Lauren Shuler Donner

Producer; Best Known for the X-Men Series

Travels From Travels From:
Speaking Fee Speaking Fee:
REQUEST BOOKING INFORMATION

Lauren Shuler Donner Biography

Lauren Diane Shuler Donner is an American film producer, who specializes in mainstream youth and family-oriented entertainment. She owns The Donners' Company with her husband, director Richard Donner. Her films have grossed about $4.5 billion worldwide, mostly due to the X-Men film series.

Donner was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the daughter of a wholesale distributor and a housewife. She was raised in Cleveland, where she took on photography and frequently went to the movies with a cousin. She studied film at Boston University, specializing in production and editing. Following the advice of a teacher, she moved to Los Angeles in hopes of entering the entertainment industry.

As Donner worked in Los Angeles as an assistant editor of educational and medical films, she sought other jobs and despite having no original intention to work in television, a chance meeting at NBC headquarters lead her to leave her data there. In 1973, the network invited Shuler to a vacation relief program filling in for employees on vacation. She worked on many jobs, but decided that the best for her would be as a camera operator due to her photography experience. After being taught about cameras by the crew of The Tonight Show, Shuler asked NBC to work on the local news. Afterwards she freelanced on Metromedia, working on rock concert shoots, sitcoms and TV movies. Donner was a rare camerawoman in a male-dominated field, being the first woman admitted to the IATSE Electrical and Camera Guild #659.

Eventually Donner decided to work as an associate producer, in 1976 joining ABC's Wide World of Entertainment. After a traffic accident that had her hospitalized for months, Donner started working with screenwriter friends and became a creative executive/story editor on Motown Productions. Her input on the script of Thank God It's Friday (1978) led her to become an associate producer for that film. Next she made her television producing debut in 1979 with the acclaimed Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill, a television film written and directed by Joel Schumacher in the style of Robert Altman's Nashville. She got the job by directly asking NBC programming director Charles Engel.

While working at Motown, Donner became a personal friend of National Lampoon writer John Hughes, and convinced him to write a script that would become her feature film producing debut, the 1983 comedy hit Mr. Mom, starring Michael Keaton. The following year she persuaded Richard Donner to direct Ladyhawke, and the two fell in love, marrying a year after the film got released, 1985. She produced only two more of her husband's movies, Radio Flyer, and Timeline. She said their professional relationship helped her learn how to work on action films: "if I hadn't seen how he did action movies, I wouldn't have had the wherewithal to even pursue an X-Men or a Constantine, or any of those". Her experience with Schumacher and Hughes led them to invite her to produce St. Elmo's Fire and Pretty in Pink, both seminal films of the Brat Pack period. Donner had a particularly successful year in 1993 overseeing two solid hits: Dave, a homespun political comedy, and Free Willy, a family film about a boy and his whale.

BOOK Lauren Shuler Donner

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 07/10/2024.

Lauren Shuler Donner Videos

  • Lauren Shuler Donner
  • Producer Lauren Shuler Donner Interview - X-Men: Days of Future ...

FAQs on booking Lauren Shuler Donner

  • How do I book Lauren Shuler Donner to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Lauren Shuler Donner for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Lauren Shuler Donner, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Lauren Shuler Donner or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Lauren Shuler Donner

    Speaking fees for Lauren Shuler Donner, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Lauren Shuler Donner are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Lauren Shuler Donner, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Lauren Shuler Donner speak about?

    Lauren Shuler Donner is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Animals & Wildlife, Celebrity, Entertainers, Entertainment, Television & Film.
  • Where does Lauren Shuler Donner travel from?

    Lauren Shuler Donner generally travels from an undisclosed location, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Lauren Shuler Donner’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Lauren Shuler Donner for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Lauren Shuler Donner for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Lauren Shuler Donner or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Lauren Shuler Donner is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Lauren Shuler Donner for your event is available upon request. Lauren Shuler Donner generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Zazie Beetz, Kathleen Kennedy, James Mangold, Avi Arad and Greta Gerwig. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Lauren Shuler Donner for an upcoming live or virtual event.

Tell us about your event!

During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours.

  • Customized Service

    Our agents find the right fit for your event

  • Unparalleled Database

    Full access to all speakers & celebrities

  • One Stop Shopping

    A reliable and unbiased point of contact

  • Logistics Management

    Your personal Logistics Manager who takes care of all event details

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

TOP