Don’t Kill the Messenger welcomes Oscar-winning producer and Hollywood mogul, Brian Grazer

In this episode of Don’t Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz interviews legendary producer Brian Grazer. As co-founder of Imagine Entertainment with Ron Howard, Grazer’s films and television shows have earned 47 Oscar nominations and 242 Emmy nominations, with his movies grossing nearly $15 billion globally. Known for hits like A Beautiful Mind (which won him the Academy Award for Best Picture), Apollo 13, and Friday Night Lights, Grazer opens up about the power of curiosity, the secret to his 40-year partnership with Ron Howard, and the magic of connecting with audiences through emotionally elevated storytelling.

Kevin Goetz on Brian Grazer:

You are one of my favorite people in the entire business for so many years and for so many reasons. There’s a sense of humility that you have that you’ve retained despite your enormous success, and I think that’s your superpower.

The Power of Curiosity

Grazer built his career through what he calls “curiosity conversations,” developing a unique approach to meeting industry legends. His strategy helped demystify the often opaque world of Hollywood, revealing the business mechanics beneath the glamour. His approach was disarmingly simple:

“Why I would do those meetings with say, Richard Brooks or even Mel Brooks or even Herbert Ross? Any of these great directors, Coppola, George Lucas. I mean, I’ve met every one of them. No one ever said no. Every person said yes because of the way I would ask them. I would say, hi, my name is Brian Grazer. Then I’d say, I’ve researched your boss because of the following reasons, and I will take only five minutes of his time, and I absolutely do not want a job.”

Finding Creative Purpose

A transformative moment came when Grazer watched E.T. at the Cinerama Dome. This experience would shape his entire approach to filmmaking and define the kind of emotional impact he wanted his own movies to have:

“Always going to a movie theater was the experience that was really hostile and aggressive, fighting for a parking spot, fighting for a ticket, trying to get in the line for the food and hope your seat doesn’t get taken. Endless stuff like that… The movie E.T., everyone did exactly the same thing, aggression, but the end of the movie, zero aggression, zero, no pushing, no shoving, people’s consciousness, emotional energy, everything was elevated in a transcendent way… And I thought, I want to make movies that lead to an ending like that, where you are elevated, you’re inspired, it’s aspirational.”

The Heart of Storytelling

For Grazer, successful storytelling is deeply rooted in emotional authenticity. His commitment to this philosophy has led to some of his greatest successes, including Backdraft, Cocoon, and Apollo 13:

“I just feel like stories, scripts are designed to ignite emotion, and the emotion that I choose to be ignited is elation. Characters that have nobility in their drive and in their purpose and obstacles along the way to achieve that. And when they do, it doesn’t even have to be the home run, but it’s an emotional home run because that actor, that character has transitioned into a greater place.”

He emphasizes that true success comes from connecting with material on a deeper level:

“The great successes that I’ve had come from internal truth and from soul, like connecting to the soul and expressing my soul, feeling that my soul has inhabited this subject. When it doesn’t do that, the chance of its success is very, very low.”

Building Imagine Entertainment

The strength of Grazer’s 40-year partnership with Ron Howard lies in their complementary approaches. Their collaboration has created one of Hollywood’s most successful production companies, with a track record spanning multiple genres and decades:

“I’m very outgoing. I’m social. I’m constantly importing people to me or me exporting myself to those people to learn to grow. It’s my style of learning. Ron has a very different style of learning. He would learn by reading and he would do by research… I’m the prospector. I’m going to find the idea, and when he agrees, that’s the hole he’s willing to drill in, then we almost every time have success.”

Oscar Night Memories

Grazer’s refreshingly candid account of winning an Academy Award reveals both the pressure and joy of the moment. His vulnerability in sharing this experience offers a rare glimpse into the reality of Hollywood’s biggest night:

“The thing that heightened my sense of nerves was in the front row of the Oscars were all of the female stars that were making a difference in that generation. Renee Zellweger, Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman… And I saw Nicole Kidman’s lips move like, Brian, you can do it. And it was so moving to me… because all those girls knew me personally.”

The Art of Human Connection

Throughout his career, Grazer has approached every world “with a beginner’s mind, with complete innocence, whether it’s science, medicine, politics, religion, all art forms.” This philosophy led to two books about the power of curiosity and human connection. His approach to decision-making remains deeply informed by these countless conversations: “I’m not coming to any decision that’s certainly creative as a dilettante. I’ve talked to such a variety of people and really paid attention.”

Grazer’s remarkable career demonstrates the power of curiosity, emotional storytelling, and human connection in creating impactful entertainment. From his early days selling newspaper subscriptions to winning an Oscar for A Beautiful Mind, Grazer’s journey shows how maintaining humility, following one’s instincts, and seeking deeper meaning in stories can lead to a legacy of success in Hollywood.

For the full conversation, check out the podcast episode here. And let us know your thoughts on the episode in the comments!

Don’t Kill the Messenger, hosted by movie and entertainment research expert Kevin Goetz, brings his book Audienceology to life. This bi-monthly podcast takes a peek behind the filmmaking curtain as Kevin talks with famous filmmakers, studio executives, stars, and other creatives about movies, filmmaking, audience test screenings, and much more.

For more information about Brian Grazer:

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Grazer

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briangrazer/

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004976/

For more information about Kevin Goetz:

Website: www.KevinGoetz360.com
Audienceology Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Audience-ology/Kevin-Goetz/9781982186678
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @KevinGoetz360
Linked In @Kevin Goetz
Screen Engine/ASI Website: www.ScreenEngineASI.com

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