Mike Medavoy

Morris Mike Medavoy (born January 21, 1941, Shanghai ghetto, China) is an American film producer and executive, co-founder of Orion Pictures, former chairman of TriStar Pictures and current chairman and CEO of Phoenix Pictures.

Starting in Universal Studios in the mailroom in 1964, Medavoy was promoted to casting director at Universal and then became an agent in 1965 at General Artist Corporation, then rising to become vice president of Creative Management Agency, then of International Famous Agency's motion picture department in 1971 where he dealt with numerous upcoming stars such as Francis Ford Coppola, Jane Fonda, Terrence Malick, Steven Spielberg, Donald Sutherland, and Gene Wilder. In 1974 Medavoy became senior vice president of production at United Artists, and in 1978 co-founded Orion Pictures. In 1990 Medavoy was appointed Chairman of TriStar Pictures. He is now chairman and CEO of Phoenix Pictures.