30 Unknown Facts About Kathleen Kennedy You May Not Know Before

Kathleen Kennedy, one of the most successful and respected producers in the film industry, has till date produced or executive produced more than 70 feature films that have garnered 120 Academy Award nominations and 25 wins. She has cemented her legacy in the Hollywood producing biggest blockbusters of all time including the “Star Wars” movies. Her impressive portfolio of movies in the past two to three decades, makes it undoubtedly clear that Kathleen is one of the most powerful women in Hollywood film industry. Here are some really interesting facts about the film producer that will make you love her more:

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi Japan Premiere Red Carpet: Kathleen Kennedy" by Dick Thomas Johnson is licensed under CC BY 2.0

1.  She was the first recipient of Women in Film's Paltrow Mentorship Award, in the year 2007, for her extraordinary commitment to mentoring and supporting the next generation of moviemakers.
2.  Kennedy received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement presented alongside Frank Marshall by Awards Council member George Lucas in the year 1996.
3.  She served on the advisory board of the National Student Film Institute during the 1980s and 1990s. She was the "Grimmy Award" recipient in recognition for her outstanding support of student film making in the year 1991.
4.  She was awarded the Women in Film Crystal Award for outstanding women who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry, in the year 1995.
5.  In 2019, she was appointed an honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for services to film production in the United Kingdom.
6.  Kathleen Kennedy was born on June 5, 1953 to Donald R. Kennedy and Dione Marie “Dede” in Berkeley, California.
7.  She has two sisters – her twin sister Connie Kennedy and another sister Dana Middleton Silberstein.Her father is a judge and attorney, while her mother is a one-time theater actress.
8.  Her sister Dana Middleton-Silberstein is a TV host and anchor, and press secretary / communications director for Former Governor Gary Locke (D-WA).
9.  Her twin sister Connie is the executive producer of the Virtual Production company – Profile Studios. She was formerly a location manager in British Columbia, Canada.
10.  She graduated from Shasta high School in Redding, California, in the year 1971. She majored in telecommunications and film at San Diego State University.

"Kathleen Kennedy" by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

11.  In her final year at San Diego State University, she gained employment at a local San Diego TV station, KCST (now KNSD), where she took on various roles like video editor, camera operator, floor director, as well as KCST News production coordinator.
12.  She went on to produce a local talk show entitled “You’re On,” for four years, before moving to Los Angeles, where she secured her first movie production job.
13.  Kennedy landed her very first job as assistant to John Milius, who was at that time the executive producer of the Steven Spielberg’s 1979 movie “1941.”
14.  While working as Milius’s assistant, she caught the attention of Spielberg, who claimed that she was horrible at taking notes, but very good at interrupting anybody in midsentence.
15.  Being impressed with her organization abilities, Spielberg asked her to become his secretary, following which she gradually took on larger roles in the moviemaking process.
16.  She was credited as an associate on Spielberg’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and as an associate producer on his production of Tobe Hooper’s “Poltergeist.”
17.  Kennedy also received producer credit with Spielberg on the 1982 box-office hit “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” She continued to serve the same role on most of his movies for the next three decades.
18.  She co-founded the production company Amblin Entertainment with Spielberg and her future husband Frank Marshall in the year 1981.
19.  She produced the 1984 “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” with George Lucas and Frank Marshall. She also appeared in the opening sequence as a dancer in the movie.
20.  This led to her rise as one of the leading producers in Hollywood. She took over a large portion of running of Amblin Entertainment and served as the President of the company until 1991.

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi Japan Premiere Red Carpet: Kathleen Kennedy" by Dick Thomas Johnson is licensed under CC BY 2.0

21.  It was in the year 1991, she and Marshall formed The Kennedy / Marshall Company, through a collaboration with DreamWorks.
22.  She stepped down from Kennedy / Marshall Company in May 2012, and became the co-chair of Lucasfilm Ltd., alongside George Lucas in June 2012.
23.  When Lucasfilm was sold to Disney, she was promoted as the President on October 30, 2012. In the year 2018, her contract to remain the president of Lucasfilm was extended until October 30, 2021.
24.  In December 2017, Kennedy set up The Hollywood Commission on Eliminating Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality.
25.  Since 1987, she has been married to film producer Frank Marshall, whom she met on the sets of “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” The couple have two daughters together – Lily Marshall and Meghan Marshall.
26.  She produced the Spielberg’s 2012 movie “Lincoln,” biographical historical drama film, which was nominated for seven Golden Globes and twelve Academy Awards.
27.  She served as the co-president, along with Tim Gibbons, of the Producers Guild of America, from 2001 to 2002.
28.  Kennedy has received 8 Academy Award for Best Picture nominations, which is the third greatest number of nominations for the award, only behind Spielberg and Scott Rudin.
29.  She and her husband were awarded with the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award on November 18, 2018. Kennedy is the first and currently only woman to have received the award.
30.  She was honored with the BAFTA Fellowship Award, a lifetime achievement award, in recognition of "outstanding achievement in the art forms of the moving image" in the year 2020.
31.  Kathleen Kennedy Net Worth: $300 Million