Lansing, Sherry (1944–)
Lansing, Sherry (1944–)
American film-studio executive. Born Sherry Lee Heimann, July 31, 1944, in Chicago, IL; graduate of Northwestern University, 1966; m. William Friedkin (film director), 1991.
The 1st woman to serve as president of a major film studio in US, began career as an actress; worked as executive story editor for Warner International and MGM; became vice-president of creative affairs at MGM (1975); moved to Columbia in charge of production and worked on several successful films, including The China Syndrome and Kramer v. Kramer, before becoming president of featurefilm division at 20th Century-Fox (1980); with Stanley Jaffe, formed Jaffe-Lansing (1984) and produced films, including Fatal Attraction (1987); became president of Paramount Pictures (1990), then served as CEO (1993–2005).