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Jerry Bruckheimer Bio

Jerry Bruckheimer

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer was born Jerome Bruckheimer on September 21, 1945, in Detroit, Michigan. Growing up in a low-income family, Jerry displayed an early interest in photography and film. After earning his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Arizona, Bruckheimer moved to New York City and began working in the mail room of an ad agency. He eventually made his way into commercial producing, and from there, film producing.

Working with director Dick Richards, Jerry’s first few projects included The Culpepper Cattle Company in 1972, Farewell, My Lovely in 1975, and March or Die in 1977. His work on Paul Schrader’s films, American Gigolo in 1979, starring Richard Gere; as well as horror flick Cat People in 1982, began getting Jerry noticed in Hollywood. However, his breakthrough work was with producer Don Simpson on the 1983 tale of a wonder-woman welder-turned-dancer, Flashdance. The film raked in a reported $95 million at the box-office, making it the third-highest grossing film of 1983.

Jerry and Don went on to form Simpson-Bruckheimer Productions and signed a long-term contract with Paramount Pictures. The dynamic duo complemented each other well – Don’s film industry contacts garnered him the nickname Mr. Inside, while Jerry’s film-making experience earned him the nickname Mr. Outside. Together, the team knew their craft inside-out, and turned actors such as Tom Cruise and Eddie Murphy into major movie stars through films like Top Gun (1986) and Beverly Hills Cop (1984).

In 1990, Simpson-Bruckheimer and Paramount mutually decided to part ways. Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside then landed a non-exclusive, five-year deal with Disney subsidiary, Hollywood Pictures. In 1995, the pair made a fast and furious comeback with three highly successful and successive films. Dangerous Minds, Crimson Tide, and Bad Boys were all extremely successful. Behind the scenes of their celluloid success, however, Don was struggling with drug addition. His addictions eventually caused the production pair to part ways after filming for The Rock wrapped in 1996. One month later, Don died of heart failure.

Now flying solo, Jerry went on to produce Con Air in 1997, and the meteoric smash-hit Armageddon starring Bruce Willis one year later. Just topping the $200 million mark, the film boasted the second-highest earnings at the box-office in 1998. Bruckheimer’s next work was Enemy of the State in 1998, starring Will Smith. He then continued his career with Gone in 60 Seconds in 2000, Coyote Ugly in 2000, and Pearl Harbor in 2001. Although his films generally received a chilly reception from critics, 2001's Black Hawk Down garnered four Oscar nominations.

After conquering the big-screen, Bruckheimer moved into television, creating the popular CSI franchise, Without a Trace, and the Emmy award-winning reality hit The Amazing Race. At the same time, Jerry continued to produce such feature films as Kangaroo Jack in 2003 and Bad Company in 2002. In 2003, Jerry struck gold with the blockbuster hit Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, starring Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, and Orlando Bloom. The success of the film led Disney to offer financing for two sequels, which Jerry produced simultaneously. The first, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest in 2006, broke box-office records, and became the first flick to rake in over $100 million in just two days.

In 2006, Forbes magazine ranked Jerry the 10th highest earner on their Celebrity 100 list, earning $84 million in the 2005-2006 year. He has been married twice, and currently lives in Bloomfield, Kentucky.

YUDDY