Former Paramount Pictures chairman and CEO Brad Grey died Sunday at his California home after a battle with cancer, his family has confirmed. He was 59.
In a statement, Grey’s family confirmed that the former executive was surrounded by family and loved ones at his house in Holmby Hills when he passed away. A private funeral will be held later this week, while a public memorial service was set to be scheduled in the coming weeks.
Grey exited Paramount in February after running the studio over a 12-year tenure that saw him oversee massive hits with films in the Star Trek and Transformers franchises.
Before taking the top job at Paramount, Grey co-founded the management agency Brillstein-Grey in the early 1980s, where he helped shepherd The Sopranos and Real Time with Bill Maher onto television, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Grey was also a co-founder of production company Plan B with actors Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, where he helped produce Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Departed, which won the Best Picture Oscar in 2006.
“We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of our friend Brad Grey, whose tremendous kindness and talent inspired so many of us in the entertainment industry,” Viacom owner Sumner Redstone and his daughter Shari Redstone said in a statement. “His vision and leadership at Paramount Pictures brought iconic films and programs to audiences around the world. We are so grateful for Brad’s friendship.”
Grey is survived by his wife Cassandra, their son Jules, three grown children from a previous marriage, his mother Barbara Schumsky and siblings Michael and Robin Grey.
Follow Daniel Nussbaum on Twitter: @dznussbaum
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.