Jonathan L Dolgen

Jonathan L. Dolgen was a prominent Hollywood figure who died on October 9, 2023, at the age of 78. He was the former chairman and CEO of Viacom Entertainment Group. Dolgen began his career in the entertainment industry in 1976 as a lawyer at Fried, Frank, Haris, Shriver and Jacobsen. He was then recruited to the legal team as Assistant General Counsel at Columbia Pictures, where he brokered the first studio deal of its kind with HBO. In 1985 he moved to 20th Century Fox, where he became President of Television. Dolgen later worked at Sony Pictures as President of Columbia Pictures Movie Division, which included both Columbia and Tristar. In 1994, he became Chairman of Viacom Entertainment. He worked there for the following decade, leading the company in film, television, music, theme parks, and publishing. Dolgen was a key part of the team responsible for such oversized hits as "Titanic," "Braveheart," and "Forrest Gump," and in the creation of the syndicated television series "Star Trek: The Next Generation." In 2004, he formed Wood River Ventures LLC, an "advisory and investing media firm." He continued to work as an advisor to Viacom and other media companies, and received the Motion Picture Pioneer of the Year Award in 2022. He is survived by wife Susan, daughters Tamar and Lauren, son-in-law Sergio Bicas, three grandchildren and his brother David Dolgen.