Jon Peters made his Hollywood debut in 1956 with a small role in Cecil B. DeMille's epic film "The Ten Commandments", where he played the boy on the donkey crossing the Red Sea. However, his early life was marked by struggles, as he spent his formative years in and out of reform school. Peters entered the family business of hairdressing at the age of 14, where he honed his skills and developed an instinctive genius for self-promotion.
As a successful hairdresser, Peters amassed a celebrity clientele at his trendy salon on Rodeo Drive, earning millions through the merchandising of his salon's cosmetic products. His privileged position allowed him to gain insight into the inner workings of Hollywood, and he soon became privy to the confidences of the rich and famous. This expertise enabled him to manage the early music and film career of his client, Barbra Streisand, whom he fell in love with in 1973.
Peters produced Streisand's 1976 remake of "A Star Is Born", which became a massive commercial success, grossing over $100 million at the box office and earning four Oscar nominations, including the award-winning song "Evergreen". He went on to produce a string of best-selling Streisand albums, including "The Main Event", "The Eyes of Laura Mars", and "Caddyshack". This success solidified Peters' status as an A-list producer, a position he has maintained for over 30 years.
In 1980, Peters teamed up with former Casablanca Records and Filmworks executive Peter Guber, and together with Neil Bogart, they formed Polygram Productions, later renamed the Boardwalk Company. The partnership was marked by a series of high-risk, high-reward projects, including the critically acclaimed and financially successful films "Missing", "Flashdance", "The Color Purple", "Witches of Eastwick", "Gorillas in the Mist", and "Rain Man".
Peters and Guber's willingness to take enormous chances with huge amounts of money transformed them into the wunderkind of Hollywood. Their biggest risk and biggest hit was the 1989 film "Batman", which won them a multimillion-dollar contract with Warner Bros. Within months, they were wooed away by Sony Corporation, which offered them a billion-dollar deal to assume chief executive posts.
Peters left Sony to start his own production company, Peters Entertainment, which has produced several blockbuster films, including "Batman Returns", "Wild Wild West", "Ali", and "Superman Returns". Throughout his career, Peters has received over 254 nominations and has won multiple Oscars, Golden Globes, and Grammys. His combined grosses exceed $6 billion worldwide, and he is set to continue his success with two Superman sequels and a "Star is Born" remake in development.
Peters is the proud father of five children: Christopher, Caleigh, Jordan, Skye, and Kendyl. Through the Peters Family Foundation, he supports a wide range of youth charities, including the Christopher Reeve Foundation, Life Rolls On, Homeboy Industries, My Friend's Place, Cambodian Children's Fund, Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation, Heartfelt Foundation, The Laurence School, and the Sheriff's Youth Foundation.
