Brad Grey

Brad Grey, who ran Paramount Pictures for more than a decade after a long and successful career as a TV producer, died of cancer Sunday May 14 2017 at his home in Holmby Hills, his family said through a spokeswoman. He was 59. A former talent manager, Grey led the movie and television studio, known for the “Transformers” and “Star Trek” movies, for 12 years. He was ousted from the Viacom Inc.-owned studio in February, following a long period of box-office stumbles and financial losses. Born in the Bronx, the youngest child of a New York garment industry salesman, Grey sold belt buckles made in his grandfather's factory when he was in high school. While in college, he got his foot in the door working as a gofer for a concert promoter named Harvey Weinstein, who would later go on to co-found Miramax Film Corp. Before joining Paramount, Grey was a partner at Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, where he represented stars such as Brad Pitt and Adam Sandler and produced such TV shows as HBO’s “The Sopranos” and “Real Time With Bill Maher.” Grey had some key successes early in his tenure at Paramount. He led the acquisition of DreamWorks SKG, the studio created by Steven Spielberg, David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg. He is also credited with securing a deal to release movies from Marvel Studios. Movies from DreamWorks Animation and Marvel helped round out Paramount’s lineup with reliable blockbusters. But those deals did not last. Walt Disney Co. bought Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion in 2009, and DreamWorks Animation films moved to rival 20th Century Fox after Spielberg and Geffen had already left Paramount when Geffen, the music mogul, clashed with Grey. Grey was also caught in the middle of a tumultuous battle for control of Viacom last year, in which then-CEO Philippe Dauman was pitted against controlling shareholder Sumner Redstone. Dauman had proposed selling 49% of the studio to pay down debt and boost Viacom’s flagging stock. Redstone, who controls a $40-billion media empire that encompasses Viacom and CBS Corp., adamantly opposed the plan. Grey had long been close to Redstone and his daughter Shari Redstone, who had been intensely critical of Dauman. Dauman was ejected from Viacom last year. Grey is survived by his wife, Cassandra Grey; their son Jules; his three grown children, Sam, Max and Emily, from his marriage to Jill Grey; his mother, Barbara Schumsky; his brother, Michael Grey; and his sister, Robin Grey.