Roger Birnbaum

Roger Birnbaum is an American film and television producer and executive whose career has shaped major aspects of Hollywood production and studio leadership over more than four decades. He is renowned for co-founding influential production companies such as Caravan Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment, and for his tenure as co-chairman and co-CEO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) during the studio's post-bankruptcy revival. Birnbaum's work has contributed to numerous box office successes and award-winning films, including Rush Hour (1998), The Sixth Sense (1999), and Seabiscuit (2003).

Birnbaum's early career began in the music industry, where he worked under Clive Davis at Arista Records, gaining foundational experience in entertainment before transitioning to film. A New Jersey native, he moved to Los Angeles and joined the William Morris Agency as an agent, representing writers and directors. In 1980, he entered studio executive ranks at 20th Century Fox as vice president of production, rising to president of worldwide production by 1989, where he oversaw hits like My Cousin Vinny (1992) and White Men Can't Jump (1992).

Roger Birnbaum was born on November 14, 1950, in Teaneck, New Jersey, to a Jewish family. His parents were Arlene (née Steinlauf) Birnbaum and Norman Birnbaum.