Jordan Kerner
Encyclopedia
Jordan Kerner is an American
film producer
, who was born on February 5, 1950 in Los Angeles, California
.
. He subsequently transferred to Stanford University
where he graduated in 1972 with distinction and honors receiving a BA in Political Science and Communications. He then earned an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley
in 1976 and also, in the same year, a JD from the University of California, Hastings, serving on the Law Review and founding COMM/ENT, the Journal of Communications and Entertainment Law.
Kerner started off his career at CBS-TV KPIX-SF in San Francisco in 1971. In 1976 he became an attorney at the law firm of Ball, Hunt, Hart and Baerwitz. In 1977, he left to join CBS Entertainment as a program and talent negotaitor, in 1978 he then switched to Universal Television
for NBC
, taking the position of assistant to the senior VP.
Two years later, he also took on the task of director of program development QM Productions. The following year, he changed jobs and became the director of dramatic series development at ABC Entertainment
. He was promoted to vice president of dramatic development in 1983.
He held this position until 1986, when he formed The Avnet/Kerner Co., an independent production company, with Jon Avnet
. A year later, his first feature was produced, called Less Than Zero
.
After another year, he had produced his first television movie, Side by Side. His acting debut was in Less Than Zero (uncredited) and then George of the Jungle 2
(credited), in which he played an advertising executive in the first and an airline passenger in the second.
In 2001 he and Avnet started separate companies with Kerner forming The Kerner Entertainment Company.
He is married to Nicola O'Shea Kerner. His mother is Jeannette Kerner and his daughters are Haley Lelean O'Shea Kerner, Grace Ellis O'Shea Kerner, and Lily Jeannette O'Shea Kerner, who currently attend Summit School in WInston-Salem, North Carolina.
In 2007, Kerner was appointed Dean of the School of Filmmaking at the prestigious University of North Carolina School of the Arts
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, who was born on February 5, 1950 in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
Biography
Kerner began his undergraduate studies at the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. He subsequently transferred to Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
where he graduated in 1972 with distinction and honors receiving a BA in Political Science and Communications. He then earned an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in 1976 and also, in the same year, a JD from the University of California, Hastings, serving on the Law Review and founding COMM/ENT, the Journal of Communications and Entertainment Law.
Kerner started off his career at CBS-TV KPIX-SF in San Francisco in 1971. In 1976 he became an attorney at the law firm of Ball, Hunt, Hart and Baerwitz. In 1977, he left to join CBS Entertainment as a program and talent negotaitor, in 1978 he then switched to Universal Television
Universal Television
Universal Television is the television production arm of the NBCUniversal Television Group, and by extension, the NBC television network...
for NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, taking the position of assistant to the senior VP.
Two years later, he also took on the task of director of program development QM Productions. The following year, he changed jobs and became the director of dramatic series development at ABC Entertainment
ABC Entertainment
ABC Entertainment is a network production company owned by ABC that was created in 1982.The company was previously known as ABC Television Network Productions, ABC Circle Films, and ABC Productions...
. He was promoted to vice president of dramatic development in 1983.
He held this position until 1986, when he formed The Avnet/Kerner Co., an independent production company, with Jon Avnet
Jon Avnet
Jonathan Michael "Jon" Avnet is an American director, writer and producer.-Early life:Avnet was born in Brooklyn, the son of Joan Bertha and Lester Francis Avnet, a corporate executive and electronics distributor. He attended Great Neck North High School in Great Neck, New York...
. A year later, his first feature was produced, called Less Than Zero
Less Than Zero (film)
Less Than Zero is a 1987 American drama film loosely based on Bret Easton Ellis' novel of the same name. The film stars Andrew McCarthy as Clay, a college freshman returning home for Christmas to spend time with his ex-girlfriend Blair and his friend Julian , who is also a drug addict...
.
After another year, he had produced his first television movie, Side by Side. His acting debut was in Less Than Zero (uncredited) and then George of the Jungle 2
George of the Jungle 2
George of the Jungle 2 is the 2003 direct-to-video sequel of the 1997 Disney film George of the Jungle. It was directed by David Grossman, written by Jordan Moffet, and stars Thomas Haden Church, Julie Benz, Christina Pickles, Michael Clarke Duncan, John Cleese, and introducing Christopher...
(credited), in which he played an advertising executive in the first and an airline passenger in the second.
In 2001 he and Avnet started separate companies with Kerner forming The Kerner Entertainment Company.
