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Entertainment December 7, 2016
Shonda RhimesHollywood has long been considered a “boys’ club,” but the work of many dynamic female creatives shows that things are changing fast in Tinseltown.
That glass ceiling is being shattered by the likes of showrunner Shonda Rhimes and other top talents listed in the Women in Entertainment Power 100 just published by The Hollywood Reporter.
In honor of these trailblazers, ENTITY has identified five of the top 100 women in entertainment that you should know.
Dana runs both Fox Broadcasting Company and 20th Century Fox TV, boasting over 40 series across channels and platforms, including this year’s breakout “This Is Us” and record-breaking hit “Empire.”
She famously negotiated a billion-dollar deal to air episodes of long-running series “The Simpsons” on FXX, making it the most profitable show in syndication. The executive, who also boasts high-earners “Modern Family” and “Family Guy” in her television library, has held a spot on Forbes’ Power List since 2014.
Channing’s promotion at ABC has not only proved lucrative for the company – which now has three top 10 series on its roster as well as the number two fall new program with “Designated Survivor” – but it also made history.
She is the first black woman to hold the top post at a broadcast network . And under her leadership the network has produced a selection of diverse sitcoms – “Modern Family,” “Black-ish,” and “Speechless” – as well as dramas, many of which have been created by star showrunner Shonda Rhimes.
Donna Langley, Variety Inclusion Summit. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Chelsea Lauren/Variety/REX/Shutterstock
Under her guidance Universal saw a record-setting 2015, bringing in an industry best of $6.9 billion in ticket sales with hits such as “Jurassic World,” “Trainwreck,” and “Pitch Perfect 2.”
Though 2016 has not been quite as lucrative, Donna has big plans for the coming year, as she oversees the acquisition of DreamWorks Animation and plans for the launch of a series of classic monster movie reboots from the Universal library, beginning with Tom Cruise starrer “The Mummy” in June.
Her production company, Shondaland, is quickly becoming one of the most prolific in Hollywood, boasting five dramas on a single network. At the 2015 Emmys, her ABC series “How to Get Away with Murder” helped Viola Davis make history as she became the first black woman to ever win best actress in a drama series. And her long-running show “Grey’s Anatomy” still sits at the number five spot for fall scripted series, even 13 years in.
Additionally, Shonda’s 2015 memoir “Year of Yes” was an instant best-seller, and her 2016 TED Talk has garnered over 2 million views.
Kris is the reason behind the family’s successful E! series, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” which is in its 12th season. She pitched the idea for the show to Ryan Seacrest, for which she now serves as an executive producer. She is also an executive producer on its many spin-off series, such as this year’s “Rob & Chyna,” about her son Rob Kardashian and his fiancée Blac Chyna.
Additionally, Kris manages the careers of her six children: Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, and Rob Kardashian, and Kendall and Kylie Jenner. The family has broadened their brand far past their popular TV series, though that alone reportedly earned them $80 million in 2015 as they signed on for three more seasons with an option for a fourth, reported TMZ. The Kardashian-Jenners’s reach extends into a number of businesses, such as a cosmetics company, a denim line, a children’s clothing line, a sock company, mobile apps, three retail stores, and numerous perfumes.
