Gale Anne Hurd

Gale Anne Hurd
Hurd in 2016
Born	(1955-10-25) October 25, 1955 (age 69) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education	Stanford University (BA)
Occupation(s)	Film and television producer
Years active	1980–present
Spouses	James Cameron ​ ​ (m. 1985; div. 1989)​ Brian De Palma ​ ​ (m. 1991; div. 1993)​ Jonathan Hensleigh ​ ​ (m. 1995)​
Children	1

Gale Anne Hurd (born October 25, 1955) is an American film and television producer, the founder of Valhalla Entertainment (formerly Pacific Western Productions)^[1] and a former recording secretary for the Producers Guild of America.^[2] Notable works include The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, Armageddon, Mankiller (a documentary about the late Wilma Mankiller) and The Walking Dead.

Gale Anne Hurd was born on October 25, 1955, in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of Lolita (née Jordan) and Frank E. Hurd, an investor.^[3] She grew up in Los Angeles and Palm Springs, California and graduated from Palm Springs High School in 1973.^[4] Hurd attended Stanford University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and communications with a minor in political science in 1977.^[5]

Early Career

Hurd began her career in the entertainment industry as an executive assistant to Roger Corman at New World Pictures. She quickly rose through the ranks, becoming involved in various aspects of production.^[6] and became the head of marketing. After co-producing her first film, Smokey Bites the Dust for Corman, she launched her own production company in 1982.

Breakthrough with The Terminator

Hurd's breakthrough came when she produced and co-wrote the 1984 science fiction film The Terminator, directed by James Cameron. The film was a commercial success^[7] and established Hurd as a prominent producer in Hollywood. She continued her collaboration with Cameron on Aliens (1986) and The Abyss (1989), both of which were critical and commercial successes.^[8][9]

1990s and 2000s

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Hurd produced a variety of successful films including The Ghost and the Darkness, Armageddon, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which was added to the National Film Registry by the US Library of Congress.^[10] Armageddon and Terminator 2 both claimed the top spots at the worldwide box office^[11][12] in their respective release years, solidifying Hurd's enduring influence in the realm of blockbuster cinema. Her additional major studio credits in the 90s and 2000s include The Waterdance, Tremors, Aeon Flux, Ang Lee’s Hulk, The Incredible Hulk, The Punisher and many others. She also expanded into television with titles such as Lore, Falling Water, Hunters and The Walking Dead.

The Walking Dead Universe

In 2010, Hurd became an executive producer for the AMC television series The Walking Dead. The show, based on the comic book series of the same name, became a cultural phenomenon and one of the highest-rated series in cable television history.^[13] Hurd’s work on The Walking Dead earned her critical acclaim and numerous awards.^[14]

In addition, Hurd is an executive producer for all of the series’ spin-offs including Fear The Walking Dead, Daryl Dixon, The Ones Who Live and Dead City.

Documentaries

Hurd has also produced several documentaries including three PBS documentaries focused on Native Americans in partnership with Cherokee director, Valerie Red-Horse Mohl: True Whispers: The Story of the Navajo Code Talkers and Choctaw Code Talkers as well as Mankiller, celebrating the life of the late Wilma Mankiller, the first woman elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.

Her most recent documentary is The YouTube Effect, directed by Alex Winter, which delves into YouTube, a site with humble origins that has gone on to change how we experience the world. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival^[15] and was released in the US theatrically by Alamo Drafthouse Films.^[16]

In 1985 Hurd married James Cameron during their collaboration in co-writing The Terminator, which Hurd produced, however, they went on to divorce in 1989.^[17] Hurd has one daughter, Lolita De Palma.^[18]

Hurd is an active philanthropist and advocate for various causes. She is involved with organizations such as Women In Film, The Smithsonian Institution, and The Producers Guild of America, where she has served on the board of directors.

Hurd has shared her expertise and perspectives at panels hosted by the US Embassies in Peru, Iceland, Georgia, Estonia, North Macedonia and Zimbabwe, among others. She has also addressed audiences at the EuroImages Conference in Helsinki, Finland,^[19] as well as in Tallinn, Estonia at the Black Nights Film Festival, and the AVP/Summit in Trieste, Italy, representing Women in Film & Television International (WIFTI). She remains active with several organizations and groups, underscoring her dedication to various causes. These include the League of Conservation Voters, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, and the McCain Institute.

Hurd has received numerous awards and accolades throughout her career, including:

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gale Anne Hurd.

• Gale Anne Hurd at IMDb
• Official Twitter page
• Official company website Archived April 19, 2020, at the Wayback Machine