The Greg Bennett Show Bill Gerber - Emmy winner & Academy Award & Golden Globe nominee - Film and Television Producer
Mar 6, 2023
01:05:33
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"The Greg Bennett Show"
In this episode of The Greg Bennett Show, Greg is joined by Bill Gerber.
Bill is a film producer, a movie executive, and a man who has played a pivotal role in shaping the landscapes of modern cinema and music.
He's been behind some of the biggest blockbusters of the past few decades, including Gran Torino, A very long engagement, Grudge Match, L.A. Confidential, Heat, You’ve got mail, The Perfect Storm, and A Star Is Born.
With a career spanning over 30 years, he's been recognized with numerous accolades, including an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture, for “A Star is Born”.
Bill's also been instrumental in bringing us some of the most beloved franchises of all time, including the Harry Potter series. But beyond the awards and the box office figures, what truly sets him apart is his unwavering commitment to the craft of filmmaking and all all things entertainment.
Bill is on the AnyQuestion app, where you can ask him your questions and listen to over 100 of his answers.
Timestamps
4:09 - Let's get to know Bill Gerber. Greg and Bill chat through Bill's journey from his early years playing drums in awful bands, to getting into the record business, where he worked with some massive acts from the 80's including DEVO, The Cars, ABC, Scritti Politti and Heaven 17.
13:24 - Bill describes how his parents influenced and shaped his passion for film and music. His dad worked with Sinatra and the Rat Pack, His mum had an infectious love for music, and his god father signed the Beatles to GAC for touring.
17:20 - When his parents split, his dad moved in with a mate named Danny Simon. Two newly separated guys, one is a talent agent, and one is a comedy writer. Danny's brother heard all the stories of the relationship between the two men and wrote a play about them, and called it The Odd Couple.
My Dad had a great career
21:02 - Bill transitioned from the music business over to the film business as an executive at Warner Bros. He describes how that went and tells some stories of his time and who he met along this part of his career journey.
They were pretty fancy people
25:35 - Bill tells the crazy story about how he organised the deal for one of his first big movies, Reversal of Fortune. A 1990 American drama film adapted from the 1985 book Reversal of Fortune: Inside the von Bülow Case.
28:27 - Bill explains when he first met Clint eastwood and how their close friendship developed over several big blockbuster movies together. Movies such as The Rookie, Unforgiven, Perfect World, Space Cowboys, The Bridges of Madison County.
Rehearsals? No that's what the first take is for ...
34:28 - Bill & Greg discuss some of the highss of his 30plus career in the music, television and film business.
It was Family, Wealth & Health
37:08 - Bill describes some of the lows of his career and how he dealt with his divorce at the time one of his biggest movie successes A Star is Born was happening around him.
50:06 - Greg and Bill discuss the future of films in the streaming world.
51:26 - Bill reveals his top 3 movies of all time and his top 3 bands.
52:35 - Who are Bill Gerber's greatest male and female actors of all time?
True story ... I'm with Dirty Harry and James Bond at lunch.
54:09 - What would you tell your 18-year-old self? Three people you would you want to have dinner with (nonfamily, living or dead)? Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
55:50 - Greg and Bill finish with some rapid fire Q&A.
- One book you would recommend? The Catcher in the Rye: J.D Salinger
- Two most-used apps on your phone?
- Who would you want to play a movie of your life?
- Which decade of music is the best?
- Where is somewhere you haven’t been, you’d like to go?