Thomas Philip Pollock was an American film producer and studio executive.
21 Facts About Tom Pollock
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Tom Pollock started his career as an entertainment lawyer, before transitioning to a studio executive and film producer.
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Tom Pollock was the chairman of the board of trustees of the American Film Institute, an adjunct professor of film at the University of California, Santa Barbara, a trustee of the Los Angeles Music Center and a member of the California Bar Association.
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Thomas Philip Tom Pollock was born on April 10,1943, in Los Angeles, California, the son of Helene and Dr Joseph Tom Pollock.
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Tom Pollock has two siblings: Ken Pollock and Margo Pollock Sinclair.
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Tom Pollock attended The Happy Valley School, now named Besant Hill School, in Ojai, California, which his maternal grandfather Louis Zalk helped establish.
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Tom Pollock went on to the Columbia University School of Law, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone scholar, served as editor of the Law Review and received a JD in 1967.
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Tom Pollock started his career in 1968 as an assistant to George Stevens, founding director of the American Film Institute.
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In 1969, Tom Pollock became manager of business affairs for AFI's new film school, the Center for Advanced Film Studies.
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At the time, Lucas was working on THX 1138, and Tom Pollock negotiated the famous deal that secured Lucas the merchandising and sequel rights to Star Wars.
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In September 1986, Tom Pollock left his firm to serve as executive vice president of MCA Inc and chairman of its motion picture group, Universal Pictures.
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Tom Pollock was responsible for bringing numerous creative talents to the studio including Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, Ivan Reitman, Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, George Miller, Jon Avnet, Martin Brest, Rob Cohen, Phil Alden Robinson, Jim Sheridan, Larry Gordon and James Cameron.
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Tom Pollock was a member of the board of directors of MCA INC.
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Tom Pollock played a key role in the creation of United Cinemas International, a joint venture with Paramount Pictures, which has become the largest exhibitor outside North America, with nearly 700 multiplex screens.
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Tom Pollock formed Gramercy Pictures, now known as Focus Features, with PolyGram in 1992.
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Tom Pollock resigned from this position in March 1996, after serving as the entertainment company's top film executive for nine years.
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Tom Pollock became chairman of the board in 1996; and during his tenure, AFI produced its 100 Years.
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Tom Pollock served as vice chairman of the AFI Board of directors and as chair of the AFI Awards film jury.
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Tom Pollock was an executive producer on Sony's Ghostbusters: Answer the Call and Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
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Tom Pollock has three children, Alexandra Pollock Gagerman, Allegra Pollock Brandano, and Luke Pollock, and four grandchildren: Haley Gagerman, Ben Gagerman, Amelia Brandano, and Owen Brandano.
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Tom Pollock died from a heart attack at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on August 1,2020, at age 77.