Brian Grazer

Brian Thomas Grazer (born July 12, 1951; age 72) was the executive producer of 24, via his production company Imagine Entertainment. Through Imagine, co-founded with Ron Howard, he has been producer or executive producer on over 100 TV shows and movies. He has been an executive producer of 24 from the pilot episode in 2001 to the series finale.

Biography and career

Brian Thomas Grazer was born in Los Angeles, California, to Arlene Becker Grazer and criminal defense attorney Thomas Grazer. He has a younger sister and brother. Grazer was raised in Sherman Oaks and Northridge, in the San Fernando Valley.

Grazer is a graduate of the University of Southern California's Film and Television program to which he won a scholarship. He graduated in 1974, and then attended USC Law School for one year, before quitting to pursue a career in Hollywood.

Grazer began his career as a producer developing television projects. It was in the early 1980s that he met his long-time friend and business partner Ron Howard. They soon started working together, with Grazer producing several of Howard's films like Night Shift and Splash. In 1986, the two friends co-founded Imagine Entertainment, which became one of Hollywood's most prolific and successful production companies.

Through his career, Grazer's films have been enormously successful both with critics, awards, and audiences. In 2015, he also published a book titled A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life, in which he discusses conversations he has had with interesting people, many of whom inspired his work.

Role on 24

Seen with Gregory Itzin in 24: Behind the Scenes

Grazer has been an executive producer of 24 since its first episode. He is credited as such on every episode, including 24: Live Another Day. On an interview with Variety, he said "the best things I’ve worked on in television were shocking... 24 was shocking". On an interview with The Atlantic, Grazer talked about the character of Jack Bauer saying:

"He does thing that are very wish-fulfillment oriented. That makes people very excited, because wish fulfillment almost always works. You have to root for the character, and rooting for the character is rooting for what they want. It's easier to root for what somebody wants if what they want is noble."

After the original finale of 24, Grazer worked with showrunner and writer Howard Gordon and Kiefer Sutherland to develop a 24 film, but the project never materialized. It was then that Gordon reached an agreement with the people at Fox and 20th Century to develop 24: Live Another Day as a mini-series. After Sutherland agreed, Grazer said:

"We were lucky that Kiefer wanted to do it because he does the role so well; he is on top of his game playing that character, a character that does things we all would love to do too but rules prevent us from doing."

In 2017, Grazer also served as executive producer of 24: Legacy.

Producer filmography

• American Made (2017)
• Inferno (2016)
• Rush (2013)
• J. Edgar (2011)
• Angels & Demons (2009)
• Frost/Nixon (2008)
• The Da Vinci Code (2006)
• Cinderella Man (2005)
• 8 Mile (2002)
• A Beautiful Mind (2001)
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
• Bowfinger (1999)
• Liar Liar (1997)
• Apollo 13 (1995)
• Parenthood (1989)
• Real Genius (1985)
• Splash (1984)

Television shows

• Empire (2015-2017)
• Arrested Development (2003-2006, 2013)
• Friday Night Lights (2006-2011)
• 24 (2001-2010, 2014)

External links

• Official website
• Brian Grazer at Wikipedia
• Brian Grazer at the Internet Movie Database
• Brian Grazer (@BrianGrazer) on Twitter