Dreamworks' Jeffrey Katzenberg feted in Hollywood

Record ID: 83597

  • Title: Dreamworks' Jeffrey Katzenberg feted in Hollywood
  • Date: 29th September 2016
  • Summary: ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** KATZENBERG PULLING CONCRETE COVERED HANDS FROM CEMENT KATZENBERG PLACING SHOD FEET IN CEMENT, THEN POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
  • Embargoed: 14th October 2016 21:16
  • Keywords: Jeffrey Katzenberg Dreamworks Eddie Murphy handprints TCL Chinese Theatre Stacey Snider Jim Parsons
  • Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES;
  • City: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES;
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Film
  • Reuters ID: LVA00351MFQ6L
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:+++CONTAINS PROFANITY+++
    Longtime Disney animation chief and Dreamworks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg took part in a ceremony on Thursday (September 29) more often reserved for those primarily in front of the camera: placing his handprints and footprints in cement in the forecourt of the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
    Also on hand was actor Eddie Murphy who talked about Katzenberg's devotion to him during their long career collaboration.
    "I was doing "Beverly Hills Cop" and they were spraying malathion (pesticide) downtown and everybody was scared of malathion. I was like 'I ain't going out there, they're spraying shit, I ain't going out there.' And Jeffrey actually got out of bed and came and stood on the streets (in) downtown L.A. at three in the morning while they sprayed malathion. He was like, 'If they gonna spray you with it, then we gonna both get messed up together.' That's some friendship. We go back like . . . and all of my, the most memorable movies, my most memorable things, my highest moments have always been connected to this man."
    Katzenberg began his studio career at Paramount in 1974 and ultimately became its president. While there, he was involved in the production of "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "Saturday Night Fever," "Grease" and Best Picture Oscar winners "Ordinary People" and "Terms of Endearment."
    He then served as chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, with the studio producing such animated films as "The Little Mermaid," "Aladdin," "The Lion King" and "Beauty and the Beast."
    In 1994, along with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen, he co-founded DreamWorks SKG, which produced a number of notable films, including three best picture Oscar winners - "American Beauty," "Gladiator" and "A Beautiful Mind." At Thursday's ceremony, Katzenberg spoke about the origin of the company. "I think this is why 22 years ago, Steven, David and I really couldn't have come up with a better name than Dreamworks. That's what we've done. We've worked at dreams, our own and those of the extraordinarily talented people with whom we've gotten to collaborate," said Katzenberg. In 2004, DreamWorks Animation became a publicly-traded company with Katzenberg serving CEO.
    Katzenberg was given an honorary Oscar in 2013 for his contribution to humanitarian causes.
    He currently serves as the Chairman of DreamWorks New Media, following the sale of DreamWorks Animation SKG to Comcast in 2016.
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