen Wilson (streaming beginning in August 2022. Lots more stuff in the pipeline.
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| Grauman's Chinese Theaatre, Hollywood California. Jerry Bruckheimer Forecourt block. Executed by unknown, Monday, May 17, 2010. 48 x 36 inches. |
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| Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Hollywood, California. Jerry Bruckheimer Forecourt ceremony, Monday, May 17, 2010. Producer Bruckheimer gives a devillish grin as he places his hands in the wet cement. |
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