- Born
- Birth nameFrank Wilton Marshall
- Nickname
- Dr. Fantasy
- Height5′ 8″ (1.73 m)
- Frank was born in Glendale, California to musician Jack Marshall. He entered the film world when his parents invited him to a birthday party for the daughter of directing legend John Ford in 1966. There, he met Peter Bogdanovich and soon agreed to work on his first film, Targets (1968), later followed by collaborating on The Last Picture Show (1971) and many other films.
Continuing to branch out into the industry, he served as line producer on Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz (1978) and associate producer on Walter Hill's crime thriller, The Driver (1978). Marshall first worked as executive producer on Hill's cult classic The Warriors (1979). While producing the iconic Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), he met Steven Spielberg and their future wife Kathleen Kennedy, and Frank himself was hired to join the Amblin Productions company in 1980.
He continued producing memorable films with Spielberg including Poltergeist (1982) and Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) (while Kennedy separately produced E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)). He worked as executive producer on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Gremlins (1984), The Goonies (1985) and the Back to the Future (1985) trilogy.
He married Kathleen Kennedy in 1987, and after producing numerous films, he made his feature directing debut with Arachnophobia (1990). Reacting to the success of his directorial debut, he left Amblin in 1991. In 1992, The Kennedy/Marshall Company was formed, and the next year they released its first film Alive (1993), directed by Marshall. Both Kennedy and Marshall signed deals with Paramount in 1992, at the same time the company was formed. His productivity has only increased since then, as he took over primary duties of the production company since Kennedy was named president of Lucasfilm in 2012.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Travis Brainerd - Frank Marshall is one of the premier film producers in the entertainment industry. His career-long efforts in collaborating with the industry's most influential minds has defined generations of movie-goers, producing such timeless hits as Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and the Indiana Jones and Jason Bourne franchises. In addition to a prolific producing career, Marshall has garnered wide acclaim as a film director, having brought to the screen such memorable movies as Arachnophobia, Alive, and Congo. Currently, he is directing the Bee Gees documentary. Marshall was a producer of the 2015 blockbuster Jurassic World, which has grossed more than $1.5 billion worldwide, making it the sixth-biggest box office hit of all time.
The son of American composer and conductor, Jack Marshall, Frank is an avid musician himself. He worked as the line producer on Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz, where he helped Scorsese document the final touring concert of The Band, immortalizing the group's performance for future generations. He also produced the 2018 Broadway musical, Escape to Margaritaville, alongside Jimmy Buffett, which will go on tour in 2020. His musical, Diana, played at the La Jolla Playhouse from March to April 2019 and is headed to Broadway this year. Marshall made his stage directorial debut with Invisible Tango that had an extended run at the Geffen Playhouse in 2019.
Growing up, Marshall was a keen sports enthusiast. Before graduating from UCLA in 1968, Marshall ran track and cross-country for the school. In addition, he spearheaded the university's inaugural soccer team, becoming a three-year varsity letterman in the process. Marshall directed the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, Right to Play.
Marshall began his motion picture career as an assistant to director Peter Bogdanovich. The filmmaker quickly promoted Marshall to serve as his location manager on the timeless movie The Last Picture Show. Marshall then took on the responsibilities of associate producer for Bogdanovich as the pair continued their alliance, creating such notable films as Paper Moon and Nickelodeon. In 1978, Marshall was hired by filmmakers George Lucas and Steven Spielberg to produce the iconic Raiders of the Lost Ark. Released in 1981, the film was a huge international success and was nominated for nine Academy Awards. That same year, along with future wife and fellow producer Kathleen Kennedy, Marshall teamed with Spielberg to form Amblin Entertainment. Over the next decade, the trio established one of the most successful collaborations in motion picture history, bringing to the screen some of the most beloved movies of the modern era, including E.T.-The Extra Terrestrial, Poltergeist, and The Goonies.
In 1991, Kennedy and Marshall ventured out on their own to form The Kennedy/Marshall Company, where the duo continued to produce critically acclaimed films such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and the international hit franchise based on Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Identity.
Marshall's accomplishments in the film industry have resulted in five Academy Award nominations for producing titles as diverse as M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense to Gary Ross's Seabiscuit. In addition to his Oscar nominations, Marshall has been acknowledged for his work with UCLA's Alumni Professional Achievement Award, the California Mentor Initiative's Leadership Award, and the acclaimed American Academy of Achievement Award. Along with Kennedy, Marshall was the 2008 recipient of the Producers Guild of America's David O. Selznick Award for Career Achievement. A year later, the duo was lauded with the Visual Effects Society's Lifetime Achievement Award. In November 2018, he and Kennedy received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, an honor presented to creative producers "whose body of work reflects a consistently high quality of motion picture production."
Aside from his Hollywood legacy, his love of sports and philanthropy led him to serve as a member of the United States Olympic Committee for more than a decade. Marshall was bestowed with the Olympic Shield in 2005 in honor of his service to the committee and the Olympic movement; and, three years later, Marshall was inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame. He also serves as Board Chair of the US Center for SafeSport and the Archer School for Girls, and on the board of several philanthropic organizations including Athletes for Hope and LA's Promise Fund.
In 2012, Marshall took over as the sole principal of The Kennedy/Marshall Company when partner Kathleen Kennedy became Chairman of Lucasfilm Ltd.- IMDb Mini Biography By: The Kennedy/Marshall Company Official site Bio
- SpouseKathleen Kennedy(1987 - present) (2 children)
- Often works with Steven Spielberg
- He met Cybill Shepherd on the set of The Last Picture Show (1971) and they worked on several films and albums together for the next ten years. They also had a on-and-off love affair, and Cybill had written that they had an "enduring passion.".
- Hired by Steven Spielberg on joining the Amblin Productions company in 1980.
- Graduated from UCLA.
- Producer or executive producer for six Best Picture Oscar nominees: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), The Color Purple (1985), The Sixth Sense (1999), Seabiscuit (2003), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and War Horse (2011).
- Has two daughters with his wife Kathleen Kennedy - Lili Marshall and Meghan Marshall.
- When I made Eight Below (2006), they wanted me to shoot digital, and I didn't want to do it because that's just what I need--to get a great series of takes and then find out the camera was frozen.
- I love film, and I love seeing movies on film.
- I'm a big fan of documentaries. I've always loved them, and I've just never had the opportunity or the time to make a feature.
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