Laura Ziskin produced some of the most successful films of the past 20 years, including Pretty Woman and As Good As It Gets. She helped to break the glass ceiling and enable women to take senior film and television positions. As she observed: “Movies are arguably the most influential, important medium in the world. They have a tremendous cultural impact. Because women are now making movies, then women’s ideas, philosophy, point of view will seep into that culture.”
Laura Ellen Ziskin was born in 1959, the daughter of a psychologist and a lawyer who lived in San Fernando Valley. Ziskin attended the USC School of Cinematic Arts, graduating in 1973 and her entry into the business was writing for game shows. She then became