He is married to Nicola O'Shea Kerner. His mother is Jeannette Kerner and his daughters are Haley Lelean O'Shea Kerner, Grace Ellis O'Shea Kerner, and Lily Jeannette O'Shea Kerner, who currently attend Summit School in WInston-Salem, North Carolina.
In 2007, Kerner was appointed Dean of the School of Filmmaking at the prestigious University of North Carolina School of the Arts
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts , formerly the North Carolina School of the Arts, is a public coeducational arts conservatory in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that grants high school, undergraduate and graduate degrees. It is one of the seventeen constituent campuses of the...
.
Filmography
- 2013 The Smurfs 2
- 2011 The SmurfsThe Smurfs (film)The Smurfs is a 2011 American 3D family film based on The Smurfs comic book series created by Peyo and the 1980s animated TV series it spawned. It was directed by Raja Gosnell and stars Neil Patrick Harris, Hank Azaria, Jayma Mays, and Sofía Vergara. It is the first CGI/live-action hybrid film to...
- 2006 Charlotte's WebCharlotte's Web (2006 film)Charlotte's Web is a 2006 American live-action/computer-animated feature film, based on the popular book of the same name by E. B. White. It is directed by Gary Winick and produced by Paramount Pictures, Walden Media, The K Entertainment Company, and Nickelodeon Movies...
- 2003 George of the Jungle 2George of the Jungle 2George of the Jungle 2 is the 2003 direct-to-video sequel of the 1997 Disney film George of the Jungle. It was directed by David Grossman, written by Jordan Moffet, and stars Thomas Haden Church, Julie Benz, Christina Pickles, Michael Clarke Duncan, John Cleese, and introducing Christopher...
- 2003 A Wrinkle in TimeA Wrinkle in TimeA Wrinkle in Time is a science fantasy novel by Madeleine L'Engle, first published in 1962. The story revolves around a young girl whose father, a government scientist, has gone missing after working on a mysterious project called a tesseract. The book won a Newbery Medal, Sequoyah Book Award, and...
- 2003 Inspector Gadget 2Inspector Gadget 2Inspector Gadget 2 is a live-action comedy film, released directly to VHS and DVD in March 2003. It was based upon the cartoon series created by DiC Entertainment and is a direct-to-video sequel to the 1999 Walt Disney Pictures film Inspector Gadget and also released by DIC Entertainment...
- 2002 Red Skies
- 2002 Snow DogsSnow DogsSnow Dogs is a 2002 American live-action comedy film that was released in the United States on January 18, 2002 by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Brian Levant, and stars Cuba Gooding, Jr. and James Coburn...
- 2001 UprisingUprising (film)Uprising is a 2001 war/drama television movie about the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The film was directed by Jon Avnet and written by Avnet and Paul Brickman...
- 2000 A House Divided
- 1999 Inspector GadgetInspector Gadget (film)Inspector Gadget is a 1999 American live-action comedy film loosely based on the 1983 animated cartoon series Inspector Gadget. It starred Matthew Broderick as the title character, along with Rupert Everett as Dr. Claw, Michelle Trachtenberg as Penny, and Dabney Coleman as Chief Quimby...
- 1999 My Last Love
- 1998 Mama Flora's FamilyMama Flora's FamilyMama Flora's Family is a novel by Alex Haley. The story begins with Flora, a daughter of poor black sharecroppers at her home in Mississippi...
- 1998 Poodle SpringsPoodle Springs (film)Poodle Springs is a 1998 neo-noir HBO film directed by Bob Rafelson starring James Caan, Dina Meyer, and David Keith. The film is based on the unfinished novel Poodle Springs by Raymond Chandler, completed after his death by Robert B...
- 1997 Red CornerRed CornerRed Corner is a drama film produced in 1997, directed by Jon Avnet and written by Robert King.- Plot :It tells the story of a wealthy American businessman named Jack Moore working in China and attempting to put together a satellite communications deal as part of a joint venture with the Chinese...
- 1997 George of the JungleGeorge of the Jungle (film)George of the Jungle is a 1997 live-action, family-oriented, romantic-adventure-comedy film based on the characters from the original cartoon of the same name. The film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures with Mandeville Films and originally released to movie theatres on July 16, 1997...
- 1997 Dogs
- 1996 D3: The Mighty DucksD3: The Mighty DucksD3: The Mighty Ducks is the third film in The Mighty Ducks trilogy. It was produced by Avnet–Kerner Productions and Walt Disney Pictures, distributed by Buena Vista Distribution, and originally released to movie theaters on October 4, 1996.-Plot:The film opens with team captain Charlie Conway and...
