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Gale Anne Hurd

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Gale Anne Hurd
Hurd in 2016
Born (1955-10-25) October 25, 1955 (age 69)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
EducationStanford University (BA)
Occupation(s)Film and television producer
Years active1980–present
Spouses
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(m. 1985; div. 1989)​
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(m. 1991; div. 1993)​
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(m. 1995)​
Children1

Gale Anne Hurd (born October 25, 1955) is an American film and television producer, the founder of Valhalla Entertainment (formerly Pacific Western Productions),[1] and a former recording secretary for the Producers Guild of America.[2] Her notable works include The Terminator (1984), Aliens (1986), The Abyss (1989), Armageddon (1998), Mankiller (2017) (a documentary about Wilma Mankiller) and The Walking Dead (2010–2022).

Early life

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Hurd with her Hollywood Walk of Fame star, 2012

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]

Film career

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Early Career

Hurd began her career in the entertainment industry as an executive assistant to Roger Corman at New 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.

Breakthrough

Hurd's breakthrough came when she produced and co-wrote the 1984 science fiction film The Terminator, directed by James Cameron. The film was a commercial success[7] and established Hurd as a prominent producer in Hollywood. She continued her collaboration with Cameron on Aliens (1986) and The Abyss (1989), both of which were successes at the box office.[8][9]

1990s and 2000s

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Hurd produced a variety of successful films including Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), which became the second Terminator film to be added to the National Film Registry by the US Library of Congress in 2024,[10] The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) and Armageddon (1998). Terminator 2 and Armageddon 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 2000s include Tremors (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 as Falling Water (2016–18).

In 2010, Hurd became an executive producer for the AMC television series The 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 on The Walking Dead earned her critical acclaim and numerous awards.[14] In addition, Hurd is an executive producer for all of the series' spin-offs including Fear The Walking Dead (2015–23), Daryl Dixon (2023–present), The Ones Who Live (2024) and Dead City(2023–present).

Documentaries

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 and Choctaw Code Talkers as well as Mankiller, celebrating the life of the late Wilma Mankiller, the first woman elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.

Hurd's most recent documentary is The YouTube Effect, directed by Alex Winter, which delves into YouTube, a site with humble origins that has gone on to change how we experience the world. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival[15] and was released in the US theatrically by Alamo Drafthouse Films.[16]

Personal life

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In 1985, Hurd married James Cameron following their collaboration on The Terminator. They divorced in 1989.[17] Hurd has one daughter, Lolita De Palma.[18]

Philanthropy and Advocacy

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Hurd is an active philanthropist and advocate for various causes. She is involved with organizations such as Women In Film, The Smithsonian Institution, and The 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,[19] as well as in Tallinn, Estonia at the Black Nights Film Festival, and the AVP/Summit in Trieste, Italy, representing Women in Film & Television International (WIFTI). She remains active with several organizations and groups, underscoring her dedication to various causes. These include the League of Conservation Voters, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, and the McCain Institute.

Filmography

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The producing team behind Aliens, James Cameron and Hurd

Film

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Year Title Director(s) Credit
1981 Smokey Bites the Dust Charles B. Griffith Co-producer
1984 The Terminator James Cameron Producer, co-writer
1986 Aliens Producer
1988 Bad Dreams Andrew Fleming Producer
Alien Nation Graham Baker Producer
1989 The Abyss James Cameron Producer
1990 Downtown Richard Benjamin Executive producer
Tremors Ron Underwood
1991 Terminator 2: Judgment Day James Cameron
1992 The Waterdance Neal Jimenez
Michael Steinberg 		Producer
Raising Cain Brian De Palma Producer
1994 No Escape Martin Campbell Producer
Safe Passage Robert Allan Ackerman Producer
1996 The Ghost and the Darkness Stephen Hopkins Producer
1997 The Relic Peter Hyams Producer
Dante's Peak Roger Donaldson Producer
Switchback Jeb Stuart Producer
1998 Armageddon Michael Bay Producer
Dead Man on Campus Alan Cohn Producer
1999 Virus John Bruno Producer
Dick Andrew Fleming Producer
2002 Clockstoppers Jonathan Frakes Producer
True Whispers Valerie Red-Horse Producer
2003 Hulk Ang Lee Producer
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Jonathan Mostow Executive Producer
2004 The Punisher Jonathan Hensleigh Producer
2005 Æon Flux Karyn Kusama Producer
2007 Welcome to the Jungle Jonathan Hensleigh Producer
2008 The Incredible Hulk Louis Leterrier Producer
Punisher: War Zone Lexi Alexander Producer
2009 The Pirate Code: Real Pirates Kathryn Taylor Executive Producer
2010 Choctaw Code Talkers Valerie Red-Horse Producer
2013 Very Good Girls Naomi Foner Executive Producer
2017 Mankiller Valerie Red-Horse Executive Producer
2018 Hell Fest Gregory Plotkin Producer
2022 The YouTube Effect Alex Winter Producer

