| 2009 Power List | Next |
 Amy Pascal |
1. Amy Pascal
co-chairman, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Who would have thought that the canny young woman who started out as indie producer Tony Garnett's assistant would become one of the most powerful executives in Hollywood? Loved by talent, respected by her corporate overlords, Pascal has proved to be one of the longest-lasting studio execs in history, overcoming early struggles at the studio (when her taste for "chick flicks" may have damaged her) to become a seasoned veteran. Her savviness was on full display this year: Who else would have greenlit "Julie & Julia," let alone develop it before Meryl Streep was even attached? Who else would have followed that with a blockbuster like "2012"? And who else would have paid a whopping $60 million for rough footage of Michael Jackson's concert rehearsals -- leading to $200 million in global boxoffice, a potential Oscar nomination for best picture and a likely goldmine when "This Is It" comes out on DVD? As for her year so far, it's as solid as ever: Sony isn't No. 1 but it ranks a respectable third in market share for 2009, with such other hits as "Paul Blart: Mall Cop," "Angels & Demons," "District 9" and "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs." But it's already enjoying its best year ever at the international boxoffice, where it has topped the $1.63 billion mark. Asked to single out a mentor, she goes back to the beginning: "My first mentor was Tony Garnett. I was his secretary. He taught me that writers were what mattered about movies. He taught me how to read scripts; he taught me about storytelling and he also taught me about graciousness."
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