Stuart Cornfeld (November 13, 1952 – June 26, 2020) was an American film producer. He was business partners with Ben Stiller in the company Red Hour Productions.

Stuart Cornfeld
Born(1952-11-13)November 13, 1952
DiedJune 26, 2020(2020-06-26) (aged 67)
EducationUniversity of California, Berkeley (BA)
American Film Institute (MFA)
Occupation(s)Film producer, actor

Biography

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Cornfeld was born in Los Angeles, California. He attended the University of California, Berkeley in the early 1970s, and graduated with a degree in Psychology. He graduated from the AFI Conservatory in 1975.[citation needed]

During his time at AFI, one of his classmates was actress Anne Bancroft, who was preparing to make her first film as a director, Fatso. She hired Cornfeld as producer and also introduced him to her husband, Mel Brooks. Brooks also hired him to produce his films High Anxiety and History of the World, Part I. Fatso became Brooks's first dramatic film as a producer. Cornfeld later brought the projects The Elephant Man and The Fly to Brooks, along with their respective directors, David Lynch and David Cronenberg.

The appearance and personality of Les Grossman, the hotheaded and foul-mouthed Hollywood producer played by Tom Cruise in Stiller's film Tropic Thunder, is reportedly based in part on Cornfeld.[1]

On June 26, 2020, Cornfeld died of cancer at age 67.[2]

Filmography

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Executive producer

References

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  1. ^ Casablanca, Ed, "Cruise's Cameo Shocker—Based on a Real Person!". "The Awful Truth," E! Online, August 19, 2008. Retrieved on August 20, 2008.
  2. ^ "Stuart Cornfeld, 'Zoolander' and 'Tropic Thunder' Producer, Dies at 67". The Hollywood Reporter. June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
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