Television

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Year Title Credit
1989-1990 Alien Nation Consultant
1991 Cast a Deadly Spell Producer
1994 Sugartime Executive Producer
1995 Witch Hunt Producer
1996 Tremors II: Aftershocks Executive Consultant
2002–2003 Adventure Inc. Executive Producer
2004 The Coven Executive Producer
2007 Welcome to the Jungle Producer
2010 The Wronged Man Executive Producer
2010–2022 The Walking Dead Executive Producer
2011 Last Man Standing Executive Producer
2013 Horizon Executive Producer
2015–2022 Talking Dead Consulting Producer
2015–2023 Fear the Walking Dead Executive Producer
2016 Hunters Executive Producer
2016-2018 Falling Water Executive Producer
2017–2018 Lore Executive Producer
2020–2021 The Walking Dead: World Beyond Executive Producer
2022 Tales of the Walking Dead Executive Producer
2023–present The Walking Dead: Dead City Executive Producer
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Executive Producer
2024 The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Executive Producer

Awards and Honors

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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 the Producers Guild
2008 TheWIFTS Foundation International Visionary Award
2012 Hollywood Walk of Fame Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame[20]
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

References

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  1. ^ "Gale Anne Hurd". Valhalla Entertainment. Archived from the original on June 4, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2008.
  2. ^ "Walking Dead Atlanta Recruitment Event". Producers Guild of America. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  3. ^ "Gale Anne Hurd Biography (1955–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
  4. ^ Fessier, Bruce (January 10, 2018). "'Walking Dead' producer returns home to present 'Mankiller' at Palm Springs festival". The Desert Sun. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  5. ^ David, Mark (May 23, 2007). "Gale Anne Hurd and Jonathan Hensleigh's Pasadena Palace". Variety. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  6. ^ Harris, Janelle (August 14, 2013). "So What do You Do, Gale Anne Hurd, Executive Producer of the Walking Dead?". Mediabistro. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  7. ^ "The Terminator". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  8. ^ "Aliens". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  9. ^ "The Abyss". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  10. ^ "25 Films Selected for Preservation in National Film Registry". The NewsMarket. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  11. ^ "Armageddon". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  12. ^ "Terminator 2: Judgment Day". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  13. ^ Porter, Rick (November 19, 2022). "'The Walking Dead' by the Numbers: One of Cable's Biggest Ever Series Bows Out". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  14. ^ "Gale Anne Hurd - Executive Producer | The Walking Dead Bios | AMC". www.amc.com. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  15. ^ "The YouTube Effect | 2022 Tribeca Festival". Tribeca. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  16. ^ Gutelle, Sam (August 4, 2023). "'The YouTube Effect' documentary arrives on streaming on August 8". Tubefilter. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  17. ^ "Linda Hamilton Says James Cameron's On-Set Affair Didn't End Their Marriage — Best Life". bestlifeonline.com. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  18. ^ Dutka, Elaine (August 2, 1992). "De Palma and Hurd, Made for Each Other". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  19. ^ "Frontières 2019: Project Lineup, Awards, Gale Anne Hurd for Finance and Packaging Forum in Helsinki". ScreenAnarchy. January 17, 2019. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  20. ^ Chad (October 25, 2019). "Gale Anne Hurd". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
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