Name Donald Kushner Role Producer | Parents Ann Gardner | |
Occupation Film, television and theater producer Children Alwyn Kushner, Jasper Kushner, Spencer Kushner Awards Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature Movies Tron, Monster, The Brave Little Toa, Blitz, 7 Seconds Similar People Peter Locke, Steven Lisberger, Jerry Rees, Bonnie MacBird, Clark Peterson | ||
Donald Kushner (born March 2, 1945) is an American producer who has worked with animation, live-action and theater productions.
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Biography
Donald Kushner was born March 2, 1945 to Ann Gardner. Donald is one of three children and he is the only son.
He attended high school in Providence, Rhode Island, received an undergraduate degree from Syracuse University in 1971 and a Boston University law degree in 1973. He then studied art for one year in Florence, Italy.
Upon returning to Boston he set up a law practice which included a number of show business clients. This led to the opportunity to produce plays for the Boston stage, among them P.S. Your Cat Is Dead and the first theatrical adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's Player Piano.
In 1977, Kushner formed a partnership with filmmaker Steven Lisberger. In 1978, the pair moved to the West Coast, where they produced the 90-minute animated film Animalympics for NBC which was aborted. After Animalympics, he conceived and produced his first live-action film Tron for Walt Disney Pictures.
After Tron, Kushner, along with Glen A. Larson and Peter Locke, also produced the 1980s television series Automan, about a holographic crime fighter, that began in December 1983 and ended in August 1984. This series used similar effects to those seen in Tron.
He and his partner, Peter Locke, founded The Kushner-Locke Company in the 1980s and continue to produce film and television series.
He was credited as executive producer for the 2010 sequel to Tron, Tron: Legacy.
Kushner is also the co-restorer and co-owner of The Chinese Theater with Elie Samaha.
Personal life
Donald has two daughters and one son: Alwyn, Jasper, and Spencer, respectively. Alwyn Hight Kushner is also a producer and has worked with Donald on several films. She works as President and Chief Operating Officer of TCL Chinese Theater. Donald's Malibu home, designed by Gulla Jonsdottir, can be viewed here:Donald Kushner's Malibu Dream House