After starting out in the business as a producer’s assistant, Steven Spielberg eventually hired Kennedy as his own assistant on Raiders Of The Lost Ark, where she first met George Lucas. Kennedy then transitioned into producing, working on dozens of films with Spielberg, including E.T., Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, and Lincoln. In addition to co-founding Amblin Entertainment, Kennedy and her husband Frank Marshall also launched their own production company, Kennedy/Marshall, which produced the likes of The Sixth Sense, Signs, The Bourne Identity, and Seabiscuit.
After charting the breadth of her career, the profile zooms in on Kennedy’s takeover and management of Lucasfilm and the deft hand she had in shaping the new era of Star Wars films:
“I think [Lucasfilms], for a long time, was driven by waiting to see what George wanted to do,” Kennedy told me. “I don’t run this company that way. People aren’t sitting around waiting to see what Kathy wants to do.” As she views it, her staff looks to her for guidance, but they feel more empowered to act without her explicit approval.
The full profile—in which everyone from Harrison Ford to Cate Blanchett to Tony Kushner sings Kennedy’s praises—is available over on Vanity Fair. Meanwhile, those who want to learn more about Kennedy can also hear her chat about her career on the Nerdist podcast.
