One half of the infamous behemoth brother producing team, Harvey Weinstein was born on this day in 1952. While at the State University of New York at Buffalo, the Flushing, Queens native produced concerts with his brother, Bob. It was with the profits from this venture that the boys began Miramax Studios in 1979. Through persistence and bravado, the company went on to become one of the earliest driving forces behind the independent film movement.
Sometimes referred to as “Harvey Scissorhands” because of his willingness to cut, discard or reconfigure the work under Miramax’s umbrella, the looming figure has nonetheless earned the respect of the industry’s top talent. Alone, Weinstein has been nominated for two Academy Awards, but for the features he has produced has earned 220 nominations, three Best Picture Oscars and a total of 53 statues. Over the years, the producing giant has had a keen eye, gathering up such films as The English Patient, Good Will Hunting, sex, lies, and videotape, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Fahrenheit 9/11 and the upcoming The Nanny Diaries.
Factoid: With Bob acting as the man behind the curtain, Harvey has had a chance to shine, forming connections with (and in some cases, careers for) Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Kevin Smith, Renee Zellweger and directors of the new Grindhouse feature, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino.
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