Early Ambition and Summer Politics

Katzenberg describes his teenage hustle, gambling instincts, and volunteering for John Lindsay's mayoral campaign.

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Episode notes

Jeffrey Katzenberg was one of the youngest studio heads in Hollywood when he was named president of Paramount Pictures at just 31. Over the decades that followed, he would help shape modern animation and co-found DreamWorks alongside Steven Spielberg and David Geffen.

In this episode of Big Shot, Harley and David sit down with Jeffrey to explore the experiences that shaped his career and leadership approach. He reflects on lessons from his father, whose generosity left a lasting impression, and on a moment with Kirk Douglas that reinforced the idea that you have not truly learned how to live until you have learned how to give.

Jeffrey traces his path through Hollywood, from working with Barry Diller to helping lead Disney during a pivotal era for animation, and how being fired from Disney led him to build DreamWorks.

Along the way, Jeffrey reflects on failure, success, and the mindset that has guided him through decades in Hollywood, and shares why he never rests on past success, keeping his eyes on what’s next.

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In This Episode We Cover:

(00:00) Intro

(02:40) Lessons from his father and Kirk Douglas

(12:01) Volunteering for NYC mayor John Lindsay

(12:40) Growing up with dyslexia

(16:44) The philosophy of exceeding expectations

(25:24) Jeffrey’s role in revitalizing Disney animation

(33:32) Storytelling lessons from Walt Disney

(37:16) Building DreamWorks as its own brand

(43:29) Getting fired from Disney and forming the Dreamworks team

(57:04) Movie studio economics