Gary Barber

Gary Barber (born 1957) is a South African-born American film producer, media executive, and thoroughbred horse racing owner renowned for his leadership in Hollywood's major studios and production companies.

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Barber earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand before transitioning from a finance background into the entertainment industry. His early career included senior executive roles at Vestron Pictures and Morgan Creek Productions, where he contributed to films such as True Romance (1993) and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994).

Gary Barber was born in 1957 in Johannesburg, South Africa, to a Jewish family.

Barber grew up in Johannesburg during the apartheid era, a period marked by strict racial segregation and political tensions that shaped daily life for white South Africans, including Jewish communities often navigating their position within the system's privileges and moral complexities. His family background, rooted in Jewish heritage, provided a foundational aspect of his identity amid the broader cultural and social constraints of the time. Limited public details exist on his immediate family dynamics, but the environment of 1960s Johannesburg, with its vibrant urban energy juxtaposed against regime-enforced divisions, formed the backdrop of his early years.

Barber has supported efforts to combat antisemitism. In October 2023, he co-led a group of horse owners, including Aron Wellman, in pledging a portion of their Breeders' Cup earnings to Stand Up to Jewish Hate, an organization addressing rising incidents of antisemitism in the U.S. Additionally, in August 2025, he signed open letters from entertainment leaders criticizing biased programming at the Toronto International Film Festival and calling out misinformation targeting the Jewish community, underscoring his advocacy in both racing and professional spheres.