- 1996 Up Close & PersonalUp Close & PersonalUp Close & Personal is an American romantic drama film directed by Jon Avnet, and starring Robert Redford as a news director and Michelle Pfeiffer as his protegée, with Stockard Channing, Joe Mantegna and Kate Nelligan in supporting roles....
- 1995 Naomi & Wynonna: Love Can Build a Bridge
- 1995 Miami RhapsodyMiami RhapsodyMiami Rhapsody is a 1995 American romantic comedy film starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Gil Bellows, Antonio Banderas, Mia Farrow, Paul Mazursky, Kevin Pollak, Barbara Garrick, and Carla Gugino. It was written, produced, and directed by David Frankel, with music composed by Mark Isham.-Plot:Gwyn...
- 1994 The WarThe War (film)The War is a 1994 drama film directed by Jon Avnet. Starring Elijah Wood, Kevin Costner and Mare Winningham. It is a coming of age tale set in Mississippi in the 1970s...
- 1994 When a Man Loves a WomanWhen a Man Loves a Woman (film)When a Man Loves a Woman is a 1994 American romantic drama film written by Al Franken and Ronald Bass, starring Andy García, Meg Ryan, Tina Majorino, Mae Whitman, Ellen Burstyn, Lauren Tom and Philip Seymour Hoffman....
- 1994 D2: The Mighty DucksD2: The Mighty DucksD2: The Mighty Ducks is the second film in The Mighty Ducks trilogy and the first theatrical sequel to The Mighty Ducks. It was produced by Avnet–Kerner Productions and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, and it was originally released on March 25, 1994...
- 1993 The Three MusketeersThe Three Musketeers (1993 film)The Three Musketeers is a 1993 film from Walt Disney Pictures and Caravan Pictures, directed by Stephen Herek from a screenplay by David Loughery and starring Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Chris O'Donnell, Oliver Platt, Tim Curry and Rebecca De Mornay....
- 1993 For Their Own Good
- 1993 The SwitchThe Switch"The Switch" is the 97th episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 11th episode for the 6th season. It aired on January 5, 1995. This episode is notable for revealing Kramer's first name as Cosmo.-Plot:...
- 1992 The Mighty DucksThe Mighty DucksThe Mighty Ducks is the first film in The Mighty Ducks trilogy, produced by Avnet–Kerner Productions and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures and originally released on October 2, 1992. In the UK and Australia, the film was titled Champions...
- 1992 The Nightman
- 1991 Fried Green TomatoesFried Green Tomatoes (film)Fried Green Tomatoes is a 1991 comedy-drama film based on the novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg. It was released in the UK under the novel's full title. Directed by Jon Avnet and written by Fannie Flagg and Carol Sobieski, it stars Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy,...
- 1991 Backfield in Motion
- 1990 Funny About LoveFunny About LoveFunny About Love is a 1990 American romantic comedy film starring Gene Wilder, directed by Leonard Nimoy. It was written by Norman Steinberg and David Frankel, based on the article "Convention of the Love Goddesses" in Esquire Magazine by Bob Greene....
- 1990 Heat WaveHeat Wave (1990 film)Heat Wave is a 1990 American action-thriller television film directed by Kevin Hooks and starring Blair Underwood, Cicely Tyson, James Earl Jones, Margaret Avery, and David Strathairn.-Cast:* Blair Underwood as Robert Richardson...
- 1989 Do You Know the Muffin Man?Do You Know the Muffin Man?Do You Know the Muffin Man? is a CBS Network docudrama starring Pam Dawber. It was directed by Gilbert Cates and also stars Stephen Dorff, John Shea, Anthony Geary, Dee Dee Rescher and Brian Bonsall....
- 1989 Breaking Point
- 1988 My First LoveMy First Love"My First Love" is a 1983 R&B Ballad recorded by R&B duo René & Angela on the Capitol label and later a 2000 hit cover by Avant and singer Keke Wyatt....
- 1988 Side by Side
- 1987 Less Than ZeroLess Than Zero (film)Less Than Zero is a 1987 American drama film loosely based on Bret Easton Ellis' novel of the same name. The film stars Andrew McCarthy as Clay, a college freshman returning home for Christmas to spend time with his ex-girlfriend Blair and his friend Julian , who is also a drug